One problem with dismissing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) as a "junk" opening is that critical lines of play can be overlooked - of course because ordinary, routine play should be enough to defeat a refuted opening, right?
The following blitz game argues otherwise.
NJ-Avrel - korao
5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
White believes that he has done enough damage with the Bishop sacrifice, and so he stops there, instead of investing another piece with 5.Nxe5+, and castles. This "modern" variation appears in 1,750 games in The Database, where White scores 39%.
This can be compared to the 7,819 games with 5.Nxe5+, where White scores 57% .
5...Nf6 6.c3 Re8 7.d4 exd4 8.cxd4 Bb4
Black places his Bishop where it will keep White from protecting his e-pawn by putting a Rook on e1. Should White try 9.Nc3, Black would then have 9...Bxc3, removing the defender of the e-pawn.
The alternative was the retreat 8...Bb6, which was probably stronger.
9.Ng5+
The alternative was to protect the e-pawn by advaning it, 9.e5. White has a particular attacking motif in mind.
9...Kg8 10.Qb3+
Interestingly enough, Stockfish 13 recommends that 10.e5 (which it prefers) be met by returning a piece with 10...d5 11.exf6 Qxf6 when Black would still have an edge.
10...Kh8
If only chess were this easy. There was a way to remain ahead: 10...d5 11.e5 h6 12.exf6 hxg5 13.Bxg5 gxf6 when White will have to figure out where to retreat his Bishop, and his attack will have disappeared - while he remains a piece down.
11.Nf7+ Black resigned
I suspect that Black resigned when he realized that he was losing his Queen. Pity. If he had hung around a bit longer he would have gained a chance for "immortality", at least in the Jerome Gambit universe: 11...Kg8 12.Nh6+! Kh8 13.Qg8+! Rxg8 14.Nf7 smothered checkmate!
(The Database has 65,767 games, but only 10 of them end in a smothered mate.)
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