Sunday, April 13, 2025

Jerome Gambit: No Thank You; Thank You; Quickly



In the early years of this blog, in "Lightning Strikes", I noted

As science fiction stories developed, I noticed that the top speed that a rocket could travel went from "the speed of light" to "the speed of thought" – the latter being much, much faster, I guess.

Bullet chess travels at the speed of thought. The following game packs a lot into fewer than 10 moves - pieces offered, pieces declined, advantages exchanged.


QangaliTakugakkit - Simiam_Laika

1 3 bullet, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kf8 

Declining the Bishop is not as strong as accepting it - but, in a blitz game, surprises can take time to adjust to, and that might have been Black's intention.

Checking The Database, the two players have split 10 Jerome Gambit games.

5.Bxg8 

Simple.

White has also tried the more complicated 5.Nxe5 in QangaliTakugakkit - lexx777, lichess.org, 2024 (0-1, 9); QangaliTakugakkit - MirayaHRMSPB, lichess.org, 2024 (0-1, 24); QangaliTakugakkit - Simiam_Laika, lichess.org, 2024 (1-0, 19); and QangaliTakugakkit - Simiam_Laika, lichess.org, 2024 (0-1, 23). 

Of course, he could have withdrawb the Bishop -  

5.Bc4  as in QangaliTakugakkit - Simiam_Laika, lichess.org, 2024 (0-1, 33);  QangaliTakugakkit - Simiam_Laika, lichess.org, 2024 (1-0, 16); or

5.Bd5 as in QangaliTakugakkit - Simiam_Laika, lichess.org, 2024 (1-0, 15). 

5...Rxg8 

Capturing with the King 5... Kxg8 was a bit stronger, as in QangaliTakugakkit - Simiam_Laika, lichess.org, 2024 (1-0, 23). 

Disturbing was 5...Bxf2+ 6.Kxf2 Rxg8 in QangaliTakugakkit - lemehd, lichess.org, 2024 (1-0, 9). 

6.Nxe5 

(6. Nc3 Qf6 7. O-O Qg6 8. Nd5 Bb6 9. Nxb6 axb6 10. Re1 d6 11. Nh4 Qg5 12.Qf3+ Qf4 13. Re3 Nd4 14. Qxf4+ exf4 15. Rc3 Ne2+ 16. Kf1 Nxc3 17. dxc3 Be6 18.Bxf4 Bxa2 19. e5 Bc4+ {0-1 QangaliTakugakkit-Simiam_Laika/https://lichess.org/Dbqi7Ye7 2024}) 

6...Bxf2+ 


Black returns the favor - and the Bishop.

Is the move a good one? The Database has 10 games with this position, with White winning 8 of them. Stockfish 16.1 evaluates White as 2 1/2 pawns better.

But: Tick, Tick, Tick...

7.Kf1 

Wary. Still, he should have taken the Bishop. The game is now about even.

7..Nxe5 8.d4 

See the above comment. Now 8...Qh4 would have given Black the advantage.

8...Bxd4 

Okay. After this Black had an edge.

9.c3 

Had to have been the clock. Instead, he had 9.Qxd4 Qf6+ 10.Qf2.

9...Qf6+ White resigned



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