The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) revolves around the question: Is Black's King actually safer at d8? For a while, the surprising answer seems to be Yes, but quickly - this is a 1 0 bullet game - a resounding No takes its place. angelcamina - traan 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
Black believes his King will be safer on d8. He plans to bring his Rook to e8 to pressure White's e-pawn. 12.d4 Kd8 13.f4 Re8 14.e5 dxe5 15.dxe5
15...Ng4 16.Qg3 Qc5+ 17.Kh1 h5
Black pushes his attack, even as his King sits on an open file. 18.h3 h4 Following the advice, If someone attacks one of your pieces, attack one of his, a more valuable one if possible. 19.Qf3 Nh6 20.f5
The "Jerome pawns" are on the march. 20...Nxf5 21.Qd3+ Bd7 22.Rxf5 c6 23.Rf7 Re7 24.Bg5
Black's King is no longer safe. 24...Nxe5 25.Bxe7+ Qxe7 26.Rxe7 Nxd3 27.Rxd7+ Kxd7 28.cxd3 Kc7
29.Rf1 Rd8 30.Rf7+ Kb6 31.Na4+ Kb5 32.b3 White won on time
Every once-in-a-while I get the sense that I am learning from my mistakes and using in later games what I learned from earlier games. Upon reflection, this gives me a small sense of accomplishment.
perrypawnpusher - smarlny blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8
Black is content with the material advantage that he has, and backs his King away from danger. Let White do what he will!
I am always tempted now to play 6.Qh5, the Banks Variation (after Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Pete Banks) but I am still uncertain how to best meet 6...Qe7.
After the game Rybka 3 pointed out that here White can already "punish" his opponent for his inaccurate 7th move by playing for a draw with 8.Qf3+ Kg8 9.Qb3+ Kf8 10.Qf3+ Kg8 11.Qb3+, etc.
As if.
8...Ng6 9.Be3 Bd6
Not wanting to open the f-file for White's Rook with 9...Bxe3, Black positions the Bishop on the attacking diagonal b8-h7.
The piece continues to shuffle from square to square, however, and I wonder if, upon reflection, my opponent would have preferred to simply have exchanged it.
10.f4 Qh4 11.Nd2 Kf7
To castle-by-hand, but, somehow, this never happens.
12.Nf3 Qe7 13.e5 Bc5 14.d4 Bb6
15.Qd3
Preparing f4-f5, but the move was playable immediately, thanks to a tactical trick that would not have been too hard to find, if I had looked for it: 15.f5 Bxf5 16.Ng5+ followed by 17.Rxf5.
15...h6
Obviously my opponent saw the Knight check from g5. This gives the "Jerome pawns" time to rumble, however.
16.f5 Nf8
This game was beginning to feel like my game against irak: comparing White's Rooks (linked) and Black's Rooks (on their home squares, two pieces between them), there has to be an attack coming.
17.f6 gxf6 18.exf6 Qe6
Taking the pawn on f6 would have been deadly, but the danger remains.
19.Rae1 Qd5 20.Ne5+ Ke821.c4 Qa5
White now has a number of ways to win. The flashiest would be to sacrifice two pieces with 22.f7+ Kd8 23.Bg5+ hxg5 24.Nxc6+ bxc6 25.Qe3 and mate is inescapable.
I found something simpler.
22.Bd2 Qxa223.Ng6+
I thought that the loss of a Rook would prompt my opponent to resign, so I looked no further, missing all of the fun that could happen after 23.f7+.
I've never seen the show "Are you smarter than a fifth grader?" but I suspect that I know the answer, and it wouldn't be a flattering one...
The following game, another bizarre Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit (why am I still playing this opening??), I get befuddled, as usual, and wind up taking refuge in a draw by repetition.
The Bishop did better to return to e6. Still, Black is still better.
11.Be3 b6 12.0-0 Rb8
I wasn't sure what my opponent was planning with this move, but I decided to get my "Jerome pawns" moving.
13.g4 Bg6 14.g5 Nh5 15.f4 Nc6 16.f5
16...Nd4
Leading to only a slight disadvantage, instead, was 16...Kg8 17.fxg6 hxg6 18.a3 Kh7 – an odd way to castle-by-hand.
17.fxg6+ Kxg6 18.Qg4
Later, Rybka preferred 18.Qd3
18...Rf8
After this move, Rybka saw Black as being more than a Rook worse. I still can't see that.
19.Bxd4
Returning the game to even. Here's Rybka's recommended line: 19.Nd5 Re8 20.Nf6 Nxf6 21.gxf6+ Kf7 22.fxg7+ Ke7 when 23.Bg5+ wins Black's Queen – for starters.
analysis diagram
Anyone who saw White's possible Knight maneuver and sacrifice – good for you!
19...cxd4
Black insists on getting into trouble – 19...Qxd4+ would have kept the game even.
20.Qe6+
White, in turn, keeps insisting on giving up his advantage, instead of playing the winning: 20.Rxf8 Qxf8 21.Nd5 – another cool Knight move that I missed.
analysis diagram
20...Kxg5 21.h4+
I figured that there had to be a checkmate here, but I was wrong: Rybka pointed out later that I could have (should have) grovelled for a draw with: 21.Rxf8 Qxf8 22.Rf1 Qd6 23.Rf5+ Kh4 24.Rxh5+ Kxh5 25.Qh3+ Kg6 26.Qf5+ repeating the position.
21...Kxh4 22.Qe5
I suddenly had the feeling that things had gone terribly wrong.
They had.
22...dxc3 23.Qh2+ Kg5 24.Qe5+ Kh4
Of course, if my opponent had found 24...Kg6 here, I'd have been ruined. He seemed caught up in my "brilliant" sacrifice of my Knight to achieve the draw, or perhaps he felt he was escaping mate...
25.Qh2+ Kg5
Here 25...Kg4 wins for Black.
27.Qh2+ Kg5 28.Qe5+ Kh4 29.Qh2+ Game drawn by repetition ½-½
