Jerome Gambit: The Occasional Bagatelle

Sometimes you get to play - and I get to share - a light-hearted Jerome Gambit (yes, there are other kinds) that seems to skip along from beginning to end. The following game is an example from Bill Wall.

Wall, Bill - Guest2467942
PlayChess.com, 2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4
d6 8.Nd2 

According to The Database (which, admittedly, needs some updating), this is a novelty.

8...Nf6 9.O-O Rf8 10.Re1 Be6 11.f4 Nc6 12.Qc3 Kg8 

Black has wisely castled-by-hand and even leads in development. The question for him, of course, is what to do next.

13.Nf3 Bg4 14.Qb3+ Kh8 15.Ng5 

Threatening a fork at f7, which would win the exchange. This can be dealt with, but the hits keep on coming.

15...Qd7 16.f5 h6 17.Ne6 Rfe8 

18.Qxb7 Na5 19.Qxc7 Nc6 20.Bf4 Ne5 21.Qxd7 Nfxd7 22.Nc7 Black resigned

After winning the exchange, White will have a Rook and three pawns for a couple of Knights. While this is not an overwhelming advantage - the position is more of a Queenless middlegame (where the pieces tend to hold sway) than an endgame (where the pawns preside) - it is certainly enough to produce a win for White over time. Likely Black shrugged his shoulders, whispered You win some, you lose some, and decided to move on.