Jerome Gambit: What Else Can You Ask For?

In the following game, White takes his advantage from the opening and turns it into a dynamic middlegame and a winning attack, ending in checkmate. What else can you ask for from the Jerome Gambit?

TuxSandro - Kilestbo

10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 

Black decides he only needs one of the sacrificed pieces, and hopes to take White out of his preparation. He is successful, but only up to a point.

6.Nxc6

Also seen recently: 6.Qh5 Nxe5 Transposing to regular lines 7.f4 Nf7 8.Qf5+ Ke7 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qe3 Be6 11.0–0 Nfh6 12.d4 Kd7 13.f5 Bf7 14.e5 d5 15.e6+ Bxe6 16.Qxe6 checkmate, angelcamina - Eman33200, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020.

Probably the sharpest is: 6.Qg4+ Kxe5 7.d4+! Bxd4 8.Bf4+! Kf6 9.Bg5+! Kf7 10.Bxd8 Nxd8.  See "Jerome Gambit: He Should Have Read This Blog".

6...bxc6 

Capture toward the center is the usual advice, but in this particular position 6...dxc6 would have been stronger, to prevent 7.d4. 

However, the greatest value of 6...dxc6 is that it would open the c8-h3 diagonal for Black's Bishop. White immediately takes advantage of this defensive lapse.

7.Qg4+ Kf7 8.Qf5+ 

Instead, 8.Qh5+ was slightly stronger, because the text allows Black to develop a piece. In both cases, however, White is better. 

8...Nf6 9.Qxc5 d6

Giving up a pawn instead of grabbing one with 9...Nxe4.

10.Qg5 h6 11.Qh4 Re8

Black has the right idea - there is danger for White along the e-file - but misses a chance to take advantage directly with 11...Nxe4, since 12.Qxe4 would lose the Queen to 12...Re8.

12.O-O 13.d3 c5 

14.Nc3 Be6 15.Be3 Qd7 

Removing the protection of the Knight allows 16.Bxh6 gxh6 17.Qxf6.

16.Rad1 a5 17.d4

Consistent, although, for the record, 17.Bxh6 was still on. 

17... cxd4 18.Bxd4 a4 

19.Qg3 

Pinning the g-pawn and threatening to take the Knight. He could also have captured right away, breaking up the enemy King's shelter.

19...c5 20.Bxf6 Kh7 21.Bh4 Rg8 22.f4 

White's attack will bring home the full point. The "Jerome pawns" help.

22...Rab8 23.f5 Bf7 24.Rxd6 Qc7 25.e5 

Of course. (There was also 25.Rxh6+, but, no need to be flashy.)

25...Rxb2 

What else?

26.e6 

26...Be8 27.Nd5

One more piece enters the fray. That is enough.

Black's hope of promoting his a-pawn will come to naught.

27...Rxa2 28.Nxc7 Bb5 29.Rb1 Rxc2 30.Rxb5 a3 31.Qg6+ Kh8 32.Rd8 Rxd8 33.Bxd8 a2 34.Bf6 Rc1+ 35.Kf2 Rc2+ 36.Kg3 Rc3+ 37.Kg4 Rc2 38.Qxg7 checkmate