Jerome Gambit: Caught Up

I got a good chuckle out of the following 3 0 blitz game, also by COMTIBoy (see "Jerome Gambit: The Jerome Treatment (Redux)").

Sometimes we can get so caught up in our ideas and plans that we overlook - something.

The essential skill a Jerome Gambit player needs to hone is an awareness of when that "something" arrives at the board.

COMTIBoy - BravoDelta
3 0 blitz, FICS, 2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.c3

As someone who generally plays the "classical" Jerome Gambit lines (i.e. 5.Nxe5), I am not very familiar with this move, and I was sort of surprised to find 1,601 examples in The Database. In those games White scores 41%. However, with 36 games in The Database, COMPTIBoy has a more respectible 53% outcome. 

5...Kf8 

Not the first move that comes to mind, and I think there is a bit of psychology behind it - not at all surprising in a 3-minute game.

Surprisingly, there are 48 games with this line in The Database. Perhaps not surprisingly, White scores 60%. 

6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 Bb4+ 8.Nc3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 d6 

White's pawn center and the uneasy position of Black's King almost - but not yet - compensates for the sacrificed piece. The attacker needs some open lines.

10.e5 dxe5 11.Ba3+ Nge7 12.d5 Na5 

Just the kind of chaos White wants in a fast blitz game, especially when you consider that "best" for Black is something like 12...Kf7 13.dxc6 Qxd1+ 14.Rxd1 Nxc6, giving back the piece to be able to exchange Queens and remain a boring pawn ahead.

13.Nxe5 Kg8 14.Qa4 

Blitz attacking rule #1: Keep making scary moves.

14...Qxd5 

Blitz defending rule #1: Beware of poisoned pawns.

15.Qe8 checkmate