As the games of angelcamina, on lichess.org, show, the Jerome Gambit is an effective weapon in bullet - one minute, no increment, time control - chess. The attack can be powerful when there is little time to create a defense. The chaos across the board encourages errors and benefits the player more experienced with Jerome themes.
angelcamina - slowjac
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 Bb6
Black makes a reasonable move, but it is often the case that reasonable moves are not enough in the Jerome Gambit.
8.dxe5 Ne8 9.Qd5+
Next time, angelcamina will no doubt try 9.Qh5+!?
9...Kf8 10.b3 c6 11.Ba3+ c5 12.Na4 d6 13.Nxb6 axb6
Things are pretty messy, but I think White's position is easier to find moves for.
14.O-O-O Bd7 15. Kb2 Rxa3
An interesting idea, hoping to make use of the a-file that White had opened. Still, Black might have done better by continuing with the idea that he had started, trying 15...Bc6.
16.Kxa3
Stockfish 10 sees this position as equal, but, if you have to select a plan - or even a move - quickly, White has to be for choice.
16...Qc7
Intsead, after the already mentioned 16...Bc6, White would have a Rook and a pawn or two against Black's two extra pieces, and the game would be balanced.
Now the "Jerome pawns" start to make themselves felt.
17.exd6 Qc6 18.Qd3 Nf6 19.e5 Ne8 20.f4 g6 21.Rhf1 b5 22.Kb2 Kg7 23.g4 Rf8 24.f5 c4 25.Qc3 b4 26.Qxb4 c3+ 27.Qxc3 Qxc3+ 28.Kxc3 gxf5 29.gxf5
28...Bxf5 30.d7 Bxd7 31.Rxd7+ Kh6
Abandoning the Rook at f8, but it really doesn't matter; the game is over. Only the clock can save Black now, and White has enough firepower to move quickly toward checkmate.
32.Rxf8 Nc7 33.Rxc7 b6 34.Rf6+ Kg5 35.Rb7 Kg4 36.Rbxb6 h5 37.Rb7 h4 38.Rg7+ Kh3 39.Rh7 Kxh2 40.Rxh4+ Kg1 41.Rh7 Kg2 42.Rg7+ Black resigned
The following Jerome Gambit game is another example of the need for Black to have some kind of a defense prepared ahead of schedule. Otherwise, something that looks reasonable is likely to be ineffective. Just saying.
Wall, Bill - Andru
PlayChess.com, 2019
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Nf6
Perhaps Black told himself that the development of three of his pieces would counter the development of White's one Queen - especially since White was playing such a ridiculous opening.
Alas, this move signals a quick end to the game.
8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 Nxe4
Black continues to underestimate White's game. So, the one vanquishes the three.
10.Qd5+ Kf6 11.O-O
The one chuckle for Black would be if 11.Qxe4? then 11...Re8 winning White's Queen.
11...Qe7 12. Qd4+ Kf7 13.Re1 Black resigned
The Knight will be lost.
If it's raining outside, you can put on a hat, rain coat, and boots, and carry an umbrella. That will help. If you only take out a little parasol from the last cocktail you had - it won't provide much shelter.
So it is, when you are facing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). You may not need the most exacting defense - say, Whistler's, or the "annoying defense", or even Jerome's defense - but you will need to have some kind of defense prepared. Otherwise, you will just get soaked.
Witness the following game. It shows how White can wrap things up early.
Wall, Bill - Dippoldi
PlayChess.com, 2019
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4
6...Bb4+
This can work, if it is followed up correctly.
7.c3 Bd6
According to The Database, Black has won every time he has played the alternative, 7...Qh4!? - 13 times - except for the 2 times that it was played against Bill Wall.
8.dxe5 Bxe5
Bill points out that 8...Bf8 and 8...Be7 were the way to go. White would have only a small advantage, if any.
9.Qd5+
Also successful was 9.Qh5+ - 9...Ke6 10.Qf5+ Kd6 11.Na3 Ne7 12.Nc4+ Kc6 13.Qxe5 d6 14.Na5+ Kd7 15.Qg5 c6 16.Nc4 b6 17.Bf4 Ng6 18.Qf5+ Kc7 19.Qf7+ Qd7 20.Bxd6+ Kb7 21.Qf3 b5 22.Ne5 Nxe5 23.Bxe5 Ka6 24.g3 Bb7 25.a4 c5 26.axb5+ Kxb5 27.O-O Rhe8 28.c4+ Kc6 29.Rad1 Rxe5 30.Rxd7 Kxd7 31.Qf7+ Kc8 32.Qf8+ Kc7 33.Qxg7+ Kd6 34.Qxb7 Ree8 35.Rd1+ Ke6 36.Qd7+ Kf6 37.Rd6+ Ke5 38.Rd5+ Kf6 39.Rf5+ Kg6 40.Qf7+ Kh6 41.Rh5 checkmate, Sir Osis of the Liver - Crusader Rabbit, Jerome Gambit Tournament 4, ChessWorld, 2009.
9...Kf6
Just about as effective as 9...Kf8, seen in Wall, - Holzkopp, PlayChess.com, 2017 (1-0, 27).
10.f4
Deadly enough was 10.h4 - 10...Ne7 11.Bg5+ Kg6 12.Qxe5 d6 13.Qxe7 Qxe7 14.Bxe7 Re8 15.h5+ Kf7 16.Bg5 Rxe4+ 17.Be3 Bf5 18.Nd2 Re6 19.O-O-O a5 20.Rde1 Rae8 21.Nb3 Re5 22.Nd4 Bg4 23.Kd2 c5 24.Nb5 Rd5+ 25.Kc1 c4 26.Nc7 Black resigned, HauntedKnight - anaribusm, FICS, 2012.
10...Qe7
Also coming to no good end: 10...Kg6, as in Wall,B - Guest6953174, PlayChess.com 2016 (1-0, 15) and 10...c6 11.fxe5+ Kg6 12.Qd6+ Kf7 13.O-O+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest11386950, PlayChess.com, 2019.
11.fxe5+ Qxe5
Even LuigiBot could not escape, trying 11...Kg6 - 12.O-O Nh6 13.Rf3 Rf8 14.Rg3+ Kh5 15.Qd1+ Rf3 16.Qxf3+ Kh4 17.Rh3 checkmate, Fandral - LuigiBot, FICS, 2013.
12.O-O+ Black resigned
