The latest internet game from Vlasta Fejfar shows that the Jerome Gambit is not just a one-time-surprise opening. Having fallen to the Jerome, his opponent reassesses his chances and his line of play, and tries something new. Alas, for the defender, White still triumphs.
vlastous - ADELAZIZ
internet, 2019
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8
The Jerome Defense, courtesy Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, who also brings you the Jerome Gambit.
7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qf4+ Nf6
ADELAZIZ varies from the 8...Qf6 that he played when the two contested a game earlier. Then, vlastous was willing to exchange Queens and make his extra "Jerome pawns" count.
9.O-O Bd4 10.c3 Be5
Reminding me of perrypawnpusher - warwar, "Italian Battleground", Chess.com, 2019 - but in current game, things turn out better for White.
11.Qh4 g5
A smart move. Taking the pawn would expose White to dangers along the g-file.
12.Qh6+ Kf7 13.d4 Bf4 14.Bxf4 gxf4 15.e5 dxe5 16.dxe5 Nd5 17.Re1 Be6
Black still has a piece for two pawns, but the uneasy position of his King suggests that if anyone has an edge, it is White.
18.c4 Nb4 19.Nc3 Rg8 20.Ne4 Nd3
The Knight attacks White's Rook and pawns, while protecting his advanced pawn. However, a pin along the d-file will cause trouble. Better was 20...Qe7, Which could also be answered by 21.Rad1.
21.Rad1 b6
Now the roof falls in.
22.Rxd3 Qxd3 23.Qf6+ Ke8 Black resigned
Black will lose his Queen (and more) or be checkmated.
In the Jerome Gambit, White may get "only" a couple of pawns in exchange for his sacrificed piece, but, if he gives his pawns a chance, they can prove very helpful in the outcome of the game. The following contest is an example.
White's calmness in the face of aggression at the end of the game is exciting, too - why become upset, if you can checkmate your opponent, first?
vlastous - ADELAZIZ
internet, 2019
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8
The Jerome Defense, presented by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome in his earliest published analyses.
7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qf4+ Qf6
This is a perfectly logical move, offering to exchange Queens to blunt White's attack; and although it does not show up in early Jerome Gambit analyses, The Database points out that it is played twice as often as 8...Nf6.
9.d3 Qxf4 10.Bxf4 Nf6
11.Nc3 Kf7
This looks like a slight improvement over 11... a6, which was seen in vlastous - Nyanyiwa, internet 2017, (1-0, 34)
12.h4 Rf8 13.f3 Nh5 14.Bh2 Bb4 15.g4 Nf6 16.O-O Be6
The "Jerome pawns" already take on a menacing look, but Black is still doing fine. His problem will be finding and executing a successful defense and counter-attack.
17.Bg3 a6 18.Ne2 Rad8 19.Nf4 Rfe8 20.c3 Bc5+ 21.d4 Bb6 22.Kg2 d5
The move ...d5 is frequently good against the Jerome Gambit (and 1.e4 e5 openings in general) but here the move gives White's Kingside ambitions encouragement. Stockfish 10 suggests the quieter 22...g6.
23.e5 Ng8 24.Nxe6 Rxe6 25.f4 c5
The right idea, hitting back at the growing center.
26.f5 Rc6 27.e6+ Ke8 28.Be5 cxd4
This move looks like a slip, according to Stockfish 10, which suggests, instead, 28...Kf8 29.dxc5 Bxc5 30. g5 Bd6 31.Bd4 Bc5 and a draw by repetition.
The computer is not yet impressed by the "Jerome pawns", but the problem with the text move is that White does not have to recapture at d4 - he can take the g7 pawn, instead, opening the way for the connected passed pawns that have suddenly grown fierce.
29.Bxg7 dxc3 30.bxc3 d4
To open lines, but his King's castle has already been breached.
31.g5 dxc3 32.f6 Rd2+ 33.Kh1 Rc4
Black's counter-attack looks scary, but White has one move at his disposal that brings home the point - by implementing his own mating attack.
34.f7+ Ke7 35.f8=Q+ Kxe6 36.Rae1+ Kd7 37.Qe8+ Kc7 38.Be5+ Black resigned
Beautiful!
