Consummate Ease

The following game is a pretty good example of White using the advantages at his disposal in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) to organize his play, reach an even game, pursue the attack and win.



mrjoker - tomnoah
blitz 2 12, ICC, 2008
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8



7.Qxe5 Qe7 Alonzo Wheeler Jerome gave 7...d6 as an alternative in the July 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal, the article continuing

8.Qf4+ Nf6 9.c3 Kf7 10.d4 Bb6 11.e5 dxe5 12.dxe5 Re8 13.0-0 Kg8 14.exf6 Qxf6 15.Qxf6 gxf6 16.Bh6 and White has a pawn ahead

Note: It should be understood that Mr. Jerome claims in this New Opening "only a pleasant variation of the Giuoco Piano, which may win or lose according to the skill of the players, but which is capable of affording many new positions and opportunities for heavy blows unexpectedly."

8.Qxe7+

Mrjoker does not mind exchanging Queens, as long as he can get his "Jerome pawns" moving. In blitz, tempo and momentum are important.

8...Bxe7 9.d4

Alternately 9.d3 d6 ( 9...Nf6 10.h3 Kf7 11.0-0 Rf8 12.f4 Kg8 13.f5 d6 14.g4 b6 15.Nc3 Bb7 16.Kg2 Nd7 17.Nd5 Bxd5 18.exd5 Ne5 19.Bf4 Bf6 20.g5 Be7 21.Bxe5 dxe5 22.c4 Bxg5 23.Kg3 Bf6 24.Kg4 e4 25.Rab1 exd3 26.Rf3 d2 27.Rd3 h6 28.Rxd2 Bg5 29.Rd3 Rae8 30.Rf1 Re4+ 31.Kg3 Rxc4 32.d6 cxd6 33.Rxd6 Bf4+ 34.Kg4 Bxd6+ White resigned, UNPREDICTABLE - potuz, blitz, FICS, 2009) 10.0-0 Nf6 11.f4 Kf7 12.e5 dxe5 13.fxe5 Bc5+ 14.Kh1 Bd4 15.exf6 Bxf6 16.h3 b6 17.Nc3 Bb7 18.Bf4 c5 19.Be5 Rhe8 20.Bxf6 gxf6 21.Rf4 Rg8 22.Ne4 Bxe4 23.dxe4 Rae8 24.Raf1 Rg7 25.Rxf6+ Kg8 26.R1f4 Kh8 27.g4 Rge7 28.Kg2 Rxe4 29.Rxe4 Rxe4 30.Rf7 Re2+ 31.Kf3 Rxc2 32.Rxa7 Rxb2 33.Kg3 c4 34.Kh4 c3 35.Kh5 Rb5+ 36.g5 c2 37.Kh6 Rxg5 38.Kxg5 c1Q+ White resigned, UNPREDICTABLE - Roschka, blitz, FICS, 2009

9...d6 10.0-0 Nf6 11.Nc3 c6 12.f4 Ke8

This last move by Black, while retaining his advantage, seems a bit provocative.

13.h3 Be6 14.b3 d5 15.e5 Ne4 16.Nxe4 dxe4


Watch those pawns!


17.f5 Bd5 18.c4 Bf7 19.e6


Understandable, but possibly 19.Bb2 was better, with the more patient idea idea of allowing the Rooks to link; shoring up the Kingside, if need be, with g2-g4; and marching the King, if possible, to capture the enemy pawn at e4 and provide assistance for the breakthrough.


19...Bg8 20.Be3 h6 21.Rf4


Classic Nimzovich: blockade the pased pawn, then capture it.

21...Bh7 22.g4 Bf6 23.Rd1 Ke7 24.d5

Love them or hate them, you can't ignore those pawns.


24...cxd5 25.Bc5+ Ke8 26.cxd5 b6 27.Ba3 Rd8 28.d6


28...Be5 29.Rxe4


This will do, although 29.d7+ Rxd7 30.exd7+ Kd8 31.Rxe4 was an alternative way. Now a slip by Black ends things.


29...Bxd6 Black resigned