Jerome Gambit: Hot Rod Tune Up

In my notes to the game perrypawnpusher - PasayDefence 3d/move, Piano Piano, Chess.com, 2021, I made some comments that drew supportive corrections from Yury V. Bukayev. I wrote

9.O-O 

This is something new for me. Previously I had played 9.d3 or 9.Nc3.

I am not sure why I chose the text move. I suspect that I thought that I would get something after 9...Nxe4 10.Qf4+, but there really was not anything for White in that line.  

This did not seem right to Yury. 

I disagree that after 10.Qf4+ there really was nothing for White. Thus, after 10...Nf6 (the only move) White can play 11.b4!? with enough strong attack. At first White should make two important moves after 11...Bb6: Bc1-b2 and Nb1-c3 here. But White also can play 11.d4!? Bb6 12.Re1 Kf7 13.Re3 Re8!? 14.Bd2!? with enough strong attack too...

There is else one good way for White to start the attack after 10.Qf4+ Nf6 11.b4!? Bb6: it is 12.a4!? a5 13.b5! with the idea 14.Ra3!... 

And the combination of Bc1-b2 with a2-a4, Ra1-a3 is possible too, of course. There are two variations of the same plan.

Yury actually shows more insight and historical understanding about this line than I did. A visit to The Database turned up a couple of relevant games.

First, there is this 11.b4!? game

Torres, Chris - Zhang, Lunxi, lesson, Cupertino, 2009: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6 9.O-O Nxe4 10.Qf4+ Nf6 11.b4 Bb6 12.Bb2 Bd7 13.Nc3 Bc6 14.b5 Bd7 15.Ne4 Kf7 16.Rae1 Bxb5 17.Bxf6 gxf6 18.Ng5+ Kg6 19.Ne6 Qd7 20.Qg3+ Kh6 21.Qh3+ Kg6 22.Qg4+ Kh6 23.Qf5 Qf7 24.Re4 Bd7 25.Rh4+ Qh5 26.Rxh5 checkmate

I have not yet found a game in this line featuring the suggested Rook lift, Ra1-a3-e3, but the idea deserves a try.

Then, there is this 11.d4!? game

30second-guy - GMHikaruOnTwitch, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5  6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6 9.O-O Nxe4 10.Qf4+ Nf6 11.d4 Bb6 12.Nc3 Qe7 13.Bd2 Qf7 14.Rae1 Bd7 15.Qh4 h6 16.f4 Bf5 17.g4 Bxd4+ 18.Kg2 Nxg4 19.Re2 Nf6 20.Rfe1 Qg6+ 21.Kh1 Bg4 22.Qg5 hxg5 23.Re8+ White resigned

White might have been more successful if he had moved a Rook to the e-file earlier, as suggested. In all fairness, he also might have been more successful if he had not been playing against a grandmaster.