The following game features a Jerome Gambit defense centered on 6...Ke6. The move signals that either Black is familiar with the opening, and has one of the effective remedies at hand; or that Black is unfamiliar with the opening, and is stepping into danger. A brave defender, or an outnumbered one?
angelcamina - rfsimon
1 0 bullet, lichess.org
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6
Yes. Black wishes to hold onto both of the sacrificed pieces.
The Database has 1,095 games with this position, and White scores 53%. The bigger question is: Who will succeed in a bullet game?
7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Ng6
A common sense move, but one that swings the game evaluation to only slightly in Black's favor.
9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ Ke8 11.O-O N8e7
The players are banging out reasonable moves, but that is one of the problems with the Jerome Gambit - often reasonable moves are not enough to maintain Black's advantage, especially when played at quick time controls. Here, 11...d6, followed by the reasonable 12.Qf2 Nf6, was better.
12.d4 Rf8 13.f5 Nh4
This move reminds me of GM Nunn's caution, "Loose pieces drop off." Black had to try to hold on with 13...d6 14.Qb5+ c6 15.Qe2 Nh8.
14.Bg5 b6 15.Qc4 d6
Forgetting about the Knight - easy to do at bullet. Limiting the damage was 15...d5.
16.Bxh4 a5
17.Nc3 Ba6 18.Qa4+ Kf7 19.Rf2 Kg8
White is up by 2 pawns, but will the clock allow him to win?
20.Re1 Rf6
Looks like an oversight.
21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.e5 dxe5 23.dxe5 fxe5 24.Rxe5 Qf8
25.f6 Ng6 26.Qg4 Kh8 27.Re3 Ne5
The clock. Also, checkmate is on its way.
28.Rxe5 Bb7 29.Re7 Qg8 30.Rg7 Qe6 31.Qh4 Qg4 32.Qxh7 checkmate
"This just doesn't seem to be my day" is a lament that many chess players make. Certainly the defender (who appears to be receiving "Jerome Gambit odds") in the following game can agree.
angelcamina - burns88
1 0 bullet, lichess.org
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6
This is an exciting move, as it can often lead to the Blackburne or Whistler Defenses.
7.Qxe5 Qf6
Black shows that he is unfamiliar with the Jerome Gambit, and disaster follows, quickly. Just not his day.
8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Ne7 10.O-O Re8 11.d3 Kg7
Dangerously placing the King on the same diagonal as the Queen.
12.Bd2 d5 13.Bc3 d4 14.Bxd4 Nd5 15.Bxf6+ Kxf6 16.Qd4+ Kf7 Black resigned
Having a "feel" for the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) saves a lot of time, especially in positions that need close examination to understand - but, in games where there is no time for close examination.
In the following game, Black seems to have side-stepped a handful of dangers, only to fall into a tactical mess.
angelcamina - yisustorres19
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019
1. e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4 Re8 9.O-O d6
Black is doing well. He can castle-by-hand and then make plans for the future. But - quickly. He has only one minute for the game.
10.f4 c5 11.Qe3 Nc4 12.Qd3 Nb6
13.e5 dxe5
Stockfish 10, which probably plays quite well at the 1 0 time control, suggests, instead, the tactical exhanges 13...Ng4 14.Nb5 dxe5 15.fxe5+ Kg8 16.Qxd8 Rxd8 17.Nc7 Bd7 18.e6 Rac8 19.Bg5 Nf6 20.Bxf6 gxf6 21.e7 Re8 22.Nxe8 Rxe8 23.Rxf6 Rxe7 when Black will have two pieces for a Rook and a pawn, and, perhaps, an edge in the game.
14.Qxd8 Rxd8 15.fxe5 Nbd5
16.Nxd5 Rxd5 17.exf6 g6
Black has given back his extra piece, and seems to be heading toward a drawn Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame.
18.Be3 Bf5 19.c3 b6 20.Rae1 Re8 21.Bg5
So far, so good. White's f-pawn is adequately blockaded.
21...Bd3
What's not to like about this move? It attacks White's Rook at f1, while simultaneously attacking the unprotected Bishop at g5. However, it was not possible to examine closely and see that it blows up Black's game, not White's.
22.Rxe8
Ouch. The Black King is stuck at f7, blockading the pawn.
22...Bxf1
Best was giving up the exchange with 22...Rxg5 23.Re7+ Kf8 24.Rd1. Checkmate now follows.
23. Re7+ Kf8 24. Bh6+ Kg8 25. f7+ Kh8 26. Re8 checkmate
