Jerome Gambit: In Bullet, Almost Everything Is Playable

In the following bullet game - time control of one minute, no increment - Jerome Gambit veteran angelcamina plays a variation that has a brutal refutation; but his opponent does not reply sharply enough. The game dances on a knife's edge, and then White breaks through. It is fascinating to watch the thinking at an extremely rapid rate.

angelcamina - Marlon_Romano
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7 

This is Whistler's Defense, which is relatively less complicated, but more dangerous, than Blackburne's Defense (7...d6). The Rook should not now be taken. That being said, the game remains quite complicated.

8.Qxh8 

Wow. angelcamina has been here before, and should know the risks. Maybe he does. Maybe he likes the chaos.

8...Nf6 

Black locks in White's Queen. This is a theme that can be found in Blackburne's Defense; it will be followed by developing Black's light-squared Bishop, attacking the White Queen with the remaining Rook.

Perhaps Marlon_Romano is familiar with Blackburne's Defense to the Jerome Gambit, but he seems less familiar with Whistler's Defense, which requires 8...Qxe4+ to start a ferocious attack on White's King. An earlier example is angelcamina - ssez222, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2018 - yes, even against the virulent counter-attack, angelcamina succeeded.

9.O-O 

White realizes that he needs to safeguard his King, and this move leads to a relatively even game; but he could have combined defense with offense with the move 9.d3. He immediately shows an awareness of this.

9...b6 

Getting ready to uncover the Rook to attack the Queen.

10.e5 Qxe5 11.d4 Bxd4 

Opening the c1-h6 diagonal for the Bishop in an attack that rescues the Queen.

12.c3

A temporary slip. White quickly turns back to attack.

12...Bc5 

Taking the Bishop out of danger, and preparing to reposition it; but, likewise, a slip. 12...Bb7 was the consistent move.

13.Bh6 

Now the game is in balance: 13...Bb7 14.Qg7+ Ke6 15.Nd2 Bf8 16.Qxf8+ Rxf8 17.Rae1 Re8 18.Rxe5+ Kxe5 looks even.

13...Bd6 

The checkmate threat is not enough.

14.Qg7+ Ke6 15.f4 Qc5+ 

White is up the exchange. His attack rolls on.

16.Kh1 Ba6 17.Re1+ Kf5 

18.h3 Qf2 19.g4+ Black resigned