Exploring

The regular Jerome Gambiteer has an interesting dilemma: play the "book" lines of the gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), all of which lead to established "refutations", hoping that his opponents will fall apart along the way; or go exploring in the side-lines of the opening – which, supposedly if they were any good, would be the main lines, after all, wouldn't they...?

DREWBEAR 63 - Haroldlee123

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.c3

A relatively new idea, first played in 2006 as far as I can tell. White looks to support a d2-d4 thrust.

8...Bb6

DREWBEAR 63 has experience on both sides of these lines, especially in the current tournament: 8...Qf6 9.d4 ( 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 10.d4 Nxe4 11.dxc5+ Nxc5 12.0-0 Ned3 13.Nd2 Ne5 14.f4 Ned3 15.Nc4+ Kc6 16.Ne5+ Nxe5 17.fxe5 Nd3 18.Rf7 Nxe5 19.Rxg7 Nd3 20.b4 Nxc1 21.Rxc1 d6 22.a4 b5 23.axb5+ Kxb5 24.Rxc7 Ba6 25.Rd7 Kc6 26.Rf7 Kb6 27.Rb1 Raf8 28.Rxf8 Rxf8 29.Rc1 Bc4 30.h3 Rg8 31.Kh2 Bd5 32.Rc2 Be4 33.Re2 d5 34.c4 Rxg2+ 35.Rxg2 Bxg2 36.Kxg2 dxc4 37.Kf2 Kb5 White resigned, mediax - drewbear, JG4 thematic Chessworld, 2008) 9...Nd3+ 10.Kd2 Qxf5 11.exf5 Nxc1 ( 11...Nxf2 12.dxc5+ Kxc5 13.Re1 Ng4 14.h3 N4f6 15.b4+ Kc6 16.c4 b6 17.Na3 Nh6 18.g4 Nf7 19.Re7 Rf8 20.Bb2 Ne8 21.Rae1 Nfd6 22.Bxg7 Rg8 23.f6 Bb7 24.b5+ Kc5 25.R7e5+ Kb4 26.Nc2+ Ka5 27.Kc3 Nxg7 28.fxg7 Bg2 29.Rb1 c6 30.Rb3 Ka4 31.Ra3 checkmate, DREWBEAR 63 - GladtoMateYou, JGTourney4 Chessworld 2009) 12.dxc5+ Kxc5 13.Rxc1 d6 14.b4+ Kc6 15.Na3 Bxf5 16.b5+ Kc5 17.f3 Nf6 18.g4 Bd7 19.c4 a6 20.Rab1 axb5 21.cxb5+ Kd5 22.Rxc7 Bc8 23.Rxg7 Nd7 24.Re1 Rxa3 25.Ree7 Rxa2+ 26.Kc1 Rd8 27.Rg5+ Kc4 28.Kb1 Rxh2 29.Re4+ Kb3 30.Kc1 Nc5 31.Re3+ Kb4 32.b6 Rh8 33.Rf5 Bxf5 White resigned, DREWBEAR 63 - metalwarrior1969,JGTourney4 Chessworld 2009;

And 8...g6 9.Qf4 Nf6 10.d4 Ke6 11.Qxe5+ Kf7 12.Qxc5 d6 13.Qc4+ d5 14.exd5 Nxd5 15.0-0 Re8 16.Na3 Be6 17.Qd3 Bf5 18.Qf3 Kg7 19.Nc4 c6 20.g4 Be4 21.Qh3 g5 22.Qh5 h6 23.Ne5 Nf6 24.Qf7+ Kh8 25.Ng6+ Bxg6 26.Qxg6 Ng8 27.h4 Re7 28.hxg5 Rg7 29.Qh5 Qd6 30.gxh6 Rh7 31.g5 Qd5 32.Qe2 Ne7 33.Qe5+ Qxe5 34.dxe5 Rg8 35.f4 Nf5 36.b4 Rg6 37.Bb2 Ne3 38.Rf2 Kg8 39.Rd2 Nc4 40.Rd8+ Kf7 41.Rd7+ Kg8 42.Rxh7 Kxh7 43.Bc1 b6 44.f5 Rg8 45.g6+ Kh8 46.Bg5 Re8 47.Bf6+ Kg8 48.h7+ Kf8 49.h8Q checkmate, DREWBEAR 63 - gwyn1, JGTourney4 Chessworld 2009;

Or 8...Nh6 9.Qf4 Rf8 10.Qxe5+ Kxe5 11.d4+ Bxd4 12.cxd4+ Kxe4 13.Nc3+ Kxd4 14.Be3+ Ke5 15.0-0 Nf5 16.Rfe1 Kf6 17.Nd5+ Kf7 18.Rad1 d6 19.Nf4 Nxe3 20.Rxe3 Qf6 21.Nd5 Qd8 22.Re7+ Kg8 23.Rxc7 Qh4 24.g3 Qe4 25.Ne7+ Kh8 26.Rxd6 Bh3 White resigned, mediax - eddie43, Chessworld 2008

9.d4 Nd3+

An interesting and novel way to return one of the extra pieces.

10.Kd2 Qf6

10...Nxc1 would preserve the material status quo and would be a good choice – if it didn't lead to a mate-in-two.

11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.Kxd3 h6 13.f4

You have to wonder, if Wilhelm Steinitz ("the Austrian Morphy") ever played the Jerome Gambit (giving "Jerome Gambit odds," of course, to a much weaker player) if he might one day have reached this kind of position. The King is a strong piece!

13...Qd6

The position has gotten strange enough that Haroldlee123 would prefer an exchange of Queens. DREWBEAR 63, on the other hand, would prefer not.

14.Qh5 g6 15.Qh4+ Qf6 16.Qf2 c5

Hitting the center at its apparently weakest point, although 16...d5 was probably better. Now White can get an interesting and relatively equal game with 17.dxc5, but he wants to hold onto his pawn center. It turns out that this goal is unreachable, however.

17.e5 Qf5+ 18.Ke2 cxd4 19.cxd4 Qe4+ 20.Kf1

Or 20.Be3 Bxd4 21.Nc3 Qc2+ 22.Kf3 Qxf2+ 23.Kxf2 Bxc3 24.bxc3 h5 when White has one pawn for his piece, and Black's positional cramp and delay in development are not adequate compensation.

20...Qd3+ 21.Kg1

White played this move – and then resigned. He can lose his Queen to 21...Bxd4, or his King to 21...Qd1+ 22.Qf1 Bxg4+ 23.Be3 Bxe3 checkmate