Jerome Gambit: Having Said A...

The following online Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game caught my eye for a number of reasons.

First, the time control: 30 minutes plus 20 seconds increment per move. That's a lot different than a bullet game.

Second, Blacks' 7th move is interesting, aggressive and unusual.

Third, White's 9th move, while awkward, is best - there is only one game with a (poor) alternative move in The Database.

Fourth, Black's game then falls apart in an unusual way.

Fifth, I get to quote Bertold Brecht for the first and only time in over 4,850 blog posts.

Finally, to be fair, it must be pointed out that White was giving "Jerome Gambit odds", as he was rated, at 2100+, about 450 points above his opponent.

PANORMOS - dvkocharyan

1800 20, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qxc5 Qh4 

There are only 12 games in The Database (over 114,000 games) with this move. In those games, White scores 8 - 3 - 1.

Stockfish 16.1 evaluates the position as about a pawn better for Black. 

8.d3 Qg4 9.Rg1 

The text is better than 9.O-O, although the game continuation after that move, 9...d6 (better 9...Nh4 with advantage) was well-met by 10.Qxc7+ in Trage2000 - Alexprochazka, 30 20 classical, lichess.org, 2023 (1-0, 47). 

9...Nh4

Thinking of capturing the g-pawn? Not a good idea.

Instead, there was 9...c6 and then, maybe, 10.h3 b6 11.hxg4 Bxc5 12.Nc3 d5 and Black would maintain his advantage. 

10.f3 Nxf3+  

Imagining that the White g-pawn is pinned? But - look along the a7-g1 diagonal.

After the alternative, 10...Qe6 11.Qxc7 Nf6 12.Nc3 Ng6 White would have an edge. 

11.gxf3 Qxf3 

Did Bertolt Brecht, German playwright and poet, play chess? 

Indeed, he did. 

As he might have commented (after time-travelling) upon seeing the current position, about Black, Having said "A", he now says "B".

12.Rf1 Black resigned

The Black Queen is lost.