Chaos

The following game has its chaotic features. At the end, the positions were complicated enough that I am not at all surprised that we missed things. Toward the beginning, however, we also missed a lot, as, after the game, Rybka (in "blunder check" mode) was criticizing almost every move each of us made.

Still, the game moved me to 2-0 with the Jerome Gambit in the Italian Game tournaments, and that's nice.

perrypawnpusher (1820) - Chesssafety (1523)
Italian Game, Chess.com, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5 Qe7 

The earliest examples I have of this position are from a couple of correspondence games, Daniel Jaeger - Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, 1880 (Black won both). 

8.Qf4+ Ke8 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.0-0 Bd6 

This is an interesting idea that sets up tactical chances on the Kingside – of which my opponent and I remain blissfully unaware.

11.Qe3

Carrying on as if everything is "normal", while Black actually can play 11...Ng4 now, with serious threats.

11...c6

"Normal" again, while 11...Ng4 was the way to go.

12.d4 

Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Better was 12.h3 to keep the enemy Knight off of g4.

12...Bc7

All according to plan, but a better plan included 12...Ng4.

13.f4 Bb6 14.e5 Nd5 15.Nxd5 cxd5 

16.Qd3 d6 17.Bd2 g6 18.Bb4 Bd7 

This move gave me pause. My guess is that my opponent suddenly realized that after 16...d6 I could have won a pawn with 17.Qb5+ and 18.Qxd5. He suddenly takes time to cover up that glitch.

Actually, 17.Qb5+ Bd7 18.Qxd5 is well met by 18...Bc6 19.Qc4 dxe5 20.fxe5 Qxe5.

19.Bxd6

Actually, 19.Rae1 might be a little bit better here, according to the computer.

19...Qh4 

All those pawns, Bishops and Queens looking diagonally...

20.c3 Bf5 21.Qb5+ Bd7 22.Qxd5 

White has four pawns for his sacrificed piece, and they look like they can both provide protection as well as cause trouble, provided White doesn't allow himself to be checkmated first.

22...Rc8

I was expecting 22...Bc6, which I was going to answer with 23.Qe6+. 

23.Qxb7 Qg4

Positioning the Queen for defense and attack, but it is too late.

24.e6 Qxe6 25.Rae1 Black resigned