Jerome Gambit: A Bit Of Misdirection

Quick time controls can have their dangers, if only because they can affect attention to all parts of the board.

The following game may well be an example. 

Babypawnmonster - henbra

10 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 Qf6 8.Qe8+ 

I took a took a good look at 8.Qe8+ in the post "Jerome Gambit: Developing (Part 1)"

This move screams out to be played. (In fact, The Database shows it has been played 4 times before. [Update: The Database now has 22 examples. White scores 9 - 12 - 1.]) White's Queen continues her attack. If Black blocks the check with his Knight, White can capture his Rook.

The problem with this analysis is that it is not deep enough. This is the product of both the blitz time control and not enough experience with different Jerome Gambit lines.

Also, while defenders object that an early active Queen in the Jerome Gambit violates the rules of good play, their argument grows stronger if Her Majesty continues to work without assistance.

For starters, Black can play 8...Ne7 here, as 9.Qxh8 would be met by the strong 9...Qh4+. After 10.g3 Qg4, White's lonely King would face 3 Black pieces (an old piece of chess wisdom mentions "three pieces and an attack"). Capturing the Knight with 11.fxe5 would lead to being checkmated in 5 moves, while helping the Queen escape with 11.Qxh7 would lead to being checkmated in 9 moves. Everything else would allow 11...Nf3+ followed by doom and gloom.

8...Qe7 

Okay, Black is not ready to sacrifice his Rook, but this move still keeps him better.

9.f5+ 

White could withdraw his Queen right now with 9.Qh5, but after 9...Nf6 10.Qxe5+ Kf7, he would wind up having to exchange his Queen, after which his attack would largely dissipate.

The text puts off the inevitable by one mov. 

9...Kf6 10.Qh5 d5 

Often this strike at the center is helpful for Black.

11.d4 

This pawn fork is a bit of misdirection - and it proves successful. 

A free pawn, and a center one at that, Okay!

11...Bxd4 

The proper response was to recognize the upcoming danger on the d8-h4 diagonal and push back, say, with 11...g6, as then 12.Bg5+ could be met by 12...Kg7 and then 13.Qh4 Nf6 14.dxc5 c6, when Black would have the typical material advantage of a piece for two pawns and his King would be relatively safe. 

12.Bg5 checkmate

Ouch.