I was wandering through The Database again, enjoying how the theory of the Jerome Gambit and its relatives has developed over the years, when I ran into the following position from dusanmunja - valud, blitz, FICS, 2013
It had again been reached through a nameless opening variation that had been Jerome-ized: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 4.Bxf7+ (or 4.Nxe5) Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ Ke7 7.Ng6+ Kf6
A search of The Database showed that this position had been reached twice before, both leading to wins for White.
First was JakartaGuy - SwoopingCrane, standard, FICS, 2005 which continued 8.Nxh8 g5 9.d4 h6 10.Qf3+ Kg7 11.Ng6 d5 12.Ne5 Nf6 13.Nc3 Bb4 14.0-0 Bxc3 15.bxc3 dxe4 16.Qe3 Qd6 17.f3 c5 18.fxe4 cxd4 19.cxd4 Nc6 20.Nxc6 bxc6 21.e5 Qd5 22.exf6+ Kf7 23.Qe7+ Kg8 24.Qg7 checkmate
The second was chessforce - bbrom, blitz, FICS, 2010, which concluded more swiftly 8.Nxh8 g6 9.Qxa5 Black resigned
Of course, dusanmunja, in this year's game, was able to improve upon the play of both of his predecessors (Chess marches on!) by playing 8.Qf5 checkmate.
8.Qf5# 1-0
White's attack on Black's King is a standard theme in the Jerome Gambit. Sometimes it is deadly to be stuck in the middle.
Wall, Bill - Schichua, Stephen
FICS, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8
7.Qxe5 d6
Bill has faced the Jerome Defense to the Jerome Gambit, 7... Qe7, a couple of times: Wall,B - Guest340293, PlayChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 41) and Wall,B - Josti, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 26).
8.Qg3 Qf6 9.d3
Or 9.O-O as in Wall,B - GuestZCLK, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 15), or
9.Nc3 a6 10.Nd5 Qf7 11.d4 Bxd4 12.Bf4 Bxb2 13.Rb1 Ba3 14.Qxa3 Nf6 15.Nxc7 Nxe4 16.Bxd6+ Kg8 17.O-O Black resigned, Wall,B - GoldCoinCollector, Chess.com, 2010.
9...h6 10.O-O Ne7
11.Nc3 Bd4 12.Nb5
Threatening 13.Nxc7.
13...Bb6
Or, Bill notes, 12...Be5 13.f4 Bd4+ 14.Be3 Bxe3+ 15.Qxe3 Qxb2 16. Nxc7.
13.Be3 c5 14.Nxd6 Qxb2
Black is counting on his Queen to provide counterplay, but it can be risky to leave the King stuck in the middle of the board.
15.f4 c4
White can handle the tactical skirmish 15...Qxc2 16.f5 Qxd3 17.Rad1 Qxe3+ 18.Qxe3 c4 19.Rd4
16.Nxc4 Qxc2 17.Bxb6 axb6 18.f5
The three central "Jerome pawns" give White the advantage.
18...b5 19.f6
White presses his attack.
19...gxf6
Of course, if 19...bxc4 then 20.Qxg7+ Ke8 21.Qxe7 checkmate.
20.Rxf6+ Ke8 21.Nd6+ Kd8 22. Nf7+ Black resigned
After 22...Ke8 (22...Kd7 23.Qd6+ Ke8 24.Qd8#) 23.Nxh8 Qc5+ 24.Kh1 Black has the swindle 24...Rxa2, but after 25. Raf1 (25. Rxa2? Qc1+ winning for Black) White is firmly in control with a strong attack.
While wandering through The Database, I came across the following position, from Tetlekker - mabden, standard, FICS, 2013:
It had been reached through a nameless opening variation that had been Jerome-ized: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 4.Bxf7+ (4.Nxe5 would be just fine, as well) Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.d4 Bd6 7.Qg4+ Kf6.
A quick search showed three earlier games with the same position.
The first was RookLift - suckermc, blitz, FICS, 2001, which continued:
8.Qf5+ Ke7 9.Bg5+ Nf6 10.Ng4 Kf7 11.e5 Bb4+ 12.c3 g6 13.Nh6+ Kg7 14.exf6+ Kf8 15.f7 Qxg5 16.Qxg5 Kg7 17.cxb4 Nc4 18.Qe7 Kxh6 19.f8Q+ Rxf8 20.Qxf8+ Kg5 21.0-0 d6 22.Nc3 Nd2 23.Rfe1 Nf1 24.Ne4+ Kg4 25.h3+ Kh5 26.g4+ Kh4 27.Qh6 checkmate
The second, assiassi - morts, blitz, FICS, 2008, was a bit tidier:
8.Qf5+ Ke7 9.Bg5+ Nf6 10.Ng4 Bb4+ 11.c3 Bxc3+ 12.Nxc3 d5 13.Qe5+ Be6 14.Nxf6 gxf6 15.Qxf6+ Kd6 16.Qe5+ Black resigned
The third, UNPREDICTABLE - DJJDev, blitz, FICS, 2009, saw White adopt a different strategy, and bring home the point a move later:
8.Qh4+ Ke6 9.Qxd8 Be7 10.Qxc7 Nc6 11.d5+ Kf6 12.dxc6 bxc6 13.Nxd7+ Ke6 14.Qxc6+ Kf7 15.Ne5+ Kf8 16.Qxa8 Nf6 17.Qxc8+ Ne8 Black resigned
And then there was the finish of Tetlekker - mabden, itself:
8.Bg5 checkmate. (But, you saw that, right?)
