Jerome Gambit: Taking Care of Business

In the following game, once White survived his risky 8th move, the game became a matter of taking care of business for him.

Calm play, despite the ticking clock of a 1-minute game, led to the win.

angelcamina - tommmmy

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2025

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

As I cautioned a few years ago in Jerome Gambit: What About the Rook?

Even for the off-beat and unusual Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) there is a certain amount of "theory" that is good to know, to guide your way through the complications. Especially Black would benefit from an understanding about what he is getting himself into when he plays 6...g6 in response to White's Queen sally 5.Qh5+; like it or not, it is a tacit offer of a Rook, and he has to be aware of that and deal with it.

7.Qxe5 Qe7 

Whistler's defense, named after Lt. G. N. Whistler, secretary of the Lexington, Kentucky Chess Club, based on the game Jerome - Whistler, correspondence, 1877 (0-1, 15).

8.Qxh8 

White goes into a complicated line, one that can be difficult for both players, although it is "objectively" bad for the first player. This position appears in 369 games in The Database. White scores 51%.

8...Qf6 

Only about 1/2 the time in his games has angelcamina's opponents found the correct punishment for the grab of the Rook, 8...Qxe4+. That move appears in 278 games in The Database, with White scoring 44%.

Given that Stockfish 16.1 evaluates the position after 8...Qxe4+ as being 4 1/2 pawns better for Black, this is the kind of variation that probably should only be chosen if you are a skilled bullet player - which angelcamina is.

9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 

White was happy to exchange Queens, as his material advantage of the exhange and two pawns was still enough to work with.

10.Nc3 Bd4 

Planning on undermining the piece protection of the e-pawn

11.d3 d6 12.O-O Bd7 13.Be3 Be5 14.f4 Bxc3 15.bxc3 Kg7 

White does not need any flashy play, he just needs to take care of business - and beat the clock.

16.Rab1 b6 17.h3 h5 18.Bd4 c5 19.Bxf6+ Kxf6 20.f5 g5 21.g4 h4

If Black can lock up the position and stifle White's Rooks, then maybe, just maybe... No, not going to happen.

22.d4 Bc6 23.Rfe1 Re8 24.e5+ dxe5 25.dxe5+ Rxe5 26.Rxe5 Kxe5

It cost White a pawn to exchange Rooks, but his game is even simpler now.

27.Kf2 Kf4 28.Re1 Be4 29.f6 

The pawn will cost Black 

29...Bg6 30.Re7 Bxc2 

Hopeless.

31.f7 Bg6 32.f8=Q+ White won on time