Abrahams Jerome Gambit: Roller Skating on Ice

I have made the comparison before: playing the Jerome Gambit in 1-minute games can sometimes resemble roller skating on ice.

The following game is an educational example, with slips on both sides.

dziuba - Rubenburgos

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ 

The Abrahams Jerome Gambit. See "The Abrahams Jerome Gambit (Part 1)"

3...Ke7 

Black is suspicious. Perhaps he is thinking, If you want me to take the Bishop, then I won't! 

This kind of psychology shows up often in Jerome Gambit games, with the defender often trading the chance for a won game, for a serious opportunity for a loss.

The position after White's third move appears in almost 20,500 games in The Database. About 1/2 of 1% of the games feature 3...Ke7.

Stockfish 16.1, ever the skeptic when it comes to the Jerome Gambit, suggests 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 6.d4 Bb6 7.0–0 d6 8.Nc4 d5 9.Qf3+ Qf6 10.Qa3+ Qe7 11.Qf3+ with White forcing the draw.

4.Nf3 

Okay. 

Simplest for White is withdrawing the Bishop with 4.Bb3 or 4.Bc4, with an advantage in material and King safety.

Instead, he ventures out on the ice...

4...Bxf2+ 

"Hey, buddy, you forgot your roller skates!"

Black adds to the excitement with a Bishop sacrifice of his own, knowing that anything can happen in a 1-minute game.

There was, of course, nothing wrong with 4...Kxf7. 

5.Kxf2 Nf6 

Ignoring the Bishop, once again.

6.Bb3

Of course.

6...Nxe4+ 

Hmm... Bishop to Queen's Bishop 4th square, sac with check, follow with the Knight capture of the e-pawn - with check - the flow of Black's game has a resemblance to the moves of White in the Jerome Gambit proper.

If the Jerome is slippery for White, it is equally so for Black.

Both players are out on the ice. 

7.Kg1 c6 

Black has a pawn for his sacrificed piece. He might have done better with the central 7...d5 - although the game would be better for the first player. 

8.Nxe5 

8...Qb6+ 

This is Black's idea: he threatens checkmate.

9.d4 

White remains calm and doesn't fall for 9.Kf1 Qf2 checkmate.

9...d5 10.Qf3 

Instead of developing (and attacking the advance Knight) with 10.Nc3, White plans his own checks on his enemy's King.

This overlooks the undefended nature of his d-pawn, which gives Black an opportunity...

10...Be6 

Instead, there was 10...Qxd4+ 11.Be3 Qxe5 when 12.Nd2 Be6 leaves White with only an edge.

11.Qf7+ 

Yeow!

11...Kd6 

Whoa! Didn't he have...?

The time control adds to the stress.

12.Qg8 

Tick, tick, tick...

Make a move, make a move, make a move...

With a slower time control, White would have found 12.Nc4+!? dxc4 13.Bf4+ Kd5 14.Nc3+!? Nxc3 15.Qh5+ g5 16.Qxg5+ Bf5 17.Qxf5+ Kxd4 18.Qe5 checkmate 

12...Rxg8 

Grabbing the Queen is easy to see. 

There was also 12...Qxd4+ 13.Be3 Qd1 checkmate

White resigned