The "Italian opning [sic] rapid players tournament" - although the time control was not rapid, but 3 days per move - has concluded.
Of the five players, top-rated finished undefeated with 8 points.
I came in second, with 5 1/2 points. In a hurry to finish a game and the tournament, I accepted a draw in a game, when a bit more analysis of the position would have shown a clear winning path. Ah, well.
My Jerome Gambit game with Shienny_Loves_Cats has already appeared in "Jerome Gambit: Ouch (Parts 1 & 2)".
Here is the other Jerome Gambit that I managed to achieve. My strategy was simple: get an edge, then simplify.
perrypawnpusher - SirGalton
Italian opening rapid players,Chess.com, 2025
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6
Black should do fine with this defense - if he knows what he is doing.
7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.Na3
Yury V. Bukayev has examined this move and 8...Bxa3, which was seen in Bukayev,Y - Karpov,A, tempo, 10+0 2022 (1-0, 18); although he judged 8...Qf6 to be a stronger move.
paulybuckets, at lichess.org, is 4 - 3 - 1 with 8.Na3.
8...Qf6
Or 8...c6 as in perrypawnpusher - Klewnom, Italian Game tournament, Chess.com, 2023 (0-1, 22).
Now, a center skirmish allows me to claw back some material.
9.Nc4+ Nxc4 10.Qd5+ Ke7 11.Qxc5+ Nd6 12.e5 Qe6 13.O-O
13...b6 14.exd6+ cxd6 15.Qg5+
Trying to stir something up.
15...Kf7 16.Qh5+ g6
My guess is that my opponent was annoyed with the Queen checks and responded with a quick move that said Go away! After all, he already had to put up with the Jerome Gambit...
17.Qf3+
"I don't want to belong to any club that would accept me as one of its members" said Grouch Marx.
17...Kg7 18.Qxa8 Ba6 19.d3 Nf6
White is up the exchange and a pawn, with a safer King.
20.Qf3
Taking the Queen out of danger, but missing 20.Bh6+ Kxh6 21.Qxh8.
Missing tactics like this prolongs my games.
21.Rc8 21.c3 Qg4 22.Qxg4 Nxg4 23.Rd1 Ne5 24.d4
Being content to slowly convert my advantage.
24...Nd3 25.a4
Things are a bit congested on the Queen's side, so opening the a-file seems like a good idea.
25...d5 26.a5 Nxc1 27.Rdxc1 Bc4 28.axb6 axb6 29.Ra7 Black resigned