Jerome Gambit: Challenge (Part 1)

Recently, chessfriend Yury V. Bukayev issued a challenge to me

...I would like to play as White against GM Kollars' favourite defence 5...Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+ 9.g3 Qf6. [See"Jerome Gambit: GM vs GM!?"] Of course, Black stands better, but I'll try to play stronger than GM Nakamura, if you agree. Kollars played in 2020 without preparation and with a serious wonder. 

Well, I have also played against the Jerome Gambit 47 times, scoring 90%, so, of course I accepted the challenge.

That turned out to be a big mistake on my part. 

Yury_V_Bukayev - perrypawnpusher

Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+ 9.g3 Qf6 

This was our starting position. A quick look at The Database shows 66 games, with White scoring 56%. (I have never reached this position with Black.)

10.Qh5 

An interesting and rare idea. I can find only 3 examples in The Database: Wall,B - Marani,G, Chess.com, 2011 (1-0, 28), perrypawnpusher - izscha2014, GameKnot.com, 2014 (0-1, 23), and LetsJeromeGambit - ocelotosss, 10 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020 (1-0, 21).

Yes, in "Jerome Gambit: Help Arrives In Time" I did lament

The diversion 10.Qh5 did not work out well for me 

In the current game, Yury did much better. 

10...c6 

Creating an escape hatch for Black's King.

As noted above, also seen: 

10...g6 in Wall,B - Marani,G, Chess.com, 2011;

10...Ne7 in LetsJeromeGambit - ocelotosss, Chess.com 2020 

After the game, Stockfish 16.1 suggested, instead, 10...Kc6 and 10...Ke7.

Retreating the Knight from e5 would allow White to check the enemy King and then collect the Bishop on c5.

11.fxe5+ Qxe5 12.Qe2 

There was no need to exchange Queens.

12...Nf6 13.Rf1 

13.d3 Ke7 14.c3 was seen in perrypawnpusher - 1zscha2014, GameKnot.com 2014 (0-1, 32). 

13...Ke7

The analysis at Chess.com after the game gave this move a "??". 

The move was based on the illusion 13...Kc7 14.d4 Bxd4 15.Bf4 and Black wins the Queen. Of course, the correct move, 14...Qxd4, would allow Black to answer 15.Bf4 with 15...c6.

14.Rf5 Qd4 

Of course, retreating the Queen via the escape hatch would have been a good idea - 14...Qc7. Black would still be better.

15.c3 

At this point, in this position that is objectively even, I was so discouraged that I resigned.

I had looked at 15...Qg1+ and seen 16.Rf1, asking myself Where can my Queen retreat to?

I suspect that Yury chuckled, and saw further, realizing that Black had a piece to return, therefore: 15...Qg1+ 16.Rf1 Bf2+! 17.Qxf2 Qxf2+ 18.Rxf2 d6 and Black can play on.

[Readers might notice, if they check out this game at chess.com, that it was played after the date on this post. We are not time traveling, I am behind on posting…]