I have shared the good and the bad about the Jerome Gambit on this blog - winning games and losing games, helpful analysis and scary analysis.
But I haven't shared everything.
Here is an example from last year, drawn from the post "Jerome pawns -Clowning Around" where I was discussing preparations for my first-round game against djdave28 in the current Chess.com Italian Game tournament
After my discouraging loss with the Jerome Gambit in my previous Chess.comItalian Game tournament (perrypawnpusher - Buddy_Thompson), I knew that I had to cook up something new, or risk facing a future opponent who just "looked the refutation up" (and not even on this blog, mind you, but in my recent games on Chess.com).
I was happy that I did do the research, too, because in my third Jerome Gambit in my current tourney, my opponent went straight for the same line (leaving out the superfluous Queen check).
I won that encounter, and two rounds later I found myself facing the same opponent. Would he repeat the line - even though I had been victorious? Of course he would!
perrypawnpusher - djdave28
Italian Game tournament, Round 3
Chess.com, 2015
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+
Here is a relevant computer game: 7.f4 Qf6 8.Qxe5+ Qxe5 9.fxe5 Kxe5 10.b4 Bd4 11.c3 Bb6 12.d3 d5 13.Rf1 dxe4 14.Bf4+ Ke6 15.dxe4 Nf6 16.Nd2 Bd7 17.a4 a5 18.b5 Rhf8 19.O-O-O Rac8 20.h4 Bc5 21.Nb3 Bb6 22.c4 Nh5 23.g3 Nxf4 24.Rxf4 Ke7 25.Rxf8 Rxf8 26.Rd3 c5 27.e5 Rf1+ 28.Kb2 Re1 29.Rd6 Bc7 30.Nxc5 Bc8 31.Rd5 Rxe5 32.h5 b6 33.Na6 Rxd5 34.Nxc7 Rxh5 35.Nd5+ Kd6 36.Nxb6 Be6 37.Kc3 Kc5 38.Na8 Rh3 39.Nc7 Rxg3+ 40.Kd2 Bxc4 41.Na6+ Kd6 42.Nb8 Ra3 43.Nc6 Rxa4 44.Nd4 Kc5 45.Nf3 Kd5 46.b6 Ra3 47.Nh4 Ke4 48.b7 Rb3 49.Ng2 Rxb7 50.Ne3 Bd3 51.Nd1 Kd4 52.Ke1 a4 53.Kf2 a3 54.Kg3 Be2 White resigned, Matacz CCT7 - Imp 0.74b, CCT7, 2005.
7...Kd6 8.f4 Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qxe5+ Kxe5 11.b4 Bd4
Previously, my opponent had backed up his Bishop, before making this strike: 11... Bb6 12.Bb2+ Bd4 (12...Kxe4? 13.Bxg7 Black resigned, axykk - bromby, FICS, 2011) 13.c3 Bb6 14.d4+ Kxe4 15.O-O Nf6 16.Nd2+ Kd3 17.Nf3 d6 18.Rad1+ Kc4 19.Nd2+ Kb5 20.a4+ Kxa4 21.c4 Kxb4 22.Rf3 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - djdave28, Chess.com Italian Game Tournament, Round 1, 2014.
12.c3 Bb6 13.d4+ Kxe4 14.O-O
Here is another interesting computer game: 14.Nd2+ Kf5 15.O-O+ Ke6 16.a4 a5 17.b5 Nf6 18.Ba3 Re8 19.Rae1+ Kf7 20.Rxe8 Kxe8 21.Re1+ Kf7 22.Nc4 Nd5 23.Rf1+ Ke6 24.Re1+ Kf6 25.Rf1+ Kg5 26.Bc1+ Kh4 27.Rf5 Nxc3 28. Be3 Bxd4 29.Bxd4 Ne2+ 30.Kf2 Nxd4 31.Rf4+ Kg5 32.Rxd4 b6 33.Ne3 Ra7 34.Rc4 Kf6 35.Nd5+ Ke5 36.Nxb6 cxb6 37.Rxc8 d5 38.Rh8 h6 39.Rb8 Rf7+ 40.Ke3 Rf6 41.h3 h5 42.Rh8 Rh6 43.Re8+ Re6 44.Rc8 Kd6+ 45.Kd3 h4 46.Rc2 Re4 47.Rc6+ Ke5 48.Rxb6 Rxa4 49.Ra6 Ra2 50.b6 Rxg2 51.Rxa5 Rb2 52.Ra6 g5 53.Kc3 Rb5 54.Kc2 g4 55.hxg4 Kf4 56.Ra4+ Kg5 57.Rd4 h3 58.Rd2 Rxb6 59.Rxd5+ Kh4 60.Rd2 Rf6 61.g5 Kxg5 62.Rd5+Kg4 63.Rd1 h2 64.Kb3 Rf4 65.Ka2 Rf3 66.Rc1 Kh3 67.Rc8 Kg2 68.Rg8+ Rg3 69.Rh8 h1=Q 70.Rxh1 Kxh1 71.Kb2 Kg2 72.Kc2 Kf1 73.Kd2 Rh3 74.Kc1 Ke2 75.Kc2 Rd3 White resigned, Spike1.2 - Fritz 6.0, USA, 2006.
14...Kd5 15.Rf8
This move is the result of research into my previous game with my opponent. You won't find it in my notes to that match, however.
What does it do? Not very much. It has some stifling effect on Black's development, but it conjures up something a Bizarro Nimzovich might have commented upon: It's strong because it is so weak! It does so much by doing so little!
It actually emboldens Black's King to stay around the center of action, and return a piece for a couple of pawns.
15...a5 16.b5 Kc4 17.Na3+ Kxc3 18.Rf3+ Kxd4
19.Bb2+ Kd5+ 20.Kf1 Bd4 21.Rd1 Nf6
Black has two extra pawns, but his King looks pretty shaky.
Does White have an attack, or is he reduced to pawn-grabbing?
22.Bxd4 Ke6 23. Bxf6 gxf6 24.Re1+ Kf7 25.Rc3
This definitely looks like prospecting for pawns, and perhaps Black should let White have his way with 25...Kg6 26.Rxc7 d5. The theme of "Black's light-squared Bishop staying at home, undeveloped and blocking his Rook" would slowly be addressed by the defender.
25...c6 26.Nc4
Headed toward the "hole" at d6.
26...d5 27.Nd6+ Kg6 28.Rg3+
Suddenly the idea of invading the 7th rank suggests itself to White, along with taking advantage of the unfortunate Bishop at c8 and the pawn it defends at b7..
28....Kh5 29.b6
Another "do nothing" move. There was no way that I was going to exchange this pawn off and open lines for Black's Bishop. If my opponent's connected and passed c- and d-pawns were going to be the death of me - then, so be it.
29...Rb8 30.Re7 Bg4 31.h3 Bc8 32.Rgg7
Black resigned
It might seem a bit early for the second player to give up the ghost, but his position certainly is tied up.
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