Imperative

Players who gamble with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) do so because there are all sorts of wild and creative things they can do out of the opening.

In fact, it is almost imperative that they do all sorts of wild and creative things.

Otherwise, Black can do all sorts of calm and boring things, like exchanging pieces, leaving him one ahead.

Or Black can use his extra piece to do all sorts of wild and creative things, himself.

Rikiki00 - blackburne
Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament

ChessWorld, 2011

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

4...Kxf7 5.d3 Nf6 6.0-0 Rf8 7.Be3 Bxe3 8.fxe3 Kg8

White is playing one of the "modern" Jerome Gambit variations, without 5.Nxe5+. He has sacrificed less than in the "classical" lines, but he now has to work harder to make something of his position.

In the meantime, Black has castled-by-hand and has no apparent weaknesses.

9.Nc3 d6 10.h3 Nh5

Taking a look at the "hole" White has created at g3.

11.Nd5 Ng3 12.Re1 Ne7 13.Qd2 Nxd5 14.exd5 Rf7 15.Kh2 Nh5 16.e4 Nf4

The Black Knight, kicked out of g3, returns to f4.

In the meantime, Black has swapped off White's advance Knight. He has all the time in the world to double his Rooks on the f-file, to exchange them off, too, if White follows the same plan.

Or, he can look for something else.

17.Rf1 Qf6 18.Rf2 Qh6 19.Raf1 Bxh3

Great use of his extra piece.

20.gxh3 Qxh3+ 21.Kg1 Rf6 22.Rh2 Rg6+ 23.Kh1

A slip, but there was not a lot of future in 23.Kd2 Qg3+ 24.Ke3 Rf8 25.Qf2 Nh3 (yet another hole) 26.Qxg3 Rxg3 27.c3 Ng5 28.Rhf2 Nxf3 29.Rxf3 Rgxf3+ 30.Rxf3 Rxf3+ 31.Kxf3 and Black's endgame chances are clearly better.

23...Qxf1+ White resigned