The Jerome Gambit: Jerome Gambit: Get An Edge, Then Simplify

Monday, July 21, 2025

Jerome Gambit: Get An Edge, Then Simplify

The "Italian opning [sic] rapid players tournament" - although the time control was not rapid, but 3 days per move - has concluded.

Of the five players, top-rated Shienny_Loves_Cats finished undefeated with 8 points.

I came in second, with 5 1/2 points. In a hurry to finish a game and the tournament, I accepted a draw in a game, when a bit more analysis of the position would have shown a clear winning path. Ah, well.

My Jerome Gambit game with Shienny_Loves_Cats has already appeared in "Jerome Gambit: Ouch (Parts 1 & 2)".

Here is the other Jerome Gambit that I managed to achieve. My strategy was simple: get an edge, then simplify.

perrypawnpusher - SirGalton

Italian opening rapid players,Chess.com, 2025

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

Black should do fine with this defense - if he knows what he is doing.

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.Na3

Yury V. Bukayev has examined this move and 8...Bxa3, which was seen in Bukayev,Y - Karpov,A, tempo, 10+0 2022 (1-0, 18); although he judged 8...Qf6 to be a stronger move.

paulybuckets, at lichess.org, is 4 - 3 - 1 with 8.Na3.

8...Qf6

Or 8...c6 as in perrypawnpusher - Klewnom, Italian Game tournament, Chess.com, 2023 (0-1, 22).

Now, a center skirmish allows me to claw back some material.

9.Nc4+ Nxc4 10.Qd5+ Ke7 11.Qxc5+ Nd6 12.e5 Qe6 13.O-O

13...b6 14.exd6+ cxd6 15.Qg5+

Trying to stir something up.

15...Kf7 16.Qh5+ g6

My guess is that my opponent was annoyed with the Queen checks and responded with a quick move that said Go away! After all, he already had to put up with the Jerome Gambit...

17.Qf3+

"I don't want to belong to any club that would accept me as one of its members" said Grouch Marx.

17...Kg7 18.Qxa8 Ba6 19.d3 Nf6