Alarming

I am still learning the Jerome Gambit. I play my moves quickly, afraid that I may realize Oh, no, I'm down two pieces! If my opponent returns material, I think about grinding out a pawn-up ending... So I like the following game: with Black's 7th move an alarm went off in my head, and I knew that I had to do something to end the game quickly!

perrypawnpusher - Navarrra
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Ke7

This slip costs two pieces.

8.Qxe5+ Kf7

Both this move and 8...Kf8 are equal, but the text gives Black an opportunity to go further wrong if he is careless, as opposed to playing to the back rank directly.

9.Qd5+

There is, of course, nothing wrong with the direct 9.Qxc5.

I had tried the text's "nudge" a couple of years ago against Leontes (1-0, 11), but his King had scurried back to e8. My opponent then resigned when I exchanged Queens...

9...Kg6

Four straight Queen checks by White: who can take this opening seriously, anyhow?

10.Qf5+ Kh6 11.d4+ g5 12.Qxc5

I wanted to play 12.h4, but I couldn't work out the lines. Just like 12.dxc5 would break up my pawns, so too would 12.h4 Bb4+ 13.c3 Kg7 14.cxb4. 

12...d6 13.Qc3 Qe7 14.Qe3

Still angling for h2-h4.

14...Bf5

An optical illusion.

15.exf5 Qxe3+ 16.Bxe3 Nf6 17.h4

At last!

17...Kg7 18.hxg5 Nd5 19.Nc3 Nxc3 20.bxc3 Rae8 21.Kd2

21...b5 22.f6+ Kf7 23.Rh6 a6 24.Rah1 c6 25.Rxh7+ Rxh7 26.Rxh7+ Ke6

Black resigned

White's simplest continuation is 27.Re7+ Rxe7 28.fxe7 Kxe7 when his three connected, passed pawns and extra piece will quickly lead to an extra Queen or two (or three).  Only slightly more complicated was 27.f7 Rc8 28.Rg7 Rf8 29.g6 followed by 30.Rg8, winning Black's Rook for two pawns.