Almost

Sometimes the person playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) gets just enough assistance from the defender that the opening can almost look like it really does lead to a powerful attack...

perrypawnpusher - obturator
blitz, FICS, 2012

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6

10.0-0 Rf8 11.f4

Equally strong was 11.d4, as in fehim - cybernoid, FICS, 2006: 11...Be6 12.e5 dxe5 13.dxe5 Ne7 14.exf6 Rxf6 15.b3 Nd5 16.Qe4 Qd6 17.Bb2 Rh6 18.g3 Kd7 19.Rd1 Re8 20.c4 Bg4 21.Qxg4+ Black resigned.

Instead, 11.f3 was the introduction to an ultimate "Jerome pawn" game, mrjoker - PhlebasP, ICC, 2009 (1-0, 35).

11...Qe7

I have also faced 11...Rf7 in perrypawnpusher - dkahnd, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 30) as has Louis Marin, in mrjoker - Mandragora, ICC, 2008 (1-0, 49);

as well as 11...Ng4 in perrypawnpusher - dkahnd, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 24), perrypawnpusher - lorecai, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 47), and perrypawnpusher - jgknight, blitz, FICS, 2010 (½-½, 58).

12.Nc3

Also possible was 12.f5 Ne5 13.Nc3 b6 14.d4 Nc4 15.Qg5 Nxe4 16.Nxe4 Qxe4 17.Qxg7 Bxf5 18.Bh6 Rf7 19.Qg5 Kd7 20.Rae1 Qxd4+ 21.Kh1 Nd2 22.Rxf5 Rxf5 23.Qxf5+ Kc6 24.Bxd2 Qxd2 25.Rf1 Re8 26.Qf3+ Kc5 27.Qa3+ Kc6 28.Qa4+ b5 29.Qa6+ Kd7 30.Qxb5+ c6 31.Rf7+ Re7 32.Qb7+ Kd8 Black resigned, holofernes - kdosch, FICS, 2001.

12...Ng4

Also seen is 12...c6 as in perrypawnpusher - parlance, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 20), although 12...Kf7 with plans to continuing castling-by-hand may be best.

13.Qg3 Bd7 14.f5 N6e5 15.d4 d5

Black returns a piece and undermines White's pawn at f5, but this might be less painfully accomplished (at least the first step) by 15...Nf6 16.dxe5 dxe5.

Now White's game takes a step forward.

16.Nxd5 Qd6 17.dxe5 Nxe5 18.Bf4 Qc5+ 19.Kh1 Nf7 20.Nxc7+ Ke7


21.Nxa8

I was pleased to be the exchange and a few pawns ahead, but 21.Qh4+, continuing the attack on the King, was stronger.

21...Rxa8 22.Bg5+

This was a nervous, short-of-time move. Better was the straight-forward 22.Qxg7.

22...Ke8 23.c3 Bc6 24.Rae1 h6 25.Be3 Qc4 26.Qxg7 Bxe4 27.Qg8+ Kd7 28.Qxa8

I had my clock back under control, and needed only avoid a serious blunder to bring home the point.

28...Qc6 29.Rd1+ Kc7 30.Bf4+ Kb6 31.Qg8 Black resigned