Jerome Gambit: Two English Amateurs

The following game ("between two English amateurs") is from the "OVER THE CHESS BOARD" column titled "A VARIATION OF THE JEROME GAMBIT", conducted by R. M. Baird, in the Evening Star of May 11, 1901.

It is amusing that the columnist cannot recommend the opening, grows impatient when White misses a forcing line - and has nothing to say when White wins.

I have added diagrams, changed the notation from descriptive to algebraic, and provided a few notes in blue. - Rick

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d4 exd4 5.Bxf7+

It is interesting to meet with these variations from the ordinary dull methods.  But this line of play cannot be recommended.

5...Kxf7

[Reaching the Jerome Gambit variation: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d4 exd5]

6.Ng5+ Ke8 7.Qf3 Qe7

If now 7...Qf6 all of White's attack (?) vanishes. Black might even play 7...Ne5 at once.

8.O-O Ne5 9.Qb3 h6 10.Nh7 

[Strange. Perhaps expecting 10...Rxh7? 11.Qxg8+ Qf8 12.Qxh7, winning. Black does not fall for the "trap".] 

10...g6 11.f4 d3+ 12.Kh1 Ng4 13.f5 Qxh7 

14.fxg6 Qxg6 15.Nc3 Qh5 16.Bf4 Nf2+ 

17.Rxf2 Bxf2 18.Rf1 Bd4 19.Nd5 Bb6 

20.Bxc7 d6

[Amazing. Ahead by a Bishop and a Rook, Black finds a move that gives himself a lost game.]

21.Bxd6 Qg6

22.Rf8+

Much easier and simpler was 22.Qb5+ and mate in two moves.

22...Kd7 23.e5 Ne7 24.Qb5+ Nc6 25.Nf6+ Ke6 26.Qd5+ Kf5 27.e6+ Black resigned