I recently received an email and Jerome Gambit game from Jackcchow, who plays at Chess.com.
I was surprised as black to have been involved in the Jerome gambit. I had never had it played against me and had to play this with a lot of thought and improvisation. After the game I had to look this up...Later, he shared his strategy
It was an entertaining experience to play this out. At key points of the game I saw a variety of lines that could have played out with chances for either black or white. Not knowing the standard variations during play, I relied on key principles and classical objectives such as seizing whatever files, ranks and diagonals as I could (or denying those to white) and trying to exchange material to accentuate the lead I was conferred by the gambit itself. I tried to maintain tempo and use sharp lines of counterattack during white's pawn advance.Let's take a look.
AlexBuranov - Jackcchow
Chess.com, 2019
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Ng6
This is not an often-played move - The Database has 31 examples. White scores 58%, but if you subtract Bill Wall's 5 wins (and no losses) - he is successful in every line in the Jerome Gambit - that drops to 50%. Solid, for Black.
7.dxc5 Qe7 8.Qd5+ Qe6 9.O-O Qxd5 10.exd5 Nf6 11.c4 c6 12.d6
Allowing the exchange of Queens was probably not White's strongest idea, but he has clearly latched upon a truism in the Jerome Gambit: Black loses many games by leaving his light-squared Bishop at home, where it blocks the development of his Rook. So: White locks it all down.
Almost.
12...b6 13.Be3 Rb8 14.cxb6 axb6 15.Nc3 Ba6
The Bishop emerges.
16.b3 b5 17.c5
If only he could now get in b3-b4, but Black moves first.
17...b4 18.Na4 Bxf1 19.Kxf1 Ng4 20.Bd4 Nxh2+ 21.Ke2 Rhe8+ 22.Kd3 Ng4
White is down a Rook for a pawn; pretty grim. Black continues his steady play,
23.Nb6 N4e5+ 24.Kc2 Rb7 25.Re1 Ra7 26.Kb1 Ng4 27.Rf1 Re2
28.Na4 Rd2 29.Bb2 Rxf2 30.Rh1 Nf6 31.Bxf6 Kxf6 32.Rxh7 Rxg2
33.Rh3 Ke5 34.Rd3 Nf4 35.Re3+ Kd4 36.Rf3 Nd3 37.Rf1 Ra8 38.Rd1 Rf8 White resigned
Black's extra Rook will enter the fray and finish things off. Pretty good result for being surprised by the Jerome Gambit.
