What does the Jerome Gambit deserve?

Play over the following game and try not to scream at me.

Even "The Worst Chess Opening Ever" should receive more respect than it gets here.

perrypawnpusher - mtibuk
blitz, FICS, San Jose, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.0-0 a6

It is hard to tell if mtibuk is being extra cautious here, simply going his own way in the opening, or intentionally avoiding the Jerome Gambit. Since The Database doesn't contain any of his games (before this one) my guess is the last suggestion is not the proper explanation.

5.Nc3

I'm hanging in there and trying to transpose to the Jerome. Otherwise, 5.d4 would have been enough for a slight advantage.

5...Bc5 6.Bxf7+

Okay! 

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.Qh5+ Ng6

Here we have a typical Jerome Gambit position, to which Black has added ...a6 and ...h6 and White has added Nc3 and 0-0. Certainly, this should be an improvement for the first player. Indeed, the computer suggests that the additions are worth about a half a pawn, but Black is still better.

That means there is still work to do.

Previously, angelosgoulianos played the stronger 8...Ke6 against me, in perrypawnpusher - angelosgoulianos, blitz, FICS, 2007, (1-0, 40), where I prevailed after a struggle. 

9.Qd5+ Kf6

It is hard to see what Black gains with this move, instead of the standard 9...Kf8 10.Qxc5+ d6 11.Qe3 Nf6 (slight edge to the second player).

It is also hard to see that what he loses is another pawn: 10.Qf5+ Ke7 11.Nd5+ Ke8 12.Qxg6+ Kf8 13.Qf5+ Nf6 14.Nxf6 d6 15.Nd7+!? Ke7 16.Qg6 Kxd7 17.Qxg7+ Kc6. I didn't see that, Rybka 3 did, after the game.

10.Qxc5 d6 11.Qe3 Ne5

With the safer King, the better development, and the possibility of launching the "Jerome pawns", White has to have compensation for his sacrifice.

12.d4 Nc4

Black continues to play (and get away with) in a fancy free manner. More sedate was 12...Nc6.

13.Qf4+

In playing over this game afterward, the question came up: should I have been able to see that 13.e5+ was the proper move to play? I had looked as far as 13...dxe5 14.dxe5 Nxe5, saw that it lost a pawn, and checked out something else.

The trick was to see that 15.Rd1! would have given White's Knight a platform (d5) from which to check the Black King – moving it either away from the Black Knight, which can subsequently be captured by the White Queen; or to where it is pinned to the Black Knight by the White Queen and can be won with f2-f4. 

Of course, Black should not exchange center pawns, but answer 13.e5+ with 13...Kf7. White then would have 14.Qf3+ with the makings of an attack on the Black King, although no immediate forced win of a piece.

If I am going to continue to attack with the Jerome Gambit, I have to be able to better recognize "a good attacking position" and move myself down that path.

13...Kg6 14.Qg3+ Kh7 15.f4 Nf6

White is still doing fine here, and his "Jerome pawns" still counter-balance Black's extra Knight; it is just that an opportunity has been missed. 

16.e5 dxe5 17.fxe5

This is a careless, double error because I was looking in the wrong direction: it misses the much better 17.Qd3+ with the subsequent win of the Black Knight at c4; and it captures with the wrong pawn; at least after 17.dxe5 Black does not win material with 17...Qd4+.

17...Qxd4+ 18.Kh1 Qxe5

Much to my relief, my opponent returns the favor. After 18...Nxe5 Black is simply a piece up.

19.Qd3+ Kg8 20.Qxc4+ Be6 21.Qd3 Ng4

Material is even, and perhaps White can make something of Black's Rook blocked in at h8. Of course, he will have to take care of that mate threat at h2.

22.Bf4 Qh5 23.Rae1 Re8 24.Bxc7 b5 25.a3

This is an interesting slip. I read Black's move as a threat to my Knight on c3, and protected against it. Perhaps that is what Black intended.

If that is the case, we both missed the fact that Black can now play 25...Bc4, winning the exchange.

25...g5 26.Qf3

Attacking, which is the right idea. 

26...Rh7

Mobilizing the locked-in Rook, but this should not be enough to hold the game. 

27.Rxe6

Winning a piece after 27...Rxc7 28.Rxe8+ Qxe8 29.Qxg4. Black's response is inadequate, and again it was time for me to find the killer line of play.

27...Rc8 28.Be5

This move is "okay" but 28.Qd5 was devastating. It should not have been hard to find.

28...Rf7 29.Rf6

White had a simple win with the simplifying 29.Qxf7+ Qxf7 30.Rxf7 Kxf7 31.Rxa6 Nxe5 32.Rxh6. Given my propensity to run for simple endings, this is a sad oversight.

29...Rxf6 30.Bxf6 

Believing that I was winning a piece ("Have I overlooked anything??"), I had no thoughts about forcing a draw with, for example, 30.Qd5+ Rf7 31.Ne4 Nxe5 32.Nf6+ Kh8 33.Qxe5 Qg6 34.Nh5+ Kg8 35.Nf6+ Kh8 36.Nh5+ etc.

30...Qxh2 checkmate

That's embarassing!