Professional driver. Closed course. Do not attempt.

I am thrilled that so many players are trying out the Jerome Gambit and using various Jerome-ish themes in their opening play. That is one way to learn about development, open lines, tempos and an attack on the King. It also can be a lot of fun.

On the other hand, while Bxf7+ can have an unsettling psychological effect upon a defender who is both surprised and unprepared, if the move is not backed up by further, planned action, the sacrifice can prove very dangerous – for the gambiteer.  Thus, the warning in the title of today's  post, which often shows up in small print on television commercials that show cars being driven wildly and with great excitement...

NN - perrypawnpusher
blitz 3 0, FICS, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d4 exd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6

This position can be reached via the Center Game: 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Qxd4 Nf6 4.Bc4 Nc6. Cochrane - Staunton, London 1842, continued 5.Qd1 (5.Qe3 is also possible) Bc5 6.Nf3 0-0 7.0-0 Nxe4 8.Qd5 Qe7 9.Bg5 Nxg5 10.Nxg5 Ne5 11.Re1 d6 12.h4 h6 13.Nxf7 Bxf2+ 14.Kxf2 Qxh4+ 15.g3 Qh2+ 16.Ke3 Qxg3+ White resigned.

(For a Cochrane - Staunton - Jerome Gambit intersection, check here.)

My opponent now played a move, then asked to take it back (which I agreed to) and tried something completely different.

5.Bxf7+

Wow!

5...Kxf7 6.Qc4+

This move illustrates White's problem – how to continue the attack?

6...d5 7.exd5 Qxd5 8.Qxd5+ Nxd5

What is the object of playing a gambit opening?...To acquire a reputation of being a dashing player at the cost of losing a game
Siegbert Tarrasch

9.Nf3 Bc5 10.0-0 Bg4 11.Ne1 Rhe8
 

Here I could have taken advantage of the blocked White Rook by playing 11...Be2, winning the exchange; but I was focusing on getting all my pieces active.

12.Be3 Nxe3 13.fxe3+ Kg8

Castled (by hand) and everything...

14.Rf4 Bxe3+ 15.Rf2 Rf8 White resigned