Jerome Gambit: If I Said It Before...

A lot of what there is to be said about the path the following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game travels has already been said, so I have linked to earlier blog posts freely.

joesienk - JuanviPascual

"Jerome Gambit Classic #1",Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kf8 

As I noted in "Jerome Gambit for Dummies 2.0 (Part 3)"

Although 98% of the time (according to The Database) Black captures the Bishop, the move is not forced. It is simply a choice for the second player between having an "objectively" winning game with 4...Kxf7 and having the worse position after 4...Kf8 or 4...Ke7.

Jerome Gambit Declined

Jerome Gambit Declined

Yet a few defenders will adopt the sly attitude If he wants me to take the Bishop, then I won't take it.

There is some "psychology" in this, too: the Jerome Gambiteer suddenly finds himself "stuck" with a calm, but "objectively" better game than had been expected a move before. This change of fortune can take some getting used to.

Also in "Jerome Gambit: Too Many Decisions Too Quickly"

Of course, if the move comes as a surprise to White, the thinking time it takes to respond could be significant in a 1-minute game.

The non-human computer program Stockfish 15.1 is not impressed, evaluating (32 ply) the position as almost 2 pawns better for White. This is why the Jerome Gambit player should have a plan, devised ahead of schedule, for facing Declined variations.

 5.Nxe5

Further from "Jerome Gambit: Too Many Decisions Too Quickly"

White could simply retreat the Bishop with 5.Bc4 or 5.Bb3, or exchange it with 5.Bxg8. Perhaps that is what Black expected.

Instead, he decides to complicate things further. It's all part of the plan.

Although this line makes up only about 2% of the games in The Database, it has held a fascination for me, as I have posted on it a number of times, including "Jerome Gambit: First Steps (Part 5)", "Jerome Gambit: Keep It Simple", "JeromeGambit: It Is Supposed To Be Uncomplicated" and "Jerome Gambit: Ignore Me, Stay Aware".

5...Nxe5 

Once more, from "Jerome Gambit: Too Many Decisions Too Quickly"

I suppose that you could be asking yourself, What if Black tried the wild 5...Qh4 instead? 

Yury V. Bukayev is way ahead of you, having considered that in his post "Anatoly Karpov & Jerome Gambit (Part 1)".

6.Bd5 Nf6 

Too routine. Instead, there was the counter-attacking 6...Qf6!? 

7.d4 Nxd5 8.dxe5 

The way to go was 8.exd5, i.e. 8...Bb4+ 9.c3 Ng6 10.cxb4 d6 

8...Ne7 

9.Qf3+ Kg8 10.O-O 

Stockfish 16.1 tries to be helpful by pointing out that 10.Qb3+ Kf8 11.Qf3+ Kg8 12.Qb3+ etc would be a draw. 

White wants more.

10...Ng6 11.Qb3+ Kf8 12.Be3 

More than mere development.

12...Bxe3 

Missing the idea of his opponent's move. Better was 12...Qe7. 

13.fxe3+ Ke7 14.Qf7 checkmate