The Jerome Gambit: Tired

Lately my chess play has been sub-par, especially when playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and related openings. I'm thinking not so much of my game against CorH, which was a decent affair, but of another loss that I'm still coming to terms with – and of the following game. Perhaps I've just been a bit tired lately.

perrypawnpusher -tiagorom
blitz 14 0, FICS, 2009

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

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

As Blackburne played almost 125 years ago.

7. Qxe5 Nf6

Okay, not exactly like Blackburne. Blackburne played 7...d6 and got a complicated game and a crushing victory. Whistler played 7...Qe7 and got the same.

I've been here before, and quite possibly my opponent has not.

8. Qxc5 d6 9. Qd4

An experiment I probably won't repeat.

Previously: 9.Qe3
a) 9...Re8 10.d3 Kg7 11.0-0 d5 12.Qh6+ Kg8 13.exd5 Nxd5 14.Nc3 Nxc3 15.bxc3 Qf6 16.Bd2 Qg7 17.Rae1 Rxe1 18.Rxe1 Qxh6 19.Bxh6 Bf5 20.Re7 Rc8 21.Bf4 Kf8 22.Rxc7 Rxc7 23.Bxc7 Ke7 24.Kf1 Kd7 25.Be5 Kc6 26.Bd4 a6 27.c4 b5 28.cxb5+ axb5 29.a3 Be6 30.Ke2 Bd5 31.g3 Ba2 32.c3 Kd5 33.Ke3 Bb1 34.Bg7 Ba2 35.f4 Bb1 36.h3 Bc2 37.g4 Ke6 38.Ke4 Kf7 39.Bd4 h6 40.f5 g5 41.Kf3 Bxd3 42.Kg3 Be2 43.h4 Bd1 44.hxg5 hxg5 45.Be3 Kf6 46.Bb6 Ke5 47.Bd8 Ke4 48.Bxg5 Kd3 49.Bf6 Kc4 50.g5 Kb3 51.g6 Bh5 52.Kf4 Kxa3 53.Kg5 Bd1 54.Kh6 Bb3 55.Kg7 b4 56.cxb4 Kxb4 57.Kf8 Kc5 58.Be7+ Kd5 59.f6 Ke5 60.g7 Kf5 61.g8Q Bxg8 62.Kxg8 Kg6 63.f7 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Alternative, blitz FICS, 2005;
b) 9...Qe7 10.d3 Be6 11.0-0 b6 12.Nc3 Rae8 13.f4 Ng4 14.Qf3 h5 15.f5 gxf5 16.exf5 Bd7 17.Bd2 Nf6 18.Rae1 Qf8 19.Rxe8 Qxe8 20.Re1 Qd8 21.Bg5 Rg8 22.Bxf6 Qxf6 23.Qd5+ Kg7 24.Qf3 Rf8 25.Qg3+ Kh8 26.Qe3 Qxf5 27.Qd4+ Rf6 White forfeited on time, perrypawnpusher - MsD, blitz FICS, 2007;
c) 9...Be6 10.0-0 Rf8 11.Nc3 Kg7 12.d3 c5 13.f4 Ng4 14.Qg3 Rc8 15.f5 gxf5 16.h3 f4 17.Bxf4 Rxf4 18.Rxf4 Qg5 19.Rxg4 Bxg4 20.Qxg4 Qxg4 21.hxg4 Kg6 22.Rf1 Rh8 23.Rf5 a6 24.Nd5 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - brain50, JG3 thematic Chessworld, 2008;

9...c5 10.Qd3 Re8

Black has been avoiding grabbing a pawn ...Nf6xe4 (to be answered by 0-0) perhaps because he didn't see it.

11.f3 d5 12.Nc3 dxe4 13.Qxd8 exf3+

This is a tactical oversight that should lose a Rook to the simple 14.Qxe8+. My response was a blunder – so much so that my opponent spent some time trying to figure it out, as he had seen his own error, as often sadly happens, right after playing it.

14.Kf2 Rxd8 15.gxf3

Sadly, my advantage is now just one paltry pawn, which could now be minimized further by the accurate 15...c4.

There was nothing left to do but try to make something of the pawn.

15...Bf5 16.d3 Re8 17.Bg5 a6 18.Ne4 Bxe4 19.fxe4 c4