Keep Up - Or Get Trampled

The Jerome Gambit lends itself nicely to blitz chess, especially 5-minute games. Black can keep up - or get trampled.

Philidor1792 - guest128
5+0 www.bereg.ru, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.d4 

This move, less well known than 8.f4, is as old as Jerome - Norton, correspondence, 1877 (0-1, 41), as notorious as Tonetti - Ruggieri, Rome, 1863 (1-0, 23), and a favorite of Philidor1792, who has, by my count, 9 wins, 2 draws, and 0 losses with it.

White asks, "what's another pawn among frenemies?"

8...Bxd4 9.c3

Philidor1792 has also looked at 9.Na3. For coverage, see "An Intriguing Letter" Parts 1, 2 & 3; "Some History of the Jerome Gambit" Parts 1, 2 & 3; "Jerome Gambit: Early Opening Tomes" Parts 1, 2 & Addendum; and "Full Circle" Parts 1 & 2 

9...Bb6 10.f4 

10...Nd3+

Black no doubt feels good about being able to play a forward-going move, but this is not his strongest option.

11.Kd2 Nxf4

Black suddenly realizes that his intended 11...Nxc1 falls to 12.Qe5+ Kc6 13.Qd5 checkmate. Still, it is not time for despair.

12.Qxf4+ Kc6 13.e5 

13...d5 

"Luft!" Black imagines. 

14.Qa4+ Kc5 15.b4+ Kc4 16.b5+ Kc5 17.Qb4 checkmate