.jpg)
The Jerome Gambit is a strange chess opening. It seems unfair to say that some moves should not be played - in an opening that, itself, should not be played. (See, for example, "But – Is this stuff playable?" Parts I and II)
Yet, I must again (see "Public Service Announcement") protest White's fifth move in the following game.
burraburra - batmanzerothree
blitz, FICS, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Ng5+
This move seems to throw away a piece. I much prefer that White throw away a piece, instead, with 5.Nxe5. Even the Jerome Gambit has its limits.
Still, I found 431 games with this move in The Database, with White scoring 24%, and that includes 99 wins!
5...Qxg5
The expected response. However, less than two weeks earlier, the same opponents had played differently: 5...Kf8 6.Qf3+ Ke7 7.Nf7 and here Black resigned. (It seems rude to suggest that 7...Nd4 would have led to a winning game for the defender - after all, so did 4.Bxf7+.)
6.d3 Qxg2 7.Qh5+ g6 White resigned
