Jerome Gambit: Box Load of Fun

Dan Middlemiss sent me over 100 Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games played on lichess.org by DutchLiLi, someone who really seems to enjoy the opening.

This has provided me an opportunity to see what lines DutchLiLi likes, and what success they have brought. The following game is a good illustration.

DutchLiLi - winielicaballero

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qxc5 d6 8.Qb5 

This move - which poses the question, Can Black develop his light square Bishop at the cost of the b-pawn? - is a favorite of DutchLiLi's. He has scored 25 - 13 - 4 (64%) with it, which is pretty convincing.

8...Nf6 9.d3 Re8 10.Qb3+ Be6 11.Qxb7 Bd5 

Black has a sharp retort to the pawn capture, and has to have been a bit scary considering the time control - 3-minute blitz - but White keeps his compusure.

12.Qb4 Nxe4 

Nice.

13.O-O Rb8 14.Qa3 

White's Queen's excursion seems to have been a bit costly, but there are still too factors that are on the first player's side.

14...Nxf2 

Here is the first: the position remains complicated, something which favors the player more familiar and comfortable with the opening. 

Instead of the text, Stockfish 13 recommends the not-so-exciting repositioning of the Knight with 14...Ng5.

15.Nc3 

Strong enough to give White a slight advantage.

15...Qh4 

How can this not be a win for Black? At least that must have been what Black was thinking, even if the clock limited the depth of his analysis.

The computer's suggestion is interesting: 15...Bxg2!? 16.Kxg2 Re1!? (planning to draw after 17.Rxe1 Nh4+ 18.Kxf2 Qf5+) 17.Qa5 (hoping to get the Queen back into play, but Black brings about an even endgame ) Rxf1 18.Kxf1 Ng4 19.Qd5+ Kf8 20.Qf5+ Qf6 21.Qxf6+ Nxf6.  

16.Qxa7 

Brash, but he can get away with it.

16...Qg4 

Might as well. The mundane 16...Bb7 would allow 17.Qxf2+ clarifying things. But the text is a slip.

17.Nxd5 

And here White's second advantage played out: he won on time