Jerome Gambit: A Tactic To Remember

Things happen quickly in blitz games, and they are often ended by a killing tactic.

The following game is a brutal example.

rajasthan - twagner

3 0 blitz, FICS, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.c3 

Having sacrificed a piece, White returns to the "Quiet Game".

There are 2,400 games in The Database with this position, with White scoring 46%.

By comparison, there are about 38,000 games with 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, with White scoring 52% - suggesting that, comparatively, 5.c3 may not be the strongest path forward.

5...Qf6 6.d3 

Quieter, yet.

6...d6 7.Qb3+ Qe6 

Black responds too quickly: Let's exchange, shall we?

8.Ng5+ 

Oh.

8...Ke7 9.Nxe6 Bxe6 10.Qxb7 Rb8 11.Qxc6 Black resigned 

A dive into The Database shows 304 games with White's Knight forking Black's King and Queen - and White scores 85%.

A tactic to remember.