Jerome Gambit: The Future Is Here

Last month I received an email from Mitchell Jansen, who noted

I recently discovered your blog about the Jerome Gambit and I was surprised by the amount of research you have put into it. I was hoping that I could help add to that by submitting a game played by two of the top chess engines in circulation today. Hopefully, through careful analysis of this game, we will be able to understand better the intricacies of the Jerome Gambit in the Giuoco Piano.

The two chess engines in the game were Stockfish and Leela Chess Zero. I was not familar with the latter, so I sought an explanation from Wikipedia

 Leela Chess Zero (abbreviated as LCZero, lc0) is a free, open-source, and neural network-based chess engine and distributed computing project. Development has been spearheaded by programmer Gary Linscott, who is also a developer for the Stockfish chess engine. Leela Chess Zero was adapted from the Leela Zero Go engine, which in turn was based on Google's AlphaGo Zero project, also to verify the methods in the AlphaZero paper as applied to the game of chess. 

Like Leela Zero and AlphaGo Zero, Leela Chess Zero starts with no intrinsic chess-specific knowledge other than the basic rules of the game. Leela Chess Zero then learns how to play chess by reinforcement learning from repeated self-play, using a distributed computing network coordinated at the Leela Chess Zero website. 

As of 2020, Leela Chess Zero had played over 300 million games against itself, and is capable of play at a level that is comparable with Stockfish, the leading conventional chess program.

Interesting! Lc0 was listed as having an Elo rating of 3616, while Stockfish 11 was rated at 3604 - indeed, the highest rated Jerome Gambit game that I had ever heard of. I invited a third computer chess program, Komodo 10 (rated in the mere 3300s), along, and decided to take a look.

Lc0 - Stockfish 11
45 15 computer chess, 2020

Stockfish 11 was running on an Intel Core i7-8750H CPU at 2.20GHz with 16 GB of RAM while lc0 was running on an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 GPU. 

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Kc6 

Defenders, take note.

9.Qxe5 Nf6 10.d4 

This is a typically aggressive Jerome Gambit move, that, superficially, blocks Black's dark-square Bishop, which is essential for White to castle. However, Komodo 10 was suspicious, preferring 10.d3, realizing that castling will not be possible, and resisting what danger might come down the e-file.

The Database has only 3 previous games with 10.d4, all wins by Black. This may be a result of 8...Kc6, which also only appears in those games.

10... d6 11.Qg5 

This is a new move, and, again, Komodo 10 disagrees - it is rated 300 points lower, of course it would disagree. It prefers 11.d5+ Kb6 12.Qc3 and a pursuit of the enemy King on the Queenside.

11...Bxd4 12.Qa5 Bc5 13.b4 Nxe4 

Stockfish willingly returns a piece, as White's Queen switch to the other side of the board leaves White' King at great risk.

14.bxc5 Qh4+ 15.g3 Nxg3 16.Be3 Nxh1+ 17.Kd2 Qxh2+ 18.Kc1 Ng3 

19.Nc3 Ne2+ 20.Kb2 Nxc3 21.Qxc3 d5 22.Rd1

White plays on, down a Rook. It no longer matters that Komodo 10 suggested 22.Rg1, instead.

22...Qe2 23.Qd4 Qc4 24.Qxg7 Qb4+ 25.Ka1 Re8 26.Qf6+ Re6

27.Qd8 Rxe3 28.Qxd5+ Kb5 29.Rb1 Re1 30.a4+ Ka6 31.Rxe1 Qxe1+ 32.Kb2 Qb4+ 33.Ka2 Qxa4+ 34.Kb2 Qb4+ 35.Ka1 Qxf4 36.Qd3+ 

If this were a human vs human game, I suppose this would be referred to as a "spite check".

36...Ka5 37.c4 Qc1+ 38.Ka2 Be6 39.c6 Bxc4+ 40.Qxc4 Qxc4+ 41.Kb2 Rd8 42.Ka3 Qc2 43.cxb7 Rd3 checkmate.

To quote Sean Connery's character in the movie "Zardoz", "I have seen the future, and it doesn't work."

Jerome Gambit: In This Case, Not So Much

The following game shows the dangers (for both sides) that the Jerome Gambit can provide, during blitz play. It is not possible to analyze deeply, and a slip can be fatal - providing the opposition notices. In this case, not so much.

Anonymous - Hai_no_Ken
10 5 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Kf6 8.Qxc5 

Probably the "cleanest" response to Black's unusual King move. An alternative was 8.d4 (with the threat of 9.Bg5+, winning the Queen) Bb4+ 9.c3 Ke7 (to allow ...Nf6) 10.cxb4.

Also seen recently: 8.Qf5+ Ke7 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qg5+ Nf6 11.d4 h6 12.Qe3 Kf7 13.O-O Re8 14.f4 Rxe4 15.Qb3+ Be6 16.d5 Bxd5 17.Qh3 Kg8 18.Nc3 Be6 19.f5 Bd7 20.Nxe4 Nxe4 21.Qf3 Ng5 22.Qb3+ Kh7 23.fxg6+ Kxg6 24.Qd3+ Kh5 25.Bd2 a6 26.Rae1 Bb5 27.c4 Bc6 Black resigned, gabrielebattaglia - vgiagourta, lichess.org, 2020

8...d6 9.Qe3 N8e7 10.d4 h6 11.f4 Kf7 12.O-O Bg4

This was a blitz game, but the move illustrates the difference between development and just moving a piece.

13.f5 Ne5 

Simply giving a piece back. Perhaps he would have done better to force White to open up - and over-extend - his Kingside pawns with 13...Nf8 14.h3 Bg5 15.g4, but the first player would still be better.

14.dxe5 dxe5 15.Qb3+ Kf8 16.f6 

A classic Jerome Gambit move.

16...gxf6 17.Rxf6+ Ke8 18.Qb5+ c6 

19.Qxb7

It is hard to believe that one move could change the nature of the game, but this one does. Not only is White's Queen sidelined (at the price of a pawn) but the weakness of his first rank will quickly be exposed.

Hypothetically.

19...Rf8 

Instead, 19...Qd4+!? would have put Black on top, i.e. 20.Kf1 Rd8 21.Qb3 (21.Nc3 Bc8 22.Qb3 Ba6+) 21...Qd1+ (21...Bc8 22.Nd2 Ba6+ 23.c4) 22.Kf2 Qe2+ 23.Kg3 Rg8 and White would have to give up his Queen.

20.Rxf8+

Back on track. Black can now do some scary things, but he is only putting off his demise. 

21...Kxf8 21.Bxh6+ Ke8 22.Bg5 Qd1+ 23.Kf2 Qe2+ 24.Kg3 Ng6 

I know that the old saying is "three pieces and an attack" - but not in this case.

25.Qxa8+ Kf7 26.Qxa7+ Ke6 27.h3 Bh5 28.Qa8 Qxe4 29.Qe8+ Kf5 30.h4 Qg4+ 31.Kh2 Nxh4 

Dear White Knight and White Rook, I miss you. Signed, your King.

32.Qd7+ Kxg5 33.Qxg4+ Kxg4 34.Nc3 Bg6 35.Re1  White won on time in a clearly better position.

Jerome Gambit: Early Joker

Not too long ago, François Crépault, a French Canadian chessplayer who has tried the Jerome Gambit, sent me three Jerome games played by Louis Morin.

I was quite excited. Playing mostly under the handle "MrJoker", largely blitz games at the Internet Chess Club (ICC), Morin has about 350 Jerome Gambit games in The Database. His communications, games and analysis show up in many places in this blog.

Still, one of the games M. Crépault sent me was one that I had never seen before - an over-the-board Jerome Gambit (he has played at least a half-dozen) in a serious tournament. I think it was his first.

The following game was played a couple of months before this blog began.

Morin, Louis - Piche, Justin
Montreal, Canada, 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6

10.d3 

Ten years later, Morin played 10.0-0 against Weston, a move that may be ever so slightly better, born of experience. In most lines of Jerome Gambit play, White will want to castle, while it is not clear if he will play d2-d3 or d2-d4; and if he wants to play f2-f4, that, too, is done more safely after 0-0.

10...Ng4 

It's never too early to harass White's Queen. The move is not a mistake, but more relevant would be 10...Kf7, planning to castle-by-hand. 

11.Qg5

White is rated significantly above his opponent, and so makes the choice Jerome Gambiteers sometimes do: simplify, and take the pawns against the piece, because in club/amateur games, that can be a lot easier to play.

11...Qxg5 12.Bxg5 h6 13.Bd2 Rf8 14.O-O

White doesn't have much, yet - in fact, Black has a small advantage - but his plan is simple: develop and advance the "Jerome pawns".

14...Nf4 15.Nc3 Be6 16.Rae1

Komodo 10 prefers 16.d4 Bc4 17.Rfd1 Ng6 18.f3 Ng6

16...Kd7 17.b3 

Preparing for d3-d4 without letting an enemy Bishop or Knight come to c4.

17...c5 18.Bxf4 Rxf4 19.Ne2 Rf6 20.h3 Ne5

I think I hear someone in the back seat of the car asking "Are we there yet?"

21.f4 Nc6 22.c3 b5 23.g4 

Aggressive, but 23.d4 cxd4 24.cxd4 might have been better. 

23...a5 

24.Ng3 g6 25.e5 dxe5 26.Ne4

A nice intermezzo move. Probably it is time for d3-d4 next move.

26...Rf7 27.Nxc5+ Ke7 28.Nxe6 Kxe6 29.d4 Raf8

30.Rd1

Letting the tension out of the position. White should have tried 30.c4 bxc4 31.bxc4 Kd7 32.d5 Nb4 33.Rxe5, when he would have 3 pawns for the piece.

30...exd4 31.cxd4 Kd5 32.f5 gxf5 33.Rf4 fxg4 34.Rxg4 Rf4 

35.Rg6 R8f6 36.Rg8 Rxd4 37.Rxd4+ Kxd4 38.Rg3 Rf5 39.Rg6 Rg5+ 40.Rxg5 White resigned

Not many strong players risk ratings and reputation to play the Jerome Gambit over-the-board. Hats off to Louis Morin.

Jerome Gambit: "Jerome Gambit Odds" and Ratings

I am involved in a game online, with a time limit of one day per move. My opponent is playing quite well, and it looks like we will draw.

I am rated about 500 points higher than he is, and although different systems calculate things differently, an online Win Probability Calculator suggests that I have a 96% chance of being successful. Interestingly enough, it also indicates that such a difference in ratings is equivalent to 4.16 pawns.

Oh, and I am playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc4 4.Bxf7+) - giving him "Jerome Gambit odds".

Is that enough material sacrificed to compensate for the rating difference? Giving up two pieces (approximately 6 pawns) for 2 pawns in return would make us about even, and a draw would be a reasonable result.

How about that? 

I stumbled over an interesting comment that Grandmaster Larry Kaufman a dozen years ago on the Rybka Chess Community Forum. The discussion concerned an upcoming match between a strong computer chess program and a FIDE Master, with the computer giving Kight odds.

[T]he Elo equivalent of a given handicap degrades as you go down the scale. A knight seems to be worth around a thousand points when the "weak" player is around IM level, but it drops as you go down. For example, I'm about 2400 and I've played tons of knight odds games with students, and I would put the break-even point (for untimed but reasonably quick games) with me at around 1800, so maybe a 600 value at this level. An 1800 can probably give knight odds to a 1400, a 1400 to an 1100, an 1100 to a 900, etc. This is pretty obviously the way it must work, because the weaker the players are, the more likely the weaker one is to blunder a piece or more. When you get down to the level of the average 8 year old player, knight odds is just a slight edge, maybe 50 points or so.

So - according to GM Kaufman, the rating value of a Knight handicap may be 1,000 points between quite strong players, but it shrinks as the players' skill levels shrink. (If the Jerome Gambit is a blunder, or a way to give odds, it might be relevant to revisit Geoff Chandler's "Blunder table"). 

I think that means that if you're an average club player giving "Jerome Gambit odds", to somebody rated only a 100 points or so below you, you're out-performing expectations! 

Jerome Gambit: Is Black's King Actually Safer At d8?

?????

The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) revolves around the question: Is Black's King actually safer at d8? For a while, the surprising answer seems to be Yes, but quickly - this is a 1 0 bullet game - a resounding No takes its place.

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

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ Qe7 9.Qe3 

Recently, White avoided the retreat, with two different outcomes:

9.Qxe7+ N8xe7 10.O-O Kf7 11.Nc3 Rf8 12.d3 Kg8 13.Bg5 Nc6 14.Nd5 d6 15.Nxc7 Rb8 16.Nd5 Nd4 17.c3 Nc6 18.f4 Bg4 19.d4 Be2 20.Rf2 Bc4 21.b3 Bxd5 22.exd5 Nce7 23.c4 Nf5 24.Re1 Nxd4 25.Be7 Nxe7 26.Rxe7 Nf5 27.Re6 Rbe8 28.Rxe8 Rxe8 29.g4 Re1+ 30.Rf1 Rxf1+ 31.Kxf1 Ne3+ 32.Ke2 Nxg4 33.b4 Nxh2 34.c5 dxc5 35.bxc5 Ng4 36.c6 bxc6 37.dxc6 Nf6 38.c7 Kf7 39.c8=Q Nh5 40.Qc7+ Kg6 41.Qxa7 Nxf4+ 42.Kd2 h5 43.Qa6+ Kg5 44.Qa5+ Kg4 45.a4 h4 46.Qa8 h3 47.Qh1 Kg3 48.a5 Ne6 49.a6 Nc7 50.a7 g5 51.Qb7 h2 52.Qxc7+ Kg2 53.a8=Q+ Kg1 54.Qc1+ Kf2 55.Qf8+ Kg3 56.Qfa3+ Kg2 57.Qc6+ Kg1 58.Qg3+ Kf1 59.Qcf3 checkmate, Anonymous - Beatboxer47, 3 3 blitz, lichess.org, 2020; and

9.Qxc7 Qxe4+ 10.Kf1 Nf4 11.Rg1 Qe2 checkmate, ianfencer - Evern, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020. 

9...Nf6 

Or 9...d6 10.O-O Nf6 11.d3 Kf7 12.Nc3 Rf8 13.f4 Kg8 14.b3 c6 15.Ba3 d5 16.Bxe7 Nxe7 17.e5 Ng4 18.Qg3 Nh6 19.d4 Nef5 20.Qd3 g6 21.h3 a6 22.g4 Ne7 23.Rae1 Be6 24.Na4 Kh8 25.Nc5 Bc8 26.f5 gxf5 27.gxf5 Bxf5 28.Rxf5 Nexf5 29.e6 Rg8+ 30.Kh2 Rg3 31.Qe2 Rag8 32.Qe5+ R3g7 33.Rg1 White won on time, angelcamina - albatronus, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020.

10.Nc3 

Or 10.d3 d5 11.O-O dxe4 12.dxe4 Qxe4 13.Qa3+ Qe7 14.b4 Be6 15.Re1 a5 16.c3 Kf7 17.Be3 axb4 18.Qb2 bxc3 19.Nxc3 Rhe8 20.Bg5 Qa3 21.Qd2 Rad8 22.Qc2 Bc4 23.Bxf6 gxf6 24.Ne4 Bd3 25.Qxc7+ Qe7 26.Qxe7+ Rxe7 27.Rad1 Red7 28.Nc5 Rd5 29.Nxb7 Ba6 30.Nxd8+ Black resigned, Atti0130 - smarlny, 5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020.

10...d6 11.O-O 

Alternately, 11.d4 Kf7 12.O-O Re8 13.f4 Nxe4 14.f5 Nf8 15.Nd5 Qd8 16.Qb3 Kg8 17.Nf6+ Black resigned, croc_master - Krog, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020. 

11...Ke8 

Black believes his King will be safer on d8. He plans to bring his Rook to e8 to pressure White's e-pawn.

12.d4 Kd8 13.f4 Re8 14.e5 dxe5 15.dxe5 

15...Ng4 16.Qg3 Qc5+ 17.Kh1 h5 

Black pushes his attack, even as his King sits on an open file.

18.h3 h4

Following the advice, If someone attacks one of your pieces, attack one of his, a more valuable one if possible. 

19.Qf3 Nh6 20.f5 

The "Jerome pawns" are on the march.

20...Nxf5 21.Qd3+ Bd7 22.Rxf5 c6 23.Rf7 Re7 24.Bg5 

Black's King is no longer safe.

24...Nxe5 25.Bxe7+ Qxe7 26.Rxe7 Nxd3 27.Rxd7+ Kxd7 28.cxd3 Kc7 

29.Rf1 Rd8 30.Rf7+ Kb6 31.Na4+ Kb5 32.b3 White won on time

Jerome Gambit: You Checkmate Your Way, I'll Checkmate Mine

In the following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bxf7+) game, White reaches a point where he has an overwhelming advantage. He figures out a win by checkmate, and pursues it, bypassing faster mates - in a blitz game, this is not unusual, and a win is what is necessary, not necessarily the fastest win.

otipicni - Yusiflimunire
3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bxf7+ 

4... Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 

This move is at least as old as Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, 1875 (1/2 - 1/2, 29). Some history.

6.Nxc6 

The most straight-forward continuation, although it is also possible for White to simply castle - a move that usually occurs in main line Jerome Gambit play - and look for transpositions.

Recent examples:

6.O-O Nxe5 (6...d6 7.Nxc6 bxc6 8.d4 Bb6 9.f4 Ne7 10.f5 Ng8 11.Nc3 Qf6 12.Be3 Ne7 13.Qd3 h5 14.e5 dxe5 15.dxe5 Qxe5 16.Bxb6 axb6 17.Qd8+ Kf7 18.Qxh8 c5 19.Qxh5+ Kg8 20.Qe8+ Kh7 21.Rf3 Qd4+ 22.Kh1 Nxf5 23.Rh3+ Nh6 24.Rxh6+ Kxh6 25.Qc6+ Qd6 26.Qxa8 Bf5 27.Qh8+ Kg6 28.Qe8+ Kh7 29.Rf1 Bxc2 30.Rf8 Kh6 31.Rh8+ Bh7 32.Qe4 g6 33.Qh4+ Kg7 34.Rxh7+ Kg8 35.Rh8+ Kf7 36.Qh7+ Kf6 37.Ne4+ Ke5 38.Nxd6 cxd6 39.Re8+ Kd4 40.Qxg6 d5 41.Qg4+ Kd3 42.Qf3+ Kc2 43.Qc3+ Kb1 44.Re1+ Kxa2 45.Qa3, checkmate, CasualGames4ever - Alanvarela10, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020; 6...Bb6 7.d4 Nxd4 8.Nc4 Nc6 9.Qf3+ Qf6 10.Qa3+ Qe7 11.Nxb6 Qxa3 12.Nxd7+ Bxd7 13.Nxa3 Nf6 14.Re1 Re8 15.f3 Nd4 16.c3 Ne6 17.Nc4 h5 18.Be3 a6 19.Rad1 Bc6 20.Ne5 Ke7 21.Ng6+ Kf7 22.Nxh8+ Rxh8 23.Bd4 Rh6 24.h3 h4 25.e5 Nh5 26.Be3 Rg6 27.Bd4 Bxf3 28.Rd2 Nhf4 29.Rf2 Nxh3+ White resigned, CasualGames4ever - Alanvarela10, blitz, lichess.org, 2020; 6...Qf6 7.Nxc6 bxc6 8.c3 Bb6 9.d4 Ba6 10.Re1 d6 11.f4 Re8 12.e5 dxe5 13.fxe5 Rxe5 14.a4 Rxe1+ 15.Qxe1 c5 16.a5 cxd4 17.axb6 dxc3 18.Rxa6 cxb2 19.Bxb2 Qxb2 20.bxa7 Nf6 21.a8=Q+ Kf7 22.Qxh8 Qb6+ 23.Rxb6 cxb6 Black resigned, CasualGames4ever - Alanvarela10, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020) 7.d4 Bxd4 (7...Bb6 8.dxe5 Qe7 9.Qf3+ Ke8 10.Nc3 c6 11.Bf4 Nh6 12.Qg3 Bd4 13.Rad1 Bxc3 14.Qxc3 Nf7 15.Bg3 b6 16.f4 Ba6 17.Rf2 c5 18.f5 Bb7 19.f6 gxf6 20.exf6 Qe6 21.b4 Rc8 22.Rfd2 cxb4 23.Qxb4 Bc6 24.Rd6 Qg4 25.Rxd7 Qxd1+ 26.Rxd1 Rc7 27.Bxc7 Nd6 28.Qxd6 Kf7 29.Qe7 Kg6 30.Qg7+ Kh5 31.Bf4 h6 32.g4+ Kh4 33.Bg3+ Kh3 34.Rd3 Bxe4 35.Bf4+ Kh4 36.Rh3+ Kxh3 37.Be3 Bf3 38.Qc7 Kxg4 39.Qg3+ Kf5 40.h3 Ke6 41.Qxf3 Rg8+ 42.Kf1 Rg6 43.Ke1 Rxf6 44.Kd2 Kf7 45.Qe4 Re6 46.Bf4 Rxe4 47.Kd3 Rxf4 48.c4 Rh4 Black won on time, CasualGames4ever - Alanvarela10, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020; 7...Nc6 8.dxc5 d6 9.cxd6 Qxd6 10.Qe2 Be6 11.Rd1 Qe7 12.Nc3 Rd8 13.Be3 Rxd1+ 14.Rxd1 Nf6 15.Qb5 Kf7 16.Qxb7 Ne5 17.f4 Neg4 18.Bxa7 Rd8 19.Rf1 Bc4 20.Ra1 c5 21.Qxe7+ Kxe7 22.h3 Nh6 23.Bxc5+ Kf7 24.g4 Nd7 25.Rd1 Ke8 26.Bd4 g6 27.Nd5 Bxd5 28.exd5 Nf7 29.Re1+ Kf8 30.c4 Nd6 31.c5 Nb5 32.Bf2 Nf6 33.a4 Na7 34.Bh4 Kf7 35.d6 Nd5 36.Bxd8 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest626645, PlayChess.com, 2020) 8. Qxd4 Qf6 9.Qc5+ Qd6 10.Qxd6+ cxd6 11.f4 Nf7 12.b3 Nb6 13.Ba3 Kf7 14.Bxd6 Nf6 15.Nc3 Re8 16.Rae1 a5 17.e5 Nfd5 18.Ne4 h6 19.f5 a4 20.Bc5 axb3 21.Nd6+ Kf8 22.Nxc8+ Kg8 23.Nxb6 Nxb6 24.Bxb6  Rxa2 25.cxb3 Rb2 26.Re3 d6 27.Bd4 Rd2 28.Bc3 Rc2 29.e6 d5 30.Rd1 b5 31.Rxd5 Rc1+ 32.Kf2 Ra8 33.e7 Kf7 34.Rd8 Ra2+ 35.Kg3 Rg1 36.Rf8 checkmate, CasualGames4ever - Alanvarela10, lichess.org,  2020) 12.b3 Ke8 13.Bb2 Nf6 14.Nd2 Rg8 15.Rae1 Kd8 16.Nc4 d5 17.e5 Ne4 18.Ne3 b6 19.Nxd5 Bb7 20.c4 Nc5 21.f5 Nd3 22.e6 dxe6 23.fxe6 Nd6 24.Ba3 Nxe1 25.Bxd6 Nd3 26.Nc7 Rc8 27.Rf7 Nc5 28.Rd7+ Nxd7 29.e7 checkmate, CasualGames4ever - Alanvarela10, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020.

6...dxc6 7.Nc3 Nf6 8.d3 Bg4 9.f3 Be6 

Here we have the classic Jerome Gambit imbalance: Black has an extra piece, White has 2 extra pawns. 

Black's capture 6...dxc6 was designed to slow down White's possible d2-d4, but, as the game develops, the move becomes possible. Also, the capture turns White's e-pawn into a protected passer, which may be telling, much later in the game.  

10.Ne2 Kf7 11.d4 Bb4+ 12.c3 Ba5 13.b4 Bb6 

It is still a battle of pieces vs pawns, and Black's 2 Bishops look valuable, but the defender is lacking the usual counter-stroke, ...d7-d5.

14.O-O Bc4 15.Rf2 h5 16.e5 Ne4 

A strange oversight - in a 3 0 blitz game, however.

17.fxe4+ Ke6 18.Nf4+ Kd7 19.Ng6 Qe8 

Choosing to give up the exchange, rather than play the stultified 19...Rh7.

20.Nxh8 Qxh8 

Hoping to build a Kingside attack, anyhow.

21.Bg5 Rf8 22.Rxf8 Qxf8 23.Qxh5 Bd3 

Things are getting a litte sloppy, perhaps an indication of the impact of the clock, this being a 3 0 game.

24.Qg6 

Strong enough, although sharp-eyed Readers may have spotted 24.Qg4+ leading to 24...Qf5 (ouch) 25.Qxf5+ Ke8 26.e6 Bxd4+ (what else?) 27.cxd4 Bc4 28.Qf7 checkmate.

24...a5 25.b5 

Okay, but there was also the march of the terrible "Jerome pawn": 25.e6+ Kc8 26.e7. 

25...cxb5 26.Rd1 Bc2 27.Rd2 Ba4 28.Rf2 c5 

A slip, but he was already facing a forced checkmate, so trying to clear the a7-g1 diagonal for his Bishop was as good as anything.

29.Rxf8 cxd4 30.Qxg7+ 

White has figured out his winning line, and that is enough. Readers, without the clock ticking, may want to find some alternatives.

30...Kc6 31.Rf6+ Kc5 32.Qxb7 dxc3 33.Qxb6+ Kb4 34.Qd4+ Ka3 35.Rf3 Kxa2 36.Qxc3 b4 37.Qd2+ Kb1 38.Rf1+ Bd1 39.Rxd1 checkmate