One Little Pawn

The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is one of those attack-or-die kind of openings (which too often becomes an attack-and-die affair). If the attack is countered, White may not have much left for his effort and valor.

perrypawnpusher - irhall
blitz 4 10, FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6

I've seen this position 20 times, scoring 75% (14-4-2). That's not bad, but it's about 10% below my total Jerome and Jerome-ish score.

10.0-0 Ne5

Transferring the Knight closer to my Kingside, where it will annoy my Queen. It was better to castle-by-hand with 10...Kf7, ...Re8 and ...Kf8.

11.d4

Probably better than 11.f4 as in perrypawnpusher - mikelars, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 26), and perrypawnpusher - Kotimatka, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 19).

11...Neg4 12.Qf3

White had an even game and went on to win with the slightly better 12.Qb3 b6 13.h3 Nh6 14.e5 dxe5 15.dxe5 Nfg8 16.Qf3 Be6 17.Rd1 Qc8 18.Nc3 Ne7 19.Nb5 Rf8 20.Qxa8 Kf7 21.Qxc8 Rxc8 22.Bxh6 gxh6 23.Nxa7 Rg8 24.Kh2 Nf5 25.g4 Ne7 26.Nb5 h5 27.Nxc7 hxg4 28.Rd6 Bf5 29.Rf6+ Kg7 30.hxg4 Bg6 31.Rd1 Bxc2 32.Rd7 Black resigned, Ghandybh - Noel1942, Chess.com, 2009.

12...Bd7

13.h3 Nh6 14.Bxh6 gxh6

The Knight's adventures are at an end.

15.Nc3 Qe7

White has an even game, but no more than that. It was important for Black to get something going before the first player can take advantage of Black's open Kingside. Both 15...Rg8 and 15...Bc6 come to mind. 

16.e5 dxe5 17.dxe5 Bc6

Black protects his Queenside, gives his Bishop better development, and returns the gambit piece.

18.Qxf6 Qxf6 19.exf6 Rg8

It seems that for all his attacking efforts, White has achieved only one little pawn on f6, something that Black can blockade with his King and then capture. He does have a winning endgame advantage on the Kingside, but he faces a coordinated defense from Black's Bishop and Rook.

20.Rfe1+ Kd8

Suddenly, the future looked brighter for me.

After 20...Kf7 21.Ne4 Rae8 22.Ng3 Kxf6 Black can fight on. 

21.g3

It turns out that this defensive move is not necessary: White can play instead 21.Rad1+ Kc8 22.Nd5

21...Rg6

Picking on the poor defenseless little pawn. After the game Rybka suggested, instead, 21...Rf8, although White still has the familiar 22.Rad1+ Kc8 23.Nd5 with advantage.

22.Rad1+ Kc8 23.f7

23...Rf6

Capitulating, but 23...b6  can be met by either 24.Rd8+, 24.Re8+ or 24.f8/Q+.

24.Re8+ Bxe8 25.fxe8Q checkmate

Rumors of my death...

Since I had decided not to give up on the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) despite my recent difficulties, there was nothing left to do but to keep playing – and keep pressing for the best.

perrypawnpusher - mikelars
blitz, FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 
 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Ne5

A provocative move. Standard was 9... Nf6

10.O-O Nf6 11.f4

The alternative 11.d4 was seen in Ghandybh - Noel1942, Chess.com, 2009.

11...Neg4

Instead, 11...Nfg4 was seen in perrypawnpusher - Kotimatka, blitz, FICS, 2010. Probably 11...Nc6 was best. 

12.Qe2 Qe7 13.d3 Rf8 14.Nc3 Nh5

With his 13th move Black set up to castle-by-hand, and he should have continued that with 14... Kf7. The Knights are not going to accomplish anything on the Kingside.

15.Nd5 Qd7 16.f5 Ngf6

17.Bg5 h6 18.Bxf6 Nxf6 19.Nf4 Qb5 20.c3 Bd7

21.Rae1 Qa5

While I strengthen my center, Mikelars eyes my pawns on the Queenside. This could prove risky, which is why 21... Kf7 was to be preferred.

22.a3 Bb5 23.e5

23... dxe5

This allows White to crash through, as Black's Bishop blocks his Queen from affecting the center. The best defense was 23...Qb6+, guarding the vulnerable e6 square. 

24. Qxe5+ Kd7 25. Qe7+ Kc8 26. Qxf8+

Black forfeited on time, but he was due to experience the loss of serious amounts of material, followed by checkmate.

Echoes

After a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, I like to consult my database and see if' I've seen that line of play before and see if I've crossed swords with my opponent previously.

The following game contains two strange "echoes".

perrypawnpusher - Kotimatka
blitz FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

I know that objectively this move keeps Black's advantage, but I'm always glad to see it because it allows me to capture the Bishop on c5, giving my f-pawn a faster chance to get moving.

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6

10.0-0 Ne5

After the game I discovered that Kotimatka and I had played a game last year. Even more interesting was how the game went. The opening was a Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit: 3...h6 4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6 8.Qd5+ Ke8 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qe3 Ne5

analysis diagram






11.d4 Ng4 12.Qg3 N8f6 13.Nc3 Be6 14.h3 Bc4 15.Re1 Qd7 16.hxg4 Nxg4 17.f3 Nf6 18.e5 Nh5 19.exd6+ Kf7 20.Qh2 g6 21.Re7+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Kotimatka, blitz FICS, 2009.

In the current game, Black is a tempo ahead of last time, having not played ...h7-h6.

11.f4

Better was 11.d4 Neg4 12.Qb3 b6 13.h3 Nh6 14.e5 dxe5 15.dxe5 Nfg8 16.Qf3 Be6 17.Rd1 Qc8 18.Nc3 Ne7 19.Nb5 Rf8 20.Qxa8 Kf7 21.Qxc8 Rxc8 22.Bxh6 gxh6 23.Nxa7 Rg8 24.Kh2 Nf5 25.g4 Ne7 26.Nb5 h5 27.Nxc7 hxg4 28.Rd6 Bf5 29.Rf6+ Kg7 30.hxg4 Bg6 31.Rd1 Bxc2 32.Rd7 Black resigned, Gandybh - Noel1942, Chess.com, 2009

11...Nfg4

12.Qg3 Ng6 13.f5 N6e5

The Knights are begining to trip over each other. Black could have brought about a roughly even game with 13...Qh4, e.g. 14.Qxh4 Nxh4. Perhaps my opponent couldn't tolerate the notion of losing a half-point to the Jerome Gambit.

14.d4 c6

Black gives back the piece and prepares for his Queen to enter the combat.

15.dxe5 Qb6+ 16.Kh1 Nxe5

17.Qxg7 Rf8

18.f6

I looked at 18.Bh6, a better move, but I didn't look deep enough to be comfortable with it. Too bad: 18...Rf7 19.Qg8+ Kd7 20.Bg5 is strong. I missed the Bishop move. 

18...Be6

Okay, so I wasn't the only player to overlook something.

19.Qe7 checkmate

Ferocious

In the following game, Gemeinde member Welton Vaz ("Ghandybh") of Brazil shows just how ferocious the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) can become when it is treated casually. White's play assumes the style of a hungry, relentless predator.

 Ghandybh - Noel1942
Chess.com, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

The New Year's Database has 823 games with this position: White won 45%, Black won 49%, and 6% were drawn.

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6

Black has his typical advantage against the Jerome Gambit: a piece for two pawns. White, in turn, has something to work with: advancing the "Jerome pawns" against Black's uncastled King.

9.Qe3 Nf6 10.O-O Ne5

This idea is new and designed to be provocative.

11.d4 Neg4 12.Qb3 b6

Black wants to develop his light-squared Bishop, so he first makes his b-pawn safe. He could have chosen a come-and-get-me set-up with 12...Qe7 13.f3 Nh6 14.Nc3 Nf7 with a small advantage.

White decides to open the game.

13.h3 Nh6 14.e5 dxe5

A bit better, although certainly unappealing, was 14...Nfg8.

15.dxe5 Nfg8

White may have a slightly better game here, but he definitely has the more comfortable position.

16.Qf3 Be6 17.Rd1 Qc8 18.Nc3 Ne7 19.Nb5

White's initiative grows with the threat of Qxa8 followed by Nxc7+.

19...Rf8 20. Qxa8 Kf7

Black's "best" was to fall in with his opponent's plans and play 20... Qxa8, when after 21.Nxc7+ Kf7 he will be able to answer 22.Nxa8 with 22...Rxa8

21.Qxc8 Rxc8 22.Bxh6 gxh6 23.Nxa7

White is up an exchange and three pawns. Black's only "hope" is to try an attack on the King.

23...Rg8 24.Kh2 Nf5

25.g4 Ne7 26.Nb5 h5 27.Nxc7 hxg4 28.Rd6

Welton is untroubled by the activity near his King and presses his own attack.

28...Bf5 29.Rf6+ Kg7 30.hxg4 Bg6

31.Rd1 Bxc2 32.Rd7 Black resigned

The Knight is lost, which would leave Black a Rook down.