Jerome Gambit: Folie a Deux (Part 3)

[continued from previous post]

perrypawnpusher - Sp1derR1c0
Italian Game Classic, Chess.com, 2020

24...Rg7 25.Kf2 

After the game, Komodo 10 also liked 25.Rf1 and 25.Re3, as well as the two other King moves that unpin White's g-pawn, 25.Kh1 and 25.Kf1. I made my choice based on the hope that, once I had won the d6 pawn, a centralized King would help escort my connected, passed "Jerome pawns".

25...Rf8 26.Nd5 Bg4 

27.Ne3

Afterwards, Komodo 10 suggested that my King further advance, with 27.Ke3. It then saw as most practical that the Bishop retreat and reposition, with 27...Bc8 28.Rd2 b5 29.Red1 Bb7 and things would still be relatively balanced. If I had to do it all over again, that would be my choice.

27...Bxf3 

Unexpected, but logical. Black returns his extra piece for a couple of pawns.

28.gxf3 Nxf3 29.Rh1 

Suddenly, all of Black's pieces are focused on White's King!

29...Nd4+

Best might have been 29...Nd2+ 30.Ke2 Nxe4 31.Rdf1 Re8 although most of the storm would have passed.

30.Ke1 

Probably leading to an equal game would have been 30.Nf5 Nxf5+ 31.exf5 Rxf5+ 32.Ke3, but I wanted to keep the Knight defender around, as it was doing a pretty good job.

30...Nf3+ 31.Ke2 

Here, I though to myself, So, he had a draw in hand, to back up his sacrificial attack...

31...Nd4+ 

Played too quickly, perhaps with the same idea in mind: Chase the King back to e1, check him again from f3: draw by repetition. But, in my musings I had overlooked the fact that this was not a discovered check, as before, so things have changed.

Instead, the Knight needed to go to g5, when White would still have a lot of work to do to convert his extra pawn into a win.

32.Rxd4 Black resigned

Lucky, me, this time.

I have one more Jerome Gambit, this round, against LittlePrince, who plays 3...Nf6, but who allowed a transposition after 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+. I have only played the Jerome a few times against players of LittlePrince's rating - and have not scored well (especially if you do not count the 4-move win on time) - but, here we go!