I like to think of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) as "the duck-billed platypus of chess openings" – something strange, unexpected, and often quite dangerous.
The following game is not amazing or even unusual, it's just business as usual for the platypus...
perrypawnpusher - LibertasProVita
blitz FICS, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6
So far, we have the usual scenario. Black accepts the first piece without question. Then he happily accepts the second piece. Then he reacts to White's obviously wrong early Queen move by blocking the check with his g-pawn. Take that!
When White does take that – the Knight on e5 – Black slows down. Hmmm... Bishop on c5 is en prise, Rook on h8 too...
If Black doesn't know the Blackburne (7...d6) or Whistler (7...Qe7) defenses, then he is most likely going to guard his Rook on h8 with 7...Nf6.
Of course, that leaves White simply up two pawns – one, if Black is aware – after the Black Bishop disappears.
8.Qxc5 Nxe4
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6
7.Qxe5 Nf6
So far, we have the usual scenario. Black accepts the first piece without question. Then he happily accepts the second piece. Then he reacts to White's obviously wrong early Queen move by blocking the check with his g-pawn. Take that!
When White does take that – the Knight on e5 – Black slows down. Hmmm... Bishop on c5 is en prise, Rook on h8 too...
If Black doesn't know the Blackburne (7...d6) or Whistler (7...Qe7) defenses, then he is most likely going to guard his Rook on h8 with 7...Nf6.
Of course, that leaves White simply up two pawns – one, if Black is aware – after the Black Bishop disappears.
8.Qxc5 Nxe4
The alternative 8...d6 is at least as old as Vazquez - Carrington, 2nd match, Mexico, 1876: 9.Qe3 Re8 10.d3 Ng4 11.Qf3+ Kg7 12.0-0 Rf8 13.Qg3 Qf6 14.h3 Ne5 15.Nc3 c6 16.Bg5 Qe6 17.Qh4 Nf7 18.f4 h6 19.f5 hxg5 20.fxe6 gxh4 21.Rxf7+ Rxf7 22.exf7 Kxf7 23.Rf1+ Kg7 24.e5 d5 25.Ne2 b5 26.Nd4 Bd7 27.Rf6 Rc8 28.Rd6 Be8 29.Kf2 Kf7 30.Kf3 c5 31.Ne2 d4 32.Kg4 Rc6 33.Kxh4 Rxd6 34.exd6 Kf6 35.Ng3 Bc6 36.Ne4+ Bxe4 37.dxe4 a5 38.e5+ Ke6 39.Kg3 Black resigned
9.Qd5+
Or 9.Qc4+ d5 10.Qb3 Re8 11.0-0 Nc5 12.Qf3+ Kg7 13.b4 Ne4 14.Bb2+ Kg8 15.d3 Ng5 16.Qf6 Qxf6 17.Bxf6 Ne6 18.Be5 c6 19.d4 b6 20.f4 Ba6 21.Rf2 c5 22.bxc5 bxc5 23.c3 cxd4 24.cxd4 Bd3 25.Nc3 Rac8 26.Nxd5 Be4 27.Nf6+ Kf7 28.Nxe4 Ng7 29.Nd6+ Kf8 30.Bxg7+ Kxg7 31.Nxe8+ Rxe8 32.Kf1 Re4 33.Rd1 a5 34.d5 Black resigned, UNPREDICTABLE - hahahehe, FICS 2009.
9...Kg7 10.0-0
After 10.Qxe4 Re8 11.Qe3 d5 12.0-0 Rxe3 13.dxe3 Bf5 White has Rook, a Knight and a pawn for his Queen. I think simply being a pawn up, with the text, is better.
10...Re8 11.d3 Nf6 12.Qf3 Qe7 13.Bg5 d6
White's focus is on the pinned Knight at f6. He would like nothing better than to exchange pieces down to a pawn plus endgame. And, who knows, he might even get lucky.
14.Nc3 Bf5
Like I said...
15.Nd5 Qf7 16.Bxf6+ Kg8 17.Bc3 c6
18.Ne3
Of course, winning the exchange with 18.Nf6+ was stronger.
18...Re6 19.Nxf5
And here, 19.g4 wins a piece.
19...Qxf5 20.Qxf5 gxf5
21.Rfe1 Rg6 22.Re7 b5
23.Rae1 Kf8 24.Rxh7 c5 25.Rh8+ Rg8 26.Rxg8+ Kxg8
Up a piece and two pawns, I can slowly make my way to the full point.
27.Re6 b4 28.Bd2 Rd8 29.Kf1 Kf7
30.Re3 a5 31.b3 d5 32.h4 c4 33.dxc4 dxc4 34.Ke2 c3 35.Bc1 Kg6
36.Rd3 Rh8 37.g3 Kh5 38.Rd5 Kg4 39.Rxa5 Re8+
40.Be3 f4 41.Rg5+ Kh3 42.gxf4 Kxh4 43.f5
This allows Black a nice tactic, but the resulting position is just as lost for him.
White's focus is on the pinned Knight at f6. He would like nothing better than to exchange pieces down to a pawn plus endgame. And, who knows, he might even get lucky.
14.Nc3 Bf5
Like I said...
15.Nd5 Qf7 16.Bxf6+ Kg8 17.Bc3 c6
18.Ne3
Of course, winning the exchange with 18.Nf6+ was stronger.
18...Re6 19.Nxf5
And here, 19.g4 wins a piece.
19...Qxf5 20.Qxf5 gxf5
21.Rfe1 Rg6 22.Re7 b5
23.Rae1 Kf8 24.Rxh7 c5 25.Rh8+ Rg8 26.Rxg8+ Kxg8
Up a piece and two pawns, I can slowly make my way to the full point.
27.Re6 b4 28.Bd2 Rd8 29.Kf1 Kf7
30.Re3 a5 31.b3 d5 32.h4 c4 33.dxc4 dxc4 34.Ke2 c3 35.Bc1 Kg6
36.Rd3 Rh8 37.g3 Kh5 38.Rd5 Kg4 39.Rxa5 Re8+
40.Be3 f4 41.Rg5+ Kh3 42.gxf4 Kxh4 43.f5
This allows Black a nice tactic, but the resulting position is just as lost for him.
43...Rxe3+ 44.fxe3 Kxg5 45.e4 Black resigned
Black cannot capture one of the two passed pawns without allowing the other to advance and Queen. White can either escort the pair forward with his King, or capture Black's remaining pawns, freeing up three more pawns for Queening.
