Thursday, June 19, 2025

Jerome Gambit: King Safety, Again



In the Jerome Gambit, one of the most reliable defenses is for Black to reply to 6.Qh5+ with 6...Kf8.

The defender must continue with solid moves, however, lest he succumb to the attack on his King, after all.

Observe the following game.


Wall, Bill - Singh

sparkchess, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Qe7 

Bill has also faced 8...Nf6, 8...Qf6, 8...h5, 8...d5, and 8...Bd7

9.d3 h6 

Also 9...Kf7 10.O-O Nf6 11.Nc3 Be6 12.Be3 Bb6 13.f4 Rhf8 14.Bxb6 axb6 15.e5 Nh5 16.Qf3 Qh4 17.Qxb7 Kg8 18.f5 Rab8 19.Qxc7 Qd4+ 20.Kh1 Rbc8 21.Qxd6 Qxd6 22.exd6 Rxf5 23.Rxf5 Bxf5 24.Nd5 Rd8 25.Ne7+ Kf7 26.Nxf5 g6 27.Ne3 Rxd6 28.Rf1+ Ke6 29.Nc4 Black resigned, Wall,B - Ahmad, sparkchess, 2024 

10.O-O Qf6 11.Nd2 Be6 12.Re1 Ne7 

13.e5 

A clearance sacrifice.

13...dxe5 14.Ne4 

Black can now send his own Knight on a mission of harassment: 14...Nf5 15.Qf3 Nd4 16.Qe3 Qf7 17.Nxc5 Nxc2 18.Nxe6+ Kg8 (18...Qxe6 19.Qc5+ Kf7 20.Qxc2) 19.Qxe5 Nxe1 20.Qxe1 Re8 21.Bf4 Qxe6 22.Qxe6+ Rxe6 23.Bxc7 Re2 24.Rb1 Kh7.

Instead, he seems to have miscalculated in his move choice. 

14...Bxf2+ 15.Nxf2 Nc6 16.b3 

The balance of the game has shifted to White.

16...Re8 17.Ne4 Qe7 18.Rf1+ Kg8 


A final slip, as White quickly demonstrates.

19.Nf6+ Kf8 20.Nd5+ Black resigned


Black's Queen is lost.


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