Trust Me - I Know What I'm Doing...

The following game is a Jerome Gambit. It was played at blitz speed. My opponent appeared to be a bit unfamiliar with the line - giving me credit for some "sacrifices" that probably were "blunders".

perrypawnpusher - oopsaqueen
blitz, FICS, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6 

My opponent, oopsaqueen, has a pleasant 5-1 record on FICS defending an "accelerated Jerome Gambit" against the Semi-Italian Opening - 4.Bxf7+, etc. 

However, he does not appear (according to The Database) to have faced the "normal" Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit, and in this game chooses a move (still okay for Black) that is weaker than 7...Ke6, 7...Ke8 or 7...g6. 

8.Qd5+ Kf8 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qe3 Nf6 

Black chose the alternative, 10...N8e7, in perrypawnpusher - pascalwilliams, blitz 3 0, FICS, 2007 (½-½, 32). 

11.f4 

The more sedate 11.f3 was seen in Wall,B - LC, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 20). 

11...Kg8 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Nf7 14.e5 

Thematic, but premature in this situation. White would have done better to complete his development with 14.Nc3 Qe7 15.Bd2 Bd7 16.Rae1 Re8. 

14...dxe5 15.dxe5 Nd5 

Here 15...Ng4 16.Qe4 Ngxe5 would have punished my rashness. 

16.Qb3

Simply dropping a pawn, instead of the necessary 16.Qe2.

16...c6 17.Nc3 

Here 17.e6 would have saved the e-pawn. Luckily for me, my opponent figured that I knew what I was doing.  

17...Kh7 18.Nxd5 Qxd5 19.Qxd5 cxd5 20.e6 Ne5 

By dint of good fortune, I have just about evened the game.

21.Bf4 Nc6 22.Rad1 Re8 23.Rxd5 Bxe6 24.fxe6 Rxe6

In another example of "Scientific Progress Goes Boink" (see "After the Refutation: Play On!"), my opponent has returned his extra piece for a couple of pawns, leaving him with a much freer game, but a pawn down.

25.c3 Rae8 26.Rfd1 a6 27.Rd7 Re1+ 28.Rxe1 Rxe1+ 29.Kf2 Ra1

30.Rxb7 Rxa2 31.Rb6 Ne7 32.c4 a5 33.Bd2 a4 34.Bc3 a3

35.Kf3 axb2 36.Bxb2 Nf5 37.Rb7 Ra5 

Stopping the advance of White's c-pawn, but missing the threat.

38.g4 Nd6 39.Rxg7+ Kh8 Black resigned

White will win a Rook with 40.Ra7+.