The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) can be fun and exciting at any level of play.
In fact, while I struggle to understand the nuances of master and grandmaster play, I can better understand the efforts of club players like myself.
Here is the second game of an informal match. The players have swapped colors.
drewski02 - dperez22
3 2 blitz, Chess.com, 2021
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
I think I betray my skepticism of this move in calling it the "face palm variation". See "Jerome Gambit: The Face Palm Variation" and "Jerome Gambit: Return of the Face Palm Variation".
White has a plan, and he carries it out successfully in this game. That's the problem. Again, the blitz time control and a developing familiarity with the Jerome Gambit may be the culprits.
There is a bit of history to the move. The Database has 590 games with this position, with White scoring 23%. If we look only at the 431 games where Black played the strong and correct 5...Qxg5, White scores only 16%.
This game is a good example of the humorist's "You offer material; if you win, it's a sacrifice, if you lose, it's a blunder".
Yes, this time 5.Ng5+ worked, but I would not rely on it in the future.
5...Qxg5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Bxg5
The problem with the line for White is if Black does not capture the d-pawn with the Bishop, but, instead, plays 6...Qxg2.
analysis diagram
After 7.Rf1 Qxe4+ 8.Be3 Nxd4 White is down two pieces, and facing a deadly attack. 9.Nc3 can be met by 9...Bb4, and White's King will find no rest.
Back to the game.
7...Bxb2 8.Qd5+
White's Rook is in danger? Bah! The Jerome Gambit Queen always wants to attack!
8...Kf8 9.O-O
Very well done. The Rook on the soon-to-be-opened f-file is more important than the soon-to-disappear Rook on the a-file.
9...Bxa1 10.f4 Nge7
Black's best chance was to block the f-file with 10...Nf6 11.Bxf6 gxf6 when 12.c3 d6 would signal a much slower game.
Now White finishes up, concluding the game with a nice Queen sacrifice.
11.fxe5+ Ke8 12.Qf7+ Kd8 13.Qf8+ Rxf8 14.Rxf8 checkmate
Very nice.
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