Jerome Gambit Hammer

Sometimes defenders will believe that the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is such a dubious opening that just about any defense will be good enough to defeat it. When that happens, the attacker should double his efforts to finish the game off quickly.

The following Internet game is from chessfriend Vlasta Fejfar of the Czech Republic. He makes fast work of his opponent.

Vlastous - PornobeshKumar
Internet, 2016

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 g5

Quite an odd move. I was surprised to find several examples in The Database, including two games where it was played by the "Boris" computer personality at Sparkchess.com.

8.fxe5 Kxe5

Stockfish 7 suggests 8...Nf6 9.exf6 Qxf6 10.Rf1 Qg6 11.Qe2 Ke7 12.Nc3 Kd8 when White is better.

Wall, B - Lisandru, Chess.com, 2012, continued 8...Qf8 9.Rf1 Qe7 10.Qg4+ Kxe5 11.Qf5+ Black resigned

9.Rf1

White played 9.c3 and then 10.d4+ successfully in Black,D - Boris, Sparkchess.com, 2012 (1-0, 18).

Stockfish 7 argues that White can hit the center immediately: 9.d4+ Bxd4 10.Bxg5 Nf6 11.Bxf6+ Kxf6 and Black's Bishop, Queen, and King remain in danger, e.g. 12.Rf1+ Kg7 13.Rf7+ Kg8 14.Rf3 Bf6 15.Nc3 Kg7 16.Nd5 Rf8 17.Rh3 Rf7 18.e5 - a line worth looking at in detail as an example of building an attack.

9...d5

Or 9...Be7 10.d4+ Kxd4 11.Be3+ Kxe3 12.Qf3+ Kd4 13.Qc3+ Kxe4 14.Qd3+ Ke5 15.Rf5+ Ke6 16.Qd5 checkmate, Wall,B - Boris, Chess.com, 2012.

10.d4+ Bxd4 11.Bxg5 Qd7

Black was doomed after 11...Kd6 12.Bxd8 in GuestCRJQ - Despistado, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 26).

12.Bh4+ Kd6 13. Qxd5  checkmate