The Jerome Gambit often contains the opportunity for Black to kick the White Queen around, and such a thing is almost irresistible. In the following game, the "Jerome pawns" get a chance to become almost irresistible as well.
perrypawnpusher - yuriko
blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening.
4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5
The Semi-Italian Four Knights Game.
6.Bxf7+
The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Bxd4 9.Qxd4 d6
10.f4 Nc6 11.Qd3 Re8 12.Bd2 Nb4
In the Jerome Gambit, some ideas are almost irresistible: Knight harasses Queen!
In our 2010 game, my opponent played 12...Kg8, and only after 13.Rae1 did he succumb to 13...Nb4, in perrypawnpusher - yuriko, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 31). Earlier this year he showed that he had learned his lesson, playing 13...Be6 in perrypawnpusher - yuriko, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1/2-1/2, 37).
13.Qc4+
I always like to remember that here Black resigned, in perrypawnpusher - susant, blitz, FICS, 2010
13...Kf8 14.Qxb4 b6 15.Rae1 Ba6 16.Rf2 Ng4 17.Rf3 Kg8
Yuriko certainly has the right idea: move #12 only gave back the "extra" piece. It is still time to attack and defend.
18.h3 Nf6 19.Nd5 c5
Still harassing the Queen.
It was probably better to chop some wood with 19...Nxd5 20.exd5 Rxe1+ 21.Bxe1 Qe7, thinking of the drawable Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame that might be reached, even a pawn down.
20.Nxf6+ Qxf6 21.Qc3 Qg6
By not exchanging Queens, Black takes on additional risk. Opposite-color-Bishop middlegames favor the attacker. The Queen move makes g7 more vulnerable.
22.Rg3 Qh7 23.f5 Bb7 24.f6 g6
25.Qf3
After the game Rybka 3 suggested the clearance sacrifice 25.f7+ and after 25...Kxf7 26.Rf1+ Kg8 27.Qb3+. The same idea would work against 25...Qxf7.
25...Rf8 26.Bc3 Rae8 27.Qg4 g5 28.Rge3 Bc8 29.Qg3 Rf7
30.Qxd6 Qg6 31.e5 Kh7
The blockading 31...Be6, so natural in Bishops-of-opposite-colors positions, would have been stronger.
32.e6 Bxe6 33.Rxe6 Qxc2 34.Rxe8 Black resigned
So much of chess is trusting your own plans and being skeptical of your opponent's. Yet, misperceptions arise, and our play is often guided by "illusions" of what we expect or what we fear, instead of what actually is happening (or will happen) on the board.
perrypawnpusher - yuriko
blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening.
4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.Bxf7+
The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4
8...Bxd4 9.Qxd4 d6 10.f4 Nc6 11.Qd3 Re8 12.Bd2 Kg8 13.Rae1 Be6
This is an improvement over our earlier game, which continued 13...Nb4, perrypawnpusher - yuriko, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0,31). Black's pieces are developed, his King is safe, and he has the advantage.
14.Nd5
That move. I am sure that Rybka would be proud.
14...Bxd5 15.exd5 Ne7 16.Bc3
Simply an oversight. Necessary was to protect the pawn with 16.c4. Fortunately, my opponent either overlooked the capture, or took my error as deep thought.
16...Rf8 17.Bxf6 Rxf6 18.Qe4 Rf7 19.f5
Deciding that if there is any play for White (there isn't) it has to be on the Kingside.
19...Qf8 20.Qe6 Kh8 21.g4 h5 22.h3 hxg4 23.hxg4 Re8
At first glance it looks as if White's Queen is taking on the combined forces of Black's Queen, two Rooks and Knight.
In actuality, Black's dallying pawn moves on the Kingside (instead of re-positioning his Knight to f6, via g8) have given White an even game, and Black's last move has given White a clear advantage.
24.Qe4
Giving the Queen the chance to move to the h-file with Qe4-h1, an idea that only gets partial credit. 24.g5 was the correct move, with the plan of advancing to g6 if possible, setting up a mating net that will close when White doubles rooks on the h-file.
Or at least that's what Rybka suggested after the game.
24...Kg8 25.Qe6 Kh8 26.Qe4
Toying with the idea of a draw by repetition. This was underestimating my chances.
My opponent decided not to repeat, but keeps the position balanced.
26...g6 27.Qd4+ Kg8 28.f6 Nc8
29.g5
Logical, but 29.Re6 gave White an edge.
Time was getting short for both of us.
29...Rxe1 30.Rxe1 Nb6 31.Qe4
Aiming at the pawn at g6, a major weakness in Black's King's shelter.
31...Qc8
Having been sold on the illusion of my attack for many moves, my opponent now conjures an illusion of counter-attack for himself. While objectively this move is wrong, because it allows checkmate, it turns out to be a game-saver for yuriko.
Chess is strange.
There was a likely drawn Rook + pawns vs Rook + pawns endgame after 31...Nd7 32.Qxg6+ Kh8 33.Re3 Nxf6 34.gxf6 Qg8 35.Rh3+ Rh7 36.Qxg8+ Kxg8.
32.Qxg6+ Kf8 33.Qh6+ Kg8
Now all that I had to see was 34.g6, the triumph of the "Jerome pawns" (with f6-f7+, winning a Rook, and then checkmate, following) and the game was mine.
Instead, I worried that 34.g6 could be answered by 34...Qg4+ (that was why Black had played 33...Qc8) with either counterplay, or a draw, anyway – so with little thought (time was ticking) I forced the draw myself.
34.Qg6+ Kf8 35.Qh6+ Kg8 36.Qg6+ Kf8 37.Qh6+ Kg8 drawn.
The final position was the same as in the previous diagram.
Only – now add what I had missed, g5-g6 for White, and what I had feared, ...Qc8-g4+ for Black.
In response to the check White's King jumps to h2 – and Black has no more checks! White's checkmate is still forced.
Unbelievable.
The following Jerome Gambit game is not exactly an advertisement for the benefits of the opening. It's just that twice when I stopped to think "what do I do now?" my opponent gave up a piece. Why argue?
perrypawnpusher - yuriko
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening.
4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5
The Semi-Italian Four Knights Game.
6.Bxf7+
The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Bxd4 9.Qxd4 d6 10.f4 Nc6 11.Qd3 Re8
After a rough start – 2 points out of my first 5 games – I have done better with this line – 4 1/2 points out of my last 5 games (including this one).
12.Bd2 Kg8 13.Rae1
White's pieces are developed and Black's King has castled-by-hand. I have very little compensation for my piece. What do I do next?
13...Nb4
Don't laugh – this is the 5th time an opponent has played this move here (and one of those games I lost). Must be some kind of "optical illusion".
14.Qc4+ Kh8
Also possible was 14...Be6, but probably 14...d5 was best.
15.Qxb4 c6
White has an extra pawn and is better developed, but with Black's King safe it will take some work to put these advantages to good use.
Fritz likes the idea of 16.f5 with the plan of containing Black's Bishop and re-deploying his own to f4, but Black can use the time to stir things up on the Queenside: 16...a5 17.Qd4 b5 18.a3 Ba6!? 19.b4 axb4 20.axb4 c5 21.Qd3 Bb7.
analysis diagram
White is better, but Black has interesting counterplay.
16.h3 b6 17.Qc4 c5
After the game Rybka suggested a better way for Black to tussle: 17...a5 18.Rf2 Ba6 19.Qb3 Re7 20.e5 dxe5 21.fxe5 Nd7 22.Bf4 Nc5 23.Qa3 Qd4 24.Bg3 Rae8 25.Rd1 Qb4 26.Rd6 Qxa3 27.bxa3 Bb7
analysis diagram
Black has White's extra, passed pawn under control. Chances exist, too, for a drawish Bishops-of-Opposite-colors endgame.
18.Nd5 Be6 19.Bc3 Nxd5 20.exd5 Bf5 21.Rf2
This is reasonable, but after the game Rybka suggested 21.Rxe8+ Qxe8 22.Re1 Qf7 23.Qe2 as a way to try to squeeze more out of the position.
analysis diagram
Now Black cannot take the d-pawn, as after 23...Qxd5 comes 24.Qh5 Kh7 25.g4 Be6 26.g5 Rf8 27.Bxg7!? Kxg7 28.Qxh6+ Kg8 29.Qxe6+ Qxe6 30.Rxe6 Rxf4 31.Rxd6 leads to a better Rook + pawns endgame for White.
After 23...Bg6 instead, Rybka helps White squeeze his opponent with 24.Qd2 Bf5 25.g4 Bd7 26.f5 Kg8 27.Kg2 Re8 28.Kg3 Rxe1 29.Qxe1 Qxd5 30.Qe7 Qf7 31.Qxd6 Be8 32.b3 Qd7.
analysis diagram
White is better, but "1-0" is still a long way off, and "1/2-1/2" still waits in the shadows.
Not exactly an advertisement for a wild attacking gambit.
21...Qh4
Putting pressure on my position.
22.Qf1 Rxe1 23.Qxe1
Okay, now what do I do?
23...Bxc2
It was nice to see that my opponent was having just as much trouble with the position as I was. He probably saw the Rook "pinned" to my Queen, but only saw my Bishop facing "forward" toward his g7...
24.Rxc2 Qxe1+ 25.Bxe1 Re8 26.Kf2
Finally I know what to do.
26...g5 27.fxg5 hxg5 28.Re2 Rf8+ 29.Kg1 Kh7 30.Re6 Rf5 31.Rxd6 Rf4 Black resigned
