The most well-known defense against the Jerome Gambit is the one that J.H. Blackburne used in a game over 130 years ago. As we have seen on this blog many times, however, it is a tricky defense, and the better player usually wins, despite the "objective" assessment of the line (i.e. it is dynamically equal). This caveat is especially apparent in the following game, where Black errs early - but White makes some later slips, only scoring the full point after much further work. It is not a safe game for Rooks.
ehmorris3 - F-Dynamics
10 0, lichess.org, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6. Qh5+ g6 7. Qxe5 d6
Blackburne's Defense, famous since Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1884. Black offers a Rook, with the plan to trap White's Queen, and, while she is entombed, to attack White's King.
8.Qxh8 Be6
It is difficult to grasp the idea behind this move, unless it is simply to follow up the sacrifice with further development. Perhaps Black believes that his opponent will need time to put his Queen back into play. White immediately moves to make sure his Queen will be free.
9.Qxh7+ Kf8 10.d4
Sacrificing a pawn to prepare for further development.
Instead, 10.Qxg6 was seen in perrypawnpusher - saltos, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 40) and Wall,B - VJCH, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 16).
An alternative, 10.O-O, was seen in mosinnagant - mumbaII, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 38)
10...Bxd4 11.Bh6+
The idea. White has to be careful about his own Rook on the a1-h8 diagonal, however.
11...Nxh6
An earlier game had gone 11... Ke8 12.Nc3 Qf6 13.O-O Bf7 14.Nd5 Qe6 15.Nxc7+ Kd8 16.Nxe6+ Black resigned, Petasluk - cuadriculas, FICS, 2008.
12.Qxh6+ Ke8 13.Qxg6+ Bf7
A very dynamic position, with White better. The first player has the advantage of a safer King and is three pawns and the exchange ahead in material - but his Queenside is about to be demolished.
In the meantime, where should White's Queen go? There is only one safe square that keeps his advantage.
14.Qg3
White needed to play 14.Qf5!? in order to be able to answer 14...Bxb2 with the fork 15.Qb5+, when he can then pick up the Bishop. Once Her Majesty is safe, White can then play c2-c3 or Nb1-c3 to keep the enemy attack on b2 stifled.
14...Bxb2 15.c3 Bxa1 16.O-O Bxa2
White's original idea might have been to block Black's Bishop in at a1, and then capture it, but that will not work out.
This odd position is about equal.
17.Na3 Bxc3
Black surrenders his piece too quickly He could have tried 17...Bb2 18.Nb5 a6 19.Nd4 Qf6 20.f4 c5 and held the advantage - according to Stockfish 8. It is really hard for me to judge this unbalanced position.
18.Qxc3 d5 19.Qe5+ Kd7
Each side has 3 connected passed pawns!
20.Nb5 Kc8 21.Rd1 Kb8
Black has castled-by-hand, but in doing so has entombed his Rook. He will not be able to escape checkmate.
22.exd5 b6 23.d6 cxd6 24.Rxd6 Kb7
Yes, things are this bad. However, even after surrendering the Queen, there will still be checkmate.
25.Rxd8 Rxd8 26.Qe7+ Kc8 27.Nd6+
There was also 27.Qc7#, but White has the game in hand.
27...Rxd6 28.Qxd6 Kb7 29.h4 b5 30.h5 Black resigned
Joseph Blackburne's play against the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) makes a powerful impression: it is a dangerous opening for White to play, one that may lead to a counter-sacrifice and a scintillating checkmate by Black.
But, it is helpful for those who wish to follow in The Black Death's footsteps to know the whole Blackburne Defense, not just the first few moves or the general idea...
perrypawnpusher - saltos
blitz FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5
Last year our game went: 3...h6 4.0-0 (4.c3 Na5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Ke8 7.Qh5+ Ke7 8.Ng6+ Kd6 9.Qd5 checkmate, Ghandy - saltos, blitz FICS, 2009) Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6 8.Qd5+ Ke8 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qe3 Qf6 11.f4 N8e7 12.Nc3 c6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4 15.Qd3 b5 16.b3 Nb6 17.Bf4 Nd7 18.Rae1 Qf7 19.Bxd6 Nf6 20.Bxe7 Kxe7 21.e5 Nd5 22.f6+ Kf8 23.fxg7+ Kxg7 24.Rxf7+ Kxf7 25.Qf3+ Ke7 26.Nxd5+ Kd8 27.Qf6+ Kd7 28.Qe7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - saltos, blitz FICS, 2009.
4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6
This can be the beginning of the Blackburne Defense, or it can be a knee-jerk reaction by Black to the Queen check.
7.Qxe5 d6
Likewise, this can be Blackburne's brilliant offer of a Rook – or the quick protection of the Bishop on c5, with thought for little else (after all, how can White's opening be any good?).
8.Qxh8 Be6
Okay... It's not Blackburne's Defense, which would continue 8...Qh4.
9.Qxh7+ Kf8 10.Qxg6
White's Queen grabs some pawns – the extra material is nice – while making sure that Her Majesty will not be trapped behind enemy lines.
An alternative: 10.d4 Bxd4 11.Bh6+ Ke8 12.Nc3 Qf6 13.0-0 Bf7 14.Nd5 Qe6 15.Nxc7+ Kd8 16.Nxe6+ Black resigned, Petasluk - cuadriculas, FICS, 2008.
10...Qf6 11.Qxf6+ Nxf6
The exchange of Queens has removed any danger from Black's King, but White is the exchange and four pawns ahead in the late middlegame / early ending.
12.d3 Ke7 13.Be3 Bxe3 14.fxe3 Rf8 15.Rf1
White simply plans to exchange pieces and then get a passed pawn moving – while trying to avoid a blunder.
15...Ng4 16.Rxf8 Kxf8 17.h3 Nxe3 18.Na3 Nxg2+
19.Kf2 Nf4 20.h4 Kg7 21.Rh1
A little beter was 21.Nb5
21...c6 22.Nc4 d5 23.Nd2 dxe4 24.Nxe4 Bd5 25.Kf3 Ne6
26.c4 Nd4+ 27.Ke3 Nf5+ 28.Kf4 Be6 29.Ng5 Bd7 30.Nf3 c5
31.Rg1+ Kh6 32.Ne5 Be6
A slip.
33.Rg6+ Kh5 34.Rxe6 Nxh4 35.Re7
35...Ng2+ 36.Kf3 Nh4+ 37.Ke4 Kg5 38.Nf3+ Nxf3 39.Kxf3 Kf6 40.Rxb7 Black resigned
