Jerome Gambit: The Primacy of Check

When the King is in check, the player must put every thing else aside and block the check, move out of the check, or capture the attacking piece. Double check reduces the King's options to just moving away.

Checks must be attended to first, as the following game shows.

vagel - ssshhhilov

5 3 blitz, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 

6...Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 8.O-O Nf6 

So far, as in Jerome - Shinkman, Iowa, 1876 (1/2-1/2, 42).

9.Bg5 Re8 

vagel has also seen 9...c5 10.Qc3 Qc7 11.f4 Nxe4 12.fxe5+ Ke6 13.Qb3+ d5 14.Nc3 Nd2 15.Qxd5 checkmate, vagel - Jairoton, lichess.org, 2023; and 

9... Rf8 10. f4 Nc6 11.Qe3 (11.Qd3 h6 12.Bh4 Kg8 13.Nc3 Be6 14.Rae1 d5 15.e5 d4 16.exf6 dxc3 17.f7+ Rxf7 18.Bxd8 Black resigned, vagel - annbrykova, lichess.org, 2024) 11...h6 12.Bh4 Qe7 13.Nc3 b6 14.Nd5 Qd7 15.Nxf6 gxf6 16.e5 dxe5 17.fxe5 Nxe5 18.Qxe5 Kg8 19.Bxf6 Bb7 20.Qg3+ Kh7 21.Rad1 Qc6 22.Qg7#, vagel - glcnckss, lichess.org, 2024. 

Stockfish 17.1 suggests 9...h6. 

10.f4 Nc6 11.Qc4+ 

White plans mischief - the kind you can see in 5-minute games - if Black blocks this check with his Bishop.

11...Be6 12.Qd3 h6 13.Bh4 

Black has defended well, and need only castle-by-hand with 13...Kg8 to cement his advantage.

13...Qd7 

Casually developing another piece, missing the fact that he is now blocking his Bishop. In a 5-minute game, players can move quickly and miss something. 

14.e5 

The same can be said for White. Perhaps he figured that he would have time for 14.f5 on his next move, but 14...Ne5 15.fxe6+ (the check is important and must be attended to) Qxe6 16.Qb5 is only even. 

He needed to play f4-f5. Lucky for him, he has another chance.

14...Nd5  15.f5

Things are beginning to look a little worrisome for Black, but he needs to take a deep breath, find 15...Kg8, and accept the fact that after the further 16.fxe6 Qxe6 16.exd6 Qxd6 the game will be level.

15...Nxe5 

One bit of practical chess advice is If your opponent attacks your piece, attack one of his that is of greater value.

Here, White attacks the Black Bishop, so Black, in turn, attacks the White Queen - overlooking the primacy of check.

16.fxe6+ 

This capture comes with double check, and the King has only two choices as to where to go

16...Kxe6 

He could have forfeited his Queen with 16... Kg8, instead. 

The text foreits his King.

17.Qf5 checkmate