Jerome Gambit: And, Yet... (Part 1)

I thought that this blog had finished off this game's opening variation with posts like this, from "Jerome Gambit: I Tried", summarizing 

"Death of a Variation" was not the first time, but it was a not-so-subtle hint. That was followed by "Public Service Announcement" and "A Mention is Not an Endorsement". You might think that "Re-Inventing the Flat Tire" might do it. 

Even coming up with a specific name for the variation - "Jerome Gambit: The Face Palm Variation" didn't stamp it out.

Why all the fuss? Check out the following game.

deusmach - ggg_540

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Ng5+ 

Getting ahead of himself...

Remarkably, The Database has 851 games with this opening. Not so surprisingly, White scores 27%.

Admittedly, the average difference in rating betwen White and Black in this case is 90 points - in Black's favor - but the expectancy for the first player would still be about 40%.

The conclusion is obvious: avoid 5.Ng5+

5...Kf8 

Wait, wait, wait... What about 5...Qxg5?

6.O-O Qxg5 

Well, then...

7.Nc3 a6 8.d4

This is the idea behind 5.Ng5+: attack both the Bishop and the Queen. Had Black captured the Knight on move 5 (see above), he could have responded to 6.d4 with 6...Qxg2, but that Queen move, now, would be quite an error. 

8...exd4 9.Bxg5 Black resigned

Blitz games can be so cruel.