Jerome Gambit: Homer Shakes His Head Vigorously (Part 1)

A few days ago, I posted on this blog "Homer Nods". 

Along that line of thought, today's post is fairly titled "Homer Shakes His Head Vigorously".

That said, I must compliment my opponent for his sharp, final move (and forget, as soon as possible, that he is rated 300 points less than me). 

perrypawnpusher - henrymehta

Wal2010's 3rd Thematic, Chess.com, 2026

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

According to The Database, I have played the line 78 times, scoring 74%. Petty successful for a "refuted opening" - but not this time.

4...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 

7...Bxd4 

Or 

7...d6, as in perrypawnpusher - OudeKwakkelaar, blitz, FICS 2011 (1/2-1/2, 62); or

7...Bd6, as in perrypawnpusher - joseluislopez, blitz, FICS, 2012 (0-1, 55); perrypawnpusher - lixuanxuan, blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 22); perrypawnpusher - LttlePrince, Italian Game Classic, Chess.com, 2020 (0-1, 29); and perrypawnpusher - andrewLLL, Italian Game Battlefield, Chess.com 2020 (1-0, 18); or

7...Bb4, as in perrypawnpusher - kezientz, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 9); perrypawnpusher - Abatwa, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 17); perrypawnpusher - Gibarian, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 33); perrypawnpusher - obmanovichhh, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 39); perrypawnpusher - Aerandir, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 15); perrypawnpusher - LydenChess, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 15); and perrypawnpusher - SSGSSGSSG, blitz, FICS, 2018 (1-0, 20);  or

7...Neg4 as in perrypawnpusher - xxfred, blitz, FICS, 2012 (0-1, 28); or

7...Re8 as in perrypawnpusher - hklett, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 31) and perrypawnpusher - strandskatan, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 38); or

7...Ng6 as in perrypawnpusher - aksakal, blitz, FICS, 2017 (1-0, 17); or

7...Nc6 as in perrypawnpusher - hudders, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 13); or 

7...Nd3+ as in perrypawnpusher - genericme, blitz, FICS, 2015 (1-0, 22); or

7...Nf3+ as in perrypawnpusher - wertu, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 20) and perrypawnpusher - catmandu, blitz, FICS, 2014 (0-1, 12); 

Are you still with me?

Good.

Because there is more.

8.Qxd4 Nc6 

Or 8...Re8 as in perrypawnpusher - hklett, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 20); perrypawnpusher - KaZC, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1/2-1/2, 61); perrypawnpusher - Fazmeister, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 36); perrypawnpusher - JoseSoza, Italian Game, Chess.com, 2012 (0-1, 34); perrypawnpusher - spince, blitz, FICS, 2014 (0-1, 41);   perrypawnpusher - andrewLLL, Italian Game Battlefield, Chess.com, 2020 (1-0, 39);

Or 8...Qe7 as in perrypawnpusher - BigKalamar, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 49) and perrypawnpusher - OudeKwakkelaar, blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 16).

That's enough, for now. If you have been clicking on even a few of the links above, you've probably learned a lot about the Jerome Gambit - and had enough of this post.

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Alert! Alert!

 

I make use of Google Alert to inform me when it finds "Jerome Gambit" in its searches on the internet.

Alert has been helpful, until a few days ago, when every relevant link to online sites that it found directed me back - to this blog. 

It's nice being discovered, but I already knew about me.

Jerome Gambit: Closed and Open

Closed/Open Positions

The Jerome Gambit can break the position wide open - but it also can be played in a closed manner, close-to-the-vest.

In the following game, Bill Wall keeps things closed, until it is beneficial to open the game.

Wall, Bill - Salma

SparkChess, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8. Qxc5 d6 9. Qe3 Nf6

Here we have a standard Jerome gambit position.

Bill has reached it in 17 of his games, scoring 94%.

10.O-O Kf7 11.d4 Re8 12.Nc3 b6 13.f4 Bb7 

Black has taken a hypermodern approach to defending against the Jerome Gambit.

Currently, his extra piece outweighs White's two extra pawns.

We have seen ideas like this before, for example in "Hypermodern Defense", "Jerome Gambit: Juggling Tactics", "Things are looking up" and "Jerome Gambit: For the Defense".

14.f5 Ne7 15.Qf3 Kg8 16.Bg5 Rf8 

Black's pieces brace for the assault.

White can open a file, or lock things down and move slowly.

17.Rad1 Qe8 18.d5 

Lock down, it is.

For now.

18...Qh5 

At first glance, this looks like a dual threat: Exchange Queens (which benefits Black, with the extra piece) or prepare an attack (with ...Ng4).

Unfortunately the move played, was actually a losing choice.

19.Qxh5 Nxh5 20.Bxe7 

Capturing the Knight means White is now two pawns ahead.

20...Rf7 

21.g4 

It was also possible to withdraw the Bishop to h4.

21...Rxe7 22.gxh5 Rf8 23.Rf3 Ba6 24.Rg3 b5 25.Rd4 c5 

Overlooking White's response.

26.dxc6 ep

The defender has too many threats to deal with: White's passed pawn at c6, White's threat to bring his Knight to d5, and a stifled Bishop outnumbered on the Queenside, to mention 3.

Black resigned

Homer Nods

Yury V. Bukayev pointed me to the following online 5-minute blitz game, featuring Magnus Carlsen, Volen Dyulgerov (known online as Witty Alien), and a timely Bxf7+ by White.

Carlsen, Magnus - Dyulgerov, Volen

5 0 blitz, Chess Club Showdown, Chess.com 2026

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.d4 exd4 4.Qxd4 

Transposing to the Center Game.

4...Nc6 5.Qe3 Bb4 6.Bd2 O-O 7.O-O-O Re8 

Black's move was first played by Henry Bird

8.Qf4 

This idea was introduced by Judit Polgar

As mentioned: 8.f3 d5 9.Be1 d4 10.Qf2 Qe7 11.Nb5 Bc5 12.Qg3 Bb6 13.Ne2 Nh5 14.Qh4 Qe5 15.Na3 Be6 16.Kb1 Nf6 17.Nc1 Qc5 18.g4 Qe7 19.Qg3 Bc5 20.Nc4 b5 21.Na5 Nxa5 22.Bxa5 c6 23.h4 Nd7 24.g5 Nb6 25.b3 Rab8 26.Bxb6 axb6 27.h5 Ra8 28.Bd3 Ba3 29.h6 Bxc1 30.Kxc1 Bxb3 31.hxg7 Qa3+ 32.Kd2 Bxc2 33.Ke2 Bxd1+ 34.Rxd1 Qxa2+ 35.Kf1 Qb3 36.Ke1 Qc3+ 37.Kf1 Ra2 38.f4 Rd2 39.Rxd2 Qxd2 40.e5 Ra8 White resigned, Fleissig,B - Bird,H, Vienna, 1882; 

Alternately: 8.Qg3 Rxe4 9.f3 Re8 10.Bd3 Ne5 11.Be2 d5 12.f4 Bxc3 13.Qxc3 Ne4 14.Qb3 Nxd2 15.Rxd2 Nc4 16.Rd1 Ne3 17.Rd2 c6 18.Nf3 Nxg2 19.Rg1 Nxf4 20.Bd1 Qf6 21.Rf2 Nh3 22.Rfg2 Nxg1 23.Rxg1 Qf4+ 24.Kb1 Re3 25.Re1 Rxe1 26.Nxe1 Qd2 27.Qd3 Qxe1 28.Qe2 Qxe2 White resigned, Kulkarni,R - Carlsen,M, Chess.com,  2017. 

8...Bxc3 

Or 8...d6 9.f3 Be6 10.g4 Nd7 11.Nh3 Nde5 12.Ng5 Nd4 13.Qg3 Bc4 14.Be3 Bxc3 15.bxc3 Ne2+ 16.Bxe2 Bxe2 17.Rde1 Ba6 18.h4 c5 19.h5 Nc4 20.Qf4 f6 21.Nxh7 Kxh7 22.Qf5+ Kh8 23.h6 g5 24.f4 Nxe3 25.Rxe3 gxf4 26.Rf3 Re5 27.Qxf4 Be2 28.Rf2 Bc4 29.Rd2 Qe7 30.Kb2 Re8 31.h7 b5 32.Rh6 b4 33.Rxf6 Rxe4 34.Qg5 bxc3+ 35.Kxc3 Re3+ 36.Rd3 Bxd3 37.cxd3 Qe5+ 38.Qxe5 R3xe5 39.Rxd6 Kxh7 White resigned, Polgar,J - Kasimdzhanov,R, Moscow,  2002

9.Bxc3 Nxe4 

Or 9...Rxe4 10.Qg3 d5 11.f3 Re8 12.Ne2 a5 13.Nf4 Nb4 14.Bxf6 Qxf6 15.a3 Bf5 16.axb4 axb4 17.Nxd5 Ra1+ 18.Kd2 Qxb2 19.Qxc7 Rxd1+ White resigned, Nepomniachtchi,I - Carlsen,M, Leuven, Belgium, 2017. 

10.Bc4 Nxc3

Or 10...Nf6 11.Nf3 d6 12.Ng5 Be6 13.Bd3 h6 14.h4 Nd5 15.Bh7+ Kh8 16.Rxd5 Bxd5 17.Be4 f6 18.Bxd5 fxg5 19.hxg5 Ne5 20.g6 Black resigned, Winawer,S - Steinitz,W, Nuremberg, 1896 

The Database has a game that continues 10...Re7 11.Bxf7+ Rxf7 12.Qxe4 Qg5+ 13.Kb1 d6 14.Nf3 Qf5 which appears even, although White later lost in 59 moves in Jahnz,L - Harshavardhan, G, Titled Tuesday, 24th June, early, Chess.com, 2025

11.Bxf7+ Kh8 12.Bxe8 Qxe8 

Somewhat better is 12...Nxa2+ 13.Kb1 Qxe8 14.Kxa2 d6 with some compensation for the sacrificed exchange. 

13.bxc3 Ne5 

Somewhat extravagant. Better is 13...d6 14.Nf3 Qg8 15.Rhe1 Bd7 although White is still on top.

14.Nf3 Nxf3 15.Qxf3 d6 16.Rhe1 Qg8 

Stockfish 16.1 (30 ply) assesses White as over 4 1/2 pawns better at this point.

17.Re7 Be6 18.Qxb7 Rb8 19.Qxc7 Bxa2 

20.Rde1? 

Homer nods.

Instead of doubling Rooks, the pawn capture, 20.Rxd6 is still winning. 

20...Rb1+ 21.Kd2 Qd5+ White resigned

White's Rook on e1 is going to be lost.

Jerome Gambit: Countering the Counter

Bill Wall is familiar with the Counter-Jerome defense, and quickly counters it.

Wall, Bill - Onix

internet, 2026

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5

7...Bxf2+ 

The Counter-Jerome defense.

8.Kxf2 Nh6 

Also seen: 8...Qf6+ 9.Qxf6+ Kxf6 (9...Nxf6 10.Kf3 (10. Nc3 b6 (10...d6 11.d3 a6 12.Bg5 Kg7 13.Bxf6+ Kxf6 14.Nd5+ Kg7 15.Nxc7 Rb8 16.c3 Rf8+ 17.Ke3 b5 18.h4 Rf7 19.Ne8+ Kg8 20.Nxd6 Rf6 21.e5 Re6 22.d4 Bb7 23.Nxb7 Rxb7 24.Ke4 Black resigned, Wall,B - SCMJ, FICS, 2020) 11.Rf1 Ba6 12.d3 Kg7 13.Bg5 Rhf8 14.Ke2 Ng4 15.h3 Ne5 16.Nd5 c6 17.Nc7 Bb7 18.Nxa8 Rxa8 19.Bf6+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Naren, SparkChess, 2024) 10...d6 11.Nc3 Bg4+ 12.Kg3 Rhe8 13.Rf1 Kg7 14.Rxf6 Kxf6 15.Kxg4 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest4380606, PlayChess.com, 2015) 10.Nc3 c6 11.Rf1 Kg7 12.Kg3 Ne7 13.b3 d5 14.Nxd5 cxd5 15.Bb2+ Kg8 16.Bxh8 Kxh8 17.Rf7 Nc6 18.exd5 Ne5 19.Rc7 b6 20.Re1 Nd7 21.Re8+ Kg7 22. Rxd7+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Kumar, internet, 2023) 

As well as 8...Nf6 9.Rf1 d6 10.Qg3 Nxe4+ 11.Kg1+ Kg7 12.Qf3 Bf5 13.g4 Qg5 14.d3 Qxg4+ 15.Qxg4 Bxg4 16.dxe4 Rae8 17.Nc3 a6 18.Nd5 Rxe4 19.b3 Bh3 20.Bb2+ Re5 21.Rfe1 Black resigned, Wall,B - Basiq, SparkChess 2024; 

And 8...Qh4+ 9. Kf1 (9.g3 Qf6+ 10.Qxf6+ Nxf6 11.Nc3 d6 (11...Re8 12.d3 d6 13.Bg5 Ng4+ 14.Kg2 h6 15.Raf1+ Kg7 16.Bd2 Bd7 17.Nd5 Rac8 18.Bc3+ Kg8 19.h3 c6 20.hxg4 cxd5 21.Rxh6 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest2115687, PlayChess.com, 2014 dxe4 22.Rh8 checkmate) 12.d3 Bg4 13.h3 Be6 14.Bh6 Ke8 15.Ke3 Kd7 16.Bg7 Rhf8 17.Bxf8 Rxf8 18.g4 a6 19.g5 Nh5 20.Rhf1 Re8 21.h4 c6 22.b4 d5 23.exd5 Bh3+ 24.Kd4 Bxf1 25.Rxf1 cxd5 26.Nxd5 Kd6 27.c4 Ng3 28.c5+ Kc6 29.Rf6+ Kb5 30.Nc7+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest592370, PlayChess.com, 2017) 9...Qf6+ 10.Qxf6+Nxf6 11.Nc3 c6 12.e5 Nh5 13.Ne4 Ke6 14.Ng5+ Ke7 15.d4 Rf8+ 16.Ke1 h6 17.Ne4 g5 18.Bd2 b6 19.Bb4+ c5 20.Nxc5 bxc5 21.Bxc5+ Ke8 22.Bxf8 Kxf8 23.h4 g4 24.Rf1+ Kg7 25.c4 Ba6 26.b3 Rd8 27.d5 Re8 28.e6 dxe6 29.d6 Rd8 30.Rd1 Ng3 31.Rf4 h5 32.c5 Nf5 33.Ra4 Bb7 34.Rxa7 Rd7 35.Rxb7 Rxb7 36.c6 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest1443273, PlayChess.com. 2012 

9.Rf1 Ng4+ 10.Kg1+ 

The check makes a difference.

10...Kg8 

The threatening Black Knight needed to return.

Now, checkmate arrives.

11.Qd5+ Kg7 12.Rf7+ Kh6 13.d4+ g5 14.h4 d6 15.Bxg5+ Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: A Whole Lot of Experience

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19...

angelcamina has almost 1,650 games in The Database.

Play against him, and you play against a whole lot of experience.

angelcamina - Winter-123

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2026

1. e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit

According to The Database, angelcamina has played this line 339 times, scoring 61%.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 

7...Bb4 8.dxe5 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Nxe4 

10.Qd5+ 

Interesting, but not as strong as the text, was 10.Qf3+ as in angelcamina - puffy04, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019 (1-0, 20)

10...Kf8 

Or 10...Ke8 11.Qxe4 Qe7 (11...Rf8 12.O-O Qh4 13.Ba3 (13.g3 Qxe4 White resigned, angelcamina - Gregigras, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2026) 13...Rf4 14.Qe3 c6 15.Rad1 Qg4 16.Bd6 Re4 17.Qg3 Qxg3 18.hxg3 b5 19.Rd4 Rxd4 20.cxd4 Bb7 21.f4 Kf7 22.g4 Ke6 23.Kf2 a5 24.Ke3 a4 25.Ke4 g6 26.f5+ gxf5+ 27.gxf5+ Kf7 28.Ke3 Re8 29.Rh1 Ba6 30.Rxh7+ Kg8 31.Rxd7 b4 32.Ra7 Bb5 33.f6 Kh8 Black won on time, angelcamina - ottobitunbyte, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020) 12.O-O d6 13.Ba3 (13.f4 dxe5 14.fxe5 Be6 15.a4 Rd8 16.Ba3 Qg5 17.Rf3 Bd5 18.Qf5 Qd2 19.Rd3 Qxg2 checkmate, angelcamina - HasanTastic, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024) 13...Rf8 14.Rfe1 Bf5 15.Qe3 Kd7 16.exd6 Qxe3 17.Rxe3 Rae8 18.dxc7 Rxe3 19.fxe3 Rc8 20.Rd1+ Kxc7 21.Rd2 Kb8 22.Bd6+ Ka8 23.Be5 Be6 24.a3 g6 25.Bf6 Rf8 26.Rd8+ Rxd8 27.Bxd8 a6 28.Bb6 Bf5 29.c4 Bxc2 30.Kf2 Bb3 31.c5 Kb8 32.Kf3 Kc8 33.Kf4 Kd7 34.g4 Kc6 35.h4 Kb5 36.e4 Ka4 37.e5 Kxa3 38.Kg5 a5 39.Kf6 a4 40.e6 Bxe6 41.Kxe6 Kb4 42.Bd8 a3 43.Bf6 a2 Black won on time, angelcamina - outis, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019; 

Or 10...Ke7 11.Qxe4 Rf8 (11...d6 12.Bg5+ Kd7 13.Bxd8 Kxd8 14.exd6 Re8 15.O-O-O Rxe4 16.dxc7+ Kxc7 17.f3 Re2 18.Rhe1 Rxg2 19.Re7+ Kb6 20.Rd6+ Kc5 21.Rd4 Bf5 22.Re5+ Kc6 23.Rxf5 Rxh2 24.Rg4 Rh1+ 25.Kb2 Rd8 26.Rxg7 Rd7 27.Rf6+ Rd6 28.Rxd6+ Kxd6 29.Rxb7 Rh5 30.Rxa7 h6 31.Rh7 Rb5+ 32.Kc1 h5 33.c4 Ke6 34.cxb5 Kd6 35.Rxh5 Kc7 36.a4 Kb6 37.a5+ Kxa5 38.c4 Kb6 39.Rh6+ Ka5 40.b6 Ka6 41.c5 Kb7 42.Rh7+ Kb8 43.c6 Ka8 44.Rh8 checkmate, angelcamina - adriannez, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019) 12.Bg5+ Rf6 13.exf6+ Kf7 14.Qd5+ Kf8 15.fxg7+ Kxg7 16.Bxd8 Black resigned, angelcamina - Davide313, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023 

11.Qxe4 d5 

Alternately, 11...d6 12.Ba3 Qg5 (12...Be6 13.O-O-O Bf7 14.exd6 cxd6 15.Bxd6+ Kg8 16.Rhe1 Qg5+ 17.Bf4 Qa5 18.Rd7 Qxc3 19.Rxf7 Kxf7 20.Qe6+ Kf8 21.Bd6 checkmate, angelcamina - apropes, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019) 13.exd6 cxd6 14.Bxd6+ Kg8 15.O-O Bf5 16.Qd5+ Be6 17.Qxe6 checkmate, angelcamina - Master1615, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019;

Or 11...Kf7 12.Qd5+ Kf8 13.O-O Qe7 14.a4 c6 15.Qf3+ Qf7 16.Qe3 Ke7 17.Ba3+ Kd8 18.Rad1 Kc7 19.Bd6+ Kd8 20.e6 dxe6 21.Bb4+ Kc7 22.Qe5+ Kb6 23.Qa5 checkmate, angelcamina - Keithman3, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019;

Or 11...Qe7 12.a4 d6 13.Ba3 Qxe5 14.Qxe5 c5 15.Qxd6+ Kg8 16.Qd5+ Kf8 17.Bxc5+ Ke8 18.O-O-O Be6 19.Qxe6 checkmate, angelcamina - Yaroslav_Syzran, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020;

Or 11...Qh4 12.Qxh4 Black resigned, angelcamina - AmolTyagi, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024.

12.Ba3+ Black resigned 

(As a footnote, we have the alternative, 12.exd6 Qxd6 13.O-O as in angelcamina - amda, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020)

Black still has time on his clock, and is only one (isolated, doubled) pawn down, but his King is a target, while White's King will be tucked away after it castles - not an encouraging situation. 

The Bishops-of-opposite colors might lend some drawishness to an endgame position, but the game will probably not last that long. 

Jerome Gambit: A Club Player's Opening (Part 2)

                                                       

[continued from the previous post]

keegers2 - Tagkinho

10 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2026

Okay, Readers, so we are all sitting at our computers following the game, without a ticking clock and no rating points at stake - What is Black's threat? 

12...Bg4 

I am not sure what this move is about.

Could Black be hoping to provoke 13.h3, to answer with 13...h5, because 14.hxg4 hxg4 would give Black's Rook the deadly h-file?

Oh, yeah - what is really going on is that Black has 12...Nh5 when White's Queen is a goner. (Readers saw that, right?)

Remember, though, that this is a 10-minute game, and the clock can affect the calculations.

13.Re1

Speaking of files, White puts his Rook on the e-file, targeting an enemy pawn and Queen.

13...Bf5 

Black moves his Bishop to a safe square, renewing his threat to the Queen.

14.d3 

White's Queen can now escape to g5, if the enemy Knight threatens.

Humorous would be 14.h3, to answer 14...Nh5 with 15.Qh2.

14...Rd8

The focus of play shifts away from the White Queen and to the d3 pawn.

15.dxe4 Bxe4 

Black executes the self-pin of his Bishop, as the piece can not be kicked by f2-f3, because the other Bishop pins that pawn.

However, keegers2 sees much further, as his play shows.

16.Bg5 h6 17.Rxe4 

Nice.

17...Nxe4 

Hoping to capture White's Queen, if White captures his Queen first - but that first capture will come with check.

Instead, 17...hxg5 18.Rxe7 Bxe7 would leave him with a Rook and a Bishop against a Queen and one or two pawns - still not enough compensation.

18.Bxe7+ Kxe7 19.Nxe4 Rhf8 

Black activates his last piece, but it is too late. His King is vulnerable and checkmate is approaching.

20.Nxc5 Rd5 

 

Nothing helps, although this has a time-pressure feel to it.

21.Re1+ Kf7 22.Qxc7+ Kg8 23.h3 

White is also subject to the clock, and here he takes a safety step against a possible back rank checkmate.

23...Rd2 24.f3 Rxc2 25.Re7 Rc1+ 26.Kh2 

26...Rxf3 

What's left?

27.gxf3 Rc2+ 28.Kg3 Rxb2 29.Qc8 checkmate

Quite successful for a first time outing with the Jerome Gambit!