Tie Breaks?

My opponent and I exchanged wins in the second round of our Chess.com "Italian Game" Thematic tournament. I'm not sure what tie-break is being used (first in our group is JoseSoza, but I don't know if one or two players will advance) but it should be "most wins with the Jerome Gambit" if you ask me.

perrypawnpusher - LeeBradbury
"Italian Game" Thematic, Chess.com, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qf4+ Qf6 9.d3 Be6 10.0-0 Qxf4 11.Bxf4 Nf6

I don't think that I have ever played the Queen exchange variation in this line. I was intrigued by Philidor1792's play in past games.

12.Nd2 Ke7 13.c3 Rhf8 14.d4 Bb6 

Trickier, but not necessarily better, was 14...Nxe4 15.Nxe4 Rxf4 16.Rae1 Kd7 17.dxc5 Bc4 18.cxd6 Bxf1 19.Kxf1 cxd6. 

15.Bg3 Ng4 

I am not sure what this is about. Perhaps, like the next move, it is aimed at preventing White's f2-d4.

16.Rae1 g5 17.h3 Nf6 18.e5 dxe5 19.Rxe5 Rae8 20.Rxg5 Bd5

I was happy to grab a third pawn for my sacrificed piece. This move suggests that my opponent was happy to open a line for his Rook to attack along the g-file, cooperating with his light-squared Bishop.

I decided to take advantage of his wish to keep the Bishop on the a8-h1 file.

21.c4 Be4 22.c5 Ba5 23.Nb3 b6 24.Nxa5 bxa5 25.Bxc7 a4 

Too much looking "over there" instead of "over here". Protecting the advanced a-pawn costs the exchange. Better was the consistent 25...Rg8. 

26.Bd6+ Kf7 27.Bxf8 Rxf8 

White now has a Rook and four pawns against a Knight and Bishop, but there are still technical difficulties to overcome.

28.Rd1 Ke6

After the game Houdini suggested 28...Rb8 29.b3 axb3 30.axb3 Rxb3 31.Ra1 Rb7 32.f3 Bd5 33.Kf2 White still would be better, but Black would have more counter-chances. 

29.Re5+ Kd7 30.d5 Bg6 

Now the pawns are going to cause too much trouble.

31.c6+ Kc7 32.Re7+ Kb8 33.d6 Be8 34.d7 Bxd7 35.cxd7 Rd8 36.Rf7 Black resigned