Thursday, July 3, 2025

Jerome Gambit: Not Going As Planned



Helmuth von Moltke the Elder, a 19th-century German military strategist, pointed out that "no plan of operations extends with any certainty beyond the first contact with the main hostile force." 

That goes for defense, as well as offense.

Like the following Jerome Gambit game.

Wall, Bill - Alwi

sparkchess. 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 

Another example of Black refusing (temporarily) to capture the pawn.

Bill castles (a good move to insert here) and waits.

6.O-O Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4 d6 

We have looked at this line before. See "Jerome Gambit: Trod These Roads Before".

9.Nc3 Be6 10.f4 Nc6 11.Qd3 Qh4 


Black has an extra piece for a pawn, and is feeling aggressive.

12.Bd2 Nge7 13.Nd5 Bxd5 14.exd5 Nd8 


Okay, things are not going as planned for the defender/counterattacker, but surely he is still better?

Stockfish 16.1 says no

15.Rae1 Nf7 16.Qb5 

The Queen is up to mischief.

16...b6 17.Bc3 a6 18.Qc4 Ra7 


It's a little thing, but does the Rook really belong there?

Black could have continued, instead, with 18...Nf5 19.Qxc7 Qd8 without worry.

19.Qe2 Nh6 20.g3 Black resigned


While you and I and Black were focused on the Queenside, Bill shows that the enemy Queen can no longer guard it's Knight on e7 and remain safe, at the same time.



 



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