Jerome Gambit: Some Kind of Psychological Compensation (Part 1)

A common question in chess, concerning equivalencies or compensations, goes "Which would you rather have...?"

In the following game, this choice refers to comparative material on each side.

It has been my sad experience that when I had the extra piece, I would prefer the pawns, while when I had the extra pawns, I would prefer the extra piece... But not here. 

perrypawnpusher - SPK_316

Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Bxf7+ 

As I wrote in "Jerome Gambit: First Steps (Part 1)"

...[I]f in the Petroff Defense, the game continues 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Bxf7+, the sacrifice at f7 can upset the defender, drag him out of his preparation, and give White some kind of psychological compensation; but recovering material will be difficult beyond 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+, and if Black finds the unintuitive 5...Kg8, his King will actually be safe from attack - as long as he avoids catastrophies like 6.0-0 d6 7.Qe2 dxe5 8.Qc4+ Tg Z - Lai, W, Kuala Lumpur, 1992.

I have touched upon this Petroff Defense, Italian Variation, in a number of other posts: "More Jerome-izing", "Jerome Gambit: Quick Finishes", "Jerome Gambit: More Quick Finishes", "Jerome Gambit: Two Outstanding Marks of the Jerome Gambit", and "Jerome Gambit: That's Where The Fun Is".

The Database has 196 games with this line, with White scoring 42%.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 

Once again, the "secret weapon" of the Jerome Gambit and Jerome-related openings: defenders often do not treat it seriously enough to find the best response. 

6.Qe2 

I am not sure where this move came from. It reminds me of the novice player's 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nxe4 4.Qe2 Qe7, which I likely played 65 years ago - but which also appeared in a game between Grandmasters Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Hikaru Nakamura in 2023 (!)

Certainly 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 hxg6 8.Qxh8 beckoned, instead.

6...d6 

Kicking White's Knight, as in the Petroff Defense, although 6...Qe7 preserved more of Black's advantage.

7.Qh5+ 

Back on track.

7...g6 8.Nxg6 hxg6 

9.Qxg6+ 

Careless. There are Jerome-ish positions where this pawn (and then Knight) grab is better than taking the Rook, but this is certainly not one of them. Simply 9.Qxh8.

9...Kd7 10.Qxe4 Qe7 

Well done. After the exchange of Queens, Black will have a piece for three pawns, a middlegame advantage, especially with the two Bishops.

11.Nc3 Qxe4+ 12.Nxe4 Ke7 

13.d3 Nc6 14.Bg5+ Kf7 15.O-O-O Bf5 16.Ng3 Bg6 

The position looks more like an endgame than a Queenless middlegame. The computer prefers Black by about 3/4 of a pawn, but it can be hard to visualize the future of White's 3 Kingside pawn.

17.h4 Bh6 

When ahead, exchange pieces; when behind, exchange pawns.

18.Bxh6 Rxh6 19.h5 Bh7 20.Ne4 Re8 21.Ng5+ Kg7 22.Nxh7 Kxh7

[to be continued]