The Jerome Gambit: Jerome Gambit: White's Attack Rolls On

Sunday, September 8, 2024

Jerome Gambit: White's Attack Rolls On

It only takes a move or two by the defense to activate the attack in the Jerome Gambit, and then the attack rolls on, as in the following bullet game.

angelcamina - NishantRajak71

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4 Qe7

Familiarity with a particular line can help when you have to think fast. angelcamina has reached this position in 16 games, scoring 75%.

9.O-O d6 10.f4 Nc6 11.Qc4+ Be6 12.Qb5

Putting the question to Black: protect the b-pawn or let it go? Tick, tick, tick.

12...Rab8

Instead, 12...Bd7 13.Qxb7 Rhb8 14.Qa6 d5 gives compensation for the pawn.

13.f5

It can be hard to decide which pawn to advance, the e-pawn or the f-pawn - it can come down to intuition. In this case, though, 13.e5 was a bit better.

13...Bd7 14.Bg5

Typical Jerome Gambit pin.

14...h6 15.Nd5

Typical Jerome Gambit Knight leap.

15...Qd8

Grabbing the e-pawn looked too risky to Black.

16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Qe2 Nd4

Attacking White's active Queen is a standard Black motif, but here the defender is drawn astray by the opportunity to attack the c-pawn as well. He could have centralized his Knight, instead, with 17...Ne5.

18.Qh5+

This move leads to an even position, but illustrates the idea that it is often easier to attack than defend.

18...Kg8 19.c3