Is this the new face of the Jerome Gambit??

Chuck Norris doesn't checkmate his opponent's King – one look, and the enemy monarch dives off of the board...

I don't know what it is, but lately I've played a number of short Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and Jerome Gambit-ish games (see "Notes Longer Than the Game" and "A Game Shorter Than the Notes").

I don't think it's a case of my opponents runing from their keyboards shrieking "The horror! The horror!" Maybe the opening is just getting a little respect.

Now that would really be scary.

perrypawnpusher - ronnn
blitz 10 0, FICS, 2009

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

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

It's always fun to stick a pawn in the face of an attacking piece.

7.Qxe5

Followed by "the pause."

Maybe my opponent overlooked the capture of the Knight. Maybe he wanted to give back a piece, but overlooked that now the Rook is en prise. Maybe he was trying to remember that old Blackburne game...

7...Bxf2+

For thoughts on this idea, both kind and not-so, see "Jerome Gambit Strikes in Denmark!"

8.Kxf2 Qf6+

Black forces the Queens off of the board.

9.Qxf6+ Kxf6

Black resigned

Black is a pawn down in a Queenless middle game (or endgame), certainly a playable situation at the club level, especially in blitz. Apparently he had had enough for one game.