Jerome Gambit: Not Poisoned, But Tasty

                                        

I have been taking a look, again, at a specious defense line in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), focusing upon the recent games of the online player EsHi71.

My first look at the line was in the blog post "Parts is parts", and the game perrypawnpusher - Kapppy, blitz 2 12, FICS, 2009 from 15 1/2 years ago.

Play the game through, consider the notes.

EsHi71 - Aldiserg

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Bd6 

Okay, one idea in playing blitz, is to make threats - hopefully ones that will make the opponent think hard, and use up time. 

As you will see, though, EsHi71 has been in this position before, and knows that the Rook is not poisoned, but tasty.

8.Qxh8 Qe7

A recent gimme was 8...Nf6 9.Qxd8 Black resigned, EsHi71 - Brandogenna9, lichess.org, 2023. Certainly not 9.d3 Qxh8, as in EsHi71 - deepakrud, lichess.org, 2022 (0-1, 33);

8...b6 9.Qxh7+, and White's Queen will not be trapped, and will attack, as in EsHi71-Sa_22, lichess.org, 2023 (0-1, 28);

8...Qg5 9.Qxh7+ Kf8 10.O-O worked in EsHi71 - osamaop13, lichess.org, 2023 (1-0, 12);

8...Qf6 9.Qxh7+ as seen in EsHi71 - arashmohseni7311, lichess.org, 2022 and EsHi71 - zacharbell, lichess.org, 2023 (1-0, 48);

8...Qh4 9.d3 Nf6 as in EsHi71-Damarovic, lichess.org, 2024 (1-0, 36), when 10.Nd2 would have helped him more.

9.Qxh7+ Kf6

Or 9...Kf8 10.Qxg6 as in EsHi71 - abhishek7777777, lichess.org, 2024 (1-0, 54). 

10.Qxg8 

White can afford this material grab, as his King is relatively safe. 

10...Qxe4+ 11.Kf1 Qxc2 

Or 11...Bc5 12.Qh8+ Kg5 and Black is facing a forced checkmate, as in EsHi71 - azcamm, lichess.org, 2023(1-0, 16) 

Now White has a Knight move to safeguard his King from apparent danger.

12.Na3 

Attacking the Queen instead of protecting the Knight.

12...Qd1 checkmate

Ouch. 

Bummer.

Such things happen in blitz.