Jerome Gambit: As Alonzo Wheeler Jerome Would Have Intended

The Jerome Gambit often leads to a sharp attack that gives Black plenty of ways to go wrong - disastrously.

The following game goes just as Alonzo Wheeler Jerome would have intended.

thunder_84 - nityahajong

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 

Black's King travels onto the battlefield, at great risk.

6.Qg4+ 

White fairly insists that Black capture another piece.

According to The Database, the Queen move has scored 70% in 27 games. 

Black would have been happier if White had tried 6.Nxc6, as he could have responded 6...Qh4. 

6...Kxe5 7.d4+

The only move.

7...Kxd4 

In turn, Black had to try 7...Bxd4 and hope to hang on after 8.Bf4+ Kf6 (if 8...Kxe4 White has a long checkmate: 9.c4 Bxf2+ 10.Kf1 d5 11.Nc3+ Kd4 12.Qd1+ Kc5 13.Na4+ Kxc4 14.Qe2+ Kb4 15.Bd2+ Kxa4 16.b3+ Ka3 17.Bc3 d4 18.Qb2#) 9.Bg5+ Kf7 10.Bxd8 Nxd8 and - because of his unstable King - his 3 pieces will not match up with White's Queen and pawn.

Likewise, 7...Nxd4 would fall to 8.Bg5+, as would 7...Kf6.

The retreat 7...Kd6 is interesting, but 8.dxc5+ Kxc5 9.Be3+ Kd6 10.Bf4+ Ne5 11.Qg3 Qf6 12.Nc3 c6 13.O-O-O+ woud be clearly in White's favor.

Now White wraps thing up.

8.Be3+ Kc4 9.Qe2+ Kb4 10.Bd2+ Ka4 11.b3 checkmate