It should come as no surprise that the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) doesn't always win. Readers of this blog usually send me their wins, but sometimes those wins are with Black.
Paolo De Santis recently sent me one of his games, noting "After Queen h5 I didn't remember the best move but I knew surely that the king must move to the center and not back. Finally I think White didn't play aggressive as the opening requests. I hope this game will help your studies."
I appreciate the help. Just like I enjoy answering the question "How did White win?" I find it educational to answer the question "How did White lose?"
10 5 blitz, lichess.org, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6
7.Nc3
A natural move. Checking The Database, I see that it is relatively rare, with White scoring 5 - 6 - 1 for 46%. It is a solid developing move, and White is ready to kick the enemy Queen with Nd5, should she come, unprepared to f6; but 7.Nc4 is not very forcing.
In comparison, The Database has 553 games with 7.f4, with White scoring 63%. The game immediately sharpens, as the first player wins back a piece, sometimes at the cost of not being able to castle Kingside.
The Database also has 550 games with 7.Qf5+, with White scoring 50%. Again, White is pushing the tempo of things.
7...Nf6
Interesting. Another natural move. Probably better was 7...d6, holding onto the second extra piece.
8.Qh3+
White had some interesting alternatives.
He could have tried 8.Qf5+ Kf7 9.Qxe5 winning the Knight, but he had to be prepared for 9...Bxf2+!? (a novelty, not seen in the two relevant games in The Database), clawing back a pawn and forcing White's King to move, as 10.Kxf2 would be met by 10...Ng4+, forking the King and Queen.
Stockfish 11 prefers the retro move 8.Qd1, another novelty. It explores one wild line, 8...Bb6 9.d4 Ng6 10.e5 Ng8 11.h4 d5 12.h5 Nge7 13.g4, but, as much as I want to root for the pawns, Black is still up a couple of pieces. The same goes for 8...Bd4 9.Ne2 Bb6 10.d4 Nf7 11.e5 Ng8.
8...Kf7 9.d4
White has to try something.
9...Bxd4 10.Bf4 Re8 11.Nb5 Bxb2 12.Rd1 Nc6
White is working on his development, but his opponent has too many pieces.
13.Bg5 Kg8 14.O-O Rxe4 15.Nc3 Rc4 16.Nd5 Rxc2 17.Qf3 Qf8
18.Nxf6+ gxf6 19.Bxf6 Bxf6 20.Qg3+
Instead, 20.Qb3+ Qf7 21.Qxc2 would win a Rook. Interestingly, Stockfish 11 still rates Black in that position to be about a Queen ahead!
20...Bg7 21.Qxc7 d6 22.Rxd6 Bd4
23.Rd1 Qxf2+ 24.Kh1 Bh3 25.Rd3 Qxg2 checkmate
Okay, that was helpful in studying the Jerome Gambit, even if it was a loss.
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