Jerome Gambit: Center Action

Here we have 3 more Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games sent by Boris, from Kazakhstan.

Boris - NN,

2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 Qf6 8.Rf1 g6 9.Qh3+ Kd6 

This move blocks the pawn, which blocks the Bishop, which locks in the Rook... Possibly 9...Ke7 was better.

Interestingly, 9...Kd6 was the choice of Fritz 7, Deep Fritz 8 and Comet B46 in their compter vs computer games, all over a decade ago; while 9...Ke7 was the choice of jmchess, Hiarcs9, Deep Sjeng 1.5, Fritz 5.32, Abrok, Amyan, BBchess and Crafty in their games, mostly more recently.

10.fxe5+ 

The alternative, 10.d4, was seen in a later game by Boris, when, after 10...Bxd4 11.fxe5+ Bxe5 12.Rxf6+ (1-0, 30) he was able to strike back after his first Jerome Gambit loss (see below). 

10...Qxe5 11.d4 

Relying on the threat Bc1-f4.

The alternative, 11.d3, was a start of a very difficult game: 11...Kc6 12.Nc3 d6 13.Qh4 Be6 14.Bf4 Qg7 15.O-O-O Bd4 16.Bd2 h6 17.Kb1 Ne7 18.Qe1 Kd7 19.h3 Rhf8 20.Rh1 b6 21.Bc1 a6 22.Ne2 Bf2 23.Qd2 h5 24.Rdf1 Qe5 25.Nc3 Qc5 26.Rh2 Be3 27.Qe2 Bg1 28.Rxf8 Rxf8 29.Rh1 Nc6 30.Qe1 Bf2 31.Qe2 Bd4 32.Rf1 Rxf1 33.Qxf1 Bxc3 34.bxc3 Qxc3 35.a3 Nd4 White resigned, Boris' first Jerome Gambit loss.

All this center action with White's King stuck in the middle is unsettling. Perhaps 11.Nc3 was to be considered as well.

11...Qxe4+ 12.Qe3 Qxd4 13. Qe2 Qh4+ 14.Kd1 Qd4+ 

Wow. Was Black suggesting a draw by repetition?

15.Bd2 b6 

Even though Black is a piece and a pawn ahead, Komodo 10 rates the position as even. The open long diagonals put Black's Rooks at rish. 

16.c3 Qa4+ 17.b3 Qh4 18.g3 Qe7 

I am not sure what Black hoped to accomplish with his Queen moves, but he has radically altered the position.

19.Qg2 

Simple enough.

19...c6 20.Bf4+ Ke6 21.Qe2+ Kf7 22.Bd6+ 

23...Qf6 23.Rxf6+ Kxf6 24.Qe5+ Black resigned