Jerome Gambit: Captain's Log

One way to learn an opening variation is to play over a collection of games by someone who has explored the line extensively. That can be a lot of work, but the effort will likely be rewarded.

An example is the effort of PedrosF1, playing at lichess.org, to shed light on a sideline in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). 

PedrosF1 - Raphcobra37

10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.c3 

PedrosF1 has explored in depth this alternative to 8.f4. 

8...Nh6 

He has also met

8...Nd3+ (the choice of Komodo 12.1.1, by a very slight edge) 9.Ke2 (9.Kd1 Nxf2+ 10.Kc2 Ne7 [10...Nxh1 11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.Qxc5+ d6 13.Qg5+ Kf8 14.Qf4+ Nf6 15.d4 Kg8 16.Qf1 Nxe4 17.Qxh1 Bf5 18.Kb3 Qd7 19.g4 Qb5+ 20.Ka3 Bd7 21.b3 Nf2 22.Qg2 Nd3 23.Be3 Qa5 checkmate, PedrosF1 - IhsanAbsi, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021] 11.Qf4+ Kc6 12.Rf1 Rf8 13.Qg3 Nxe4 14.Rxf8 Qxf8 15.Qh4 d5 16.d4 Qf1 17.dxc5 Nxc5 18.Nd2 Qd3+ 19.Kd1 Nf5 20.Qh3 Ne3+ 21.Ke1 Bxh3 22.gxh3 Rf8 23.b4 Nc2+ 24.Kd1 Rf1 checkmate, PedrosF1 - OptimusRook, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021) (9.Kf1 Nxc1 10.Qd5+ Ke7 11.d4 Bb6 12.Nd2 Nd3 13.Qg5+ Ke8 14.Qxg7 Qf6 15.Qg3 Nf4 16.e5 Qf7 17.Re1 d6 18.exd6+ Kf8 19.Ne4 Bxd4 20.cxd4 Qc4+ 21.Kg1 Ne2+ 22.Rxe2 Qc1+ White resigned, PedrosF1 - fatihdennis, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021) 9...Ne7 10.Qd5+ Nxd5 11.exd5 Kxd5 12.Kxd3 d6 13.Kc2 Bf5+ 14.d3 Re8 15.Be3 Bxe3 16.fxe3 Rxe3 17.Rd1 Re2+ 18.Nd2 Rxg2 19.h4 Qxh4 20.Rf1 g6 21.c4+ Kc6 22.Kb3 Rxd2 White resigned, PedrosF1 - NeroeJ, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021; and 

8...Qf6 9.Qxf6+ (9.d4 Qxf5 10.dxc5+ Kxc5 11.exf5 Nd3+ 12.Ke2 Nxc1+ 13.Rxc1 Kc6 14.Nd2 b6 15.b4 Kb7 16.a4 Nf6 17.a5 Re8+ 18.Kf1 d6 19.c4 Bxf5 20.h3 Ne4 21.Nf3 g5 22.g4 Bg6 23.h4 gxh4 24.Nxh4 Nd2+ 25.Kg2 Re4 26.f3 Rxc4 27.a6+ Kc8 28.Rd1 Rc2 29.b5 Nb3+ 30.Kg3 Nxa1 31.Rxa1 Kd7 32.Ra4 Rb2 33.Rf4 Rxb5 34.Nxg6 hxg6 35.Rf7+ Kc6 36.Rg7 g5 37.Rf7 Re8 38.f4 Re3+ 39.Kf2 gxf4 40.Rxf4 Ra3 41.Rc4+ Rc5 42.Rxc5+ dxc5 43.g5 Kd7 44.g6 Ke7 45.g7 Kf7 White resigned, PedrosF1 - mega_auditor, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021) 9... Nxf6 10. d4 Bxd4 (10...Nd3+ 11.Kd2 (11.Ke2 Nxc1+ 12.Rxc1 Bb6 (12...Bxd4 13.cxd4 Nxe4 14.f3 Ng5 (14...Nf6 15.Nc3 Re8+ 16.Kf2 Ke7 17.g4 c6 18.g5 Nd5 19.Ne4 Kf7 20.h4 Nf4 21.Nd6+ Kg8 22.Nxe8 Nd3+ 23.Kg3 Nxc1 24.Rxc1 d5 25.Re1 Bd7 26.Nd6 b5 27.b4 a5 28.a3 axb4 29.axb4 Ra4 30.Re7 Ra7 31.h5 Kf8 32.Rf7+ Kg8 33.h6 g6 34.Rg7+ Kh8 35.Nf7 checkmate,  PedrosF1 - flamboyanes, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021) 15.Nc3 c6 16.h4 Re8+ 17.Kf2 Nf7 18.Ne4+ Kc7 19.b4 a6 20.a4 d5 21.Nd2 Bf5 22.g4 Bd7 23.Nb3 Nd6 24.Nc5 Bc8 25.b5 axb5 26.axb5 Rxa1 27.Rxa1 Nxb5 28.Rd1 Rf8 29.Kg3 b6 30.Nd3 Nxd4 31.Nf4 Nc2 32.Rc1 Nd4 33.h5 Rxf4 34.Kxf4 Ne2+ 35.Ke5 Nxc1 36.g5 Nd3+ 37.Kd4 Nf4 38.Ke3 Nxh5 39.f4 g6 40.Kf3 c5 White resigned, PedrosF1 - Naurizbai, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021) 13.e5+ Ke6 14.exf6 Kxf6 15.Nd2 Re8+ 16.Kf1 Kf7 17.Nf3 Kg8 18.b4 d6 19.a4 c5 20.a5 Bc7 21.dxc5 dxc5 22.b5 b6 23.a6 Bg4 24.Ng5 h6 25.Nf3 Bxf3 26.gxf3 Rf8 27.Kg2 Rae8 28.c4 Rf6 29.Rd1 Rd8 30.Re1 Rff8 31.Re7 Bb8 32.Rae1 Rd4 33.Re8 Bf4 34.R8e7 Rxc4 35.Rxa7 Rb4 36.Ree7 Be5 37.Rxe5 Rf7 38.Re8+ Rf8 39.Ree7 Kh8 40.Rxg7 Rg8 41.Rxg8+ Kxg8 42.Kg3 Rxb5 43.Rb7 Ra5 44.a7 c4 45.Rb8+ Kh7 46.a8=Q Rxa8 47.Rxa8 c3 48.Rc8 b5 49.Rxc3 b4 50.Rb3 Kg6 51.Rxb4 h5 52.h4 Kf5 53.Rb5+ Kg6 54.f4 Kf6 55.f3 Kg6 56.f5+ Kf6 57.Kf4 Kf7 58.Kg5 Kg7 59.Kxh5 Kf6 60.Rb6+ Kxf5 61.Rb5+ Kf4 62.Kg6 Kxf3 63.h5 Ke4 64.h6 Kd4 65.h7 Kc4 66.Rh5 Kd4 67.h8=Q+ Ke4 68.Qe8+ Kf4 69.Qe5+ Kg4 70.Qe4+ Kg3 71.Qg4+ Kf2 72.Rf5+ Ke3 73.Qf4+ Kd3 74.Rd5+ Kc3 75.Qd4+ Kb3 76.Rb5+ Ka3 77.Qb2+ Ka4 78.Qb4 checkmate, PedrosF1 - thebigeasy, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021) 11...Nxc1 12.dxc5+ Kxc5 13.Rxc1 d6 14.Na3 Nxe4+ 15.Ke2 Nf6 16.Kf1 Bd7 17.b4+ Kb6 18.Nc4+ Ka6 19.a4 b6 20.b5+ Kb7 21.a5 Bxb5 22.axb6 axb6 23.Rxa8 Rxa8 24.Rb1 Bxc4+ 25.Kg1 Ra2 26.h3 Ne4 27.Rb4 d5 28.f3 Nxc3 29.Kh2 Ne2 30.Rb1 Nd4 31.Rd1 Nxf3+ 32.Kg3 Ng5 33.h4 Ne4+ 34.Kg4 Rxg2+ 35.Kf3 Rf2+ 36.Ke3 Re2+ 37.Kf4 b5 38.h5 h6 39.Rg1 Rf2+ 40.Ke3 Re2+ 41.Kd4 Rd2+ 42.Ke3 Rd3+ 43.Ke2 Rg3+ 44.Ke1 Rxg1 checkmate, PedrosF1 - Rick_Koziolek, 5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021) (10...Nxe4 11.dxe5+ (11.dxc5+ Kxc5 12.Be3+ Kc6 13.O-O d6 14.Na3 Bf5 15.f3 Nc5 16.b4 Ncd3 17.b5+ Kd7 18.f4 Ng4 19.Bd4 Nf6 20.c4 Rhe8 21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Nc2 Re4 23.Rad1 Rxc4 24.Ne3 Rc5 25.Nxf5 Rxf5 26.Rxd3 Rxb5 27.a4 Rb4 28.a5 Ra4 29.Rd5 Re8 30.Rfd1 Ree4 31.f5 Ra2 32.h3 Ree2 33.g4 Rg2+ 34.Kf1 Raf2+ 35.Ke1 Rh2 36.R1d2 Rxd2 37.Rxd2 Rxh3 38.Kf2 Ra3 39.Rd5 c6 40.Rd2 Rxa5 41.Kg3 Rd5 42.Rh2 a5 43.Rxh7+ Kc8 44.Rf7 a4 45.Rxf6 a3 46.Rf8+ Kc7 47.Rf7+ Kb6 48.Rh7 Rd1 49.Rh2 Kc7 50.f6 Kd7 51.g5 Ke8 52.g6 Rf1 53.g7 Kf7 54.Rh8 Rg1+ 55.Kf2 Rg6 56.Rf8+ Ke6 57.g8=Q+ Rxg8 58.Rxg8 b5 59.Rg6 a2 60.Rg1 b4 61.Ra1 b3 62.Ke2 c5 63.Kd2 c4 64.Kc1 d5 65.Kb2 Kxf6 66.Kc3 Ke6 67.Kd4 Kd6 68.Kc3 Kc5 69.Kb2 Kb4 70.Kc1 Ka3 71.Kd2 b2 72.Kc2 bxa1=Q 73.Kd2 Qb2+ White resigned, PedrosF1 - BeratEfendi, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021) 11...Kxe5 12.O-O Rf8 13.Be3 Bxe3 14.fxe3 Rxf1+ 15.Kxf1 Ng5 16.Nd2 d5 17.Re1 Bf5 18.h3 Rf8 19.Kg1 c5 20.g4 Bd3 21.b4 c4 22.a4 Nf3+ 23.Nxf3+ Rxf3 24.h4 Rg3+ 25.Kf2 Rxg4 26.h5 Rh4 27.a5 Rxh5 28.b5 b6 29.axb6 axb6 30.Ra1 Rg5 31.Ra6 Rg6 32.Ke1 h5 33.Kd2 h4 34.Ra8 Rh6 35.Re8+ Kf5 36.Rf8+ Kg6 37.Re8 Kf7 38.Rd8 Be4 39.Rd7+ Kg8 40.Rd8+ Kh7 41.Ke2 h3 42.Rf8 h2 43.Rf1 Bd3+ 44.Kf2 Bxf1 45.Kxf1 h1=Q+ 46.Ke2 Rh2 checkmate, PedrosF1 - SufjanR, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021) 11.cxd4 Nxe4 (11...Nf7 12.e5+ Nxe5 13.dxe5+ Kxe5 14.O-O Re8 15.Nc3 Ke6 16.Bg5 h6 17.Bxf6 Kxf6 18.Nd5+ Kg6 19.Nxc7 d5 20.Nxe8 Be6 21.Nd6 Black resigned, PedrosF1 - Luwanganba, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021) 12.dxe5+ Kxe5 13.O-O Kd6 14.Bf4+ Kc6 15.Nc3 Nxc3 16.bxc3 d6 17.Rfe1 Bf5 18.h3 Rae8 19.Rec1 Re4 20.Be3 Rhe8 21.c4 R8e6 22.c5 dxc5 23.Rxc5+ Kd7 24.Rxf5 Black resigned, PedrosF1 - Flennamir, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020; and 

8...Ne7 9.Qf4 (9.Qh3 Bb6 10.d4 Nc4 11.e5+ Kc6 12.Qf3+ Kb5 13.Na3+ Nxa3 14.bxa3 a5 15.Qd3+ Kc6 16.Qe4+ Kb5 17.Qd3+ Ka4 18.Qc4 checkmate, PedrosF1 - subhankardas, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021) 9...Rf8 10.Qg3 Bxf2+ 11.Qxf2 Rxf2 12.Kxf2 Nd3+ 13.Ke3 (13.Ke2 Nxc1+ 14.Rxc1 c5 15.Na3 a6 16.Nc4+ Kc7 17.b4 d6 18.d4 Bg4+ 19.Kd2 Nc6 20.bxc5 dxc5 21.d5 Qg5+ 22.Kc2 Rd8 23.dxc6 Kxc6 24.Na5+ Kc7 25.Rab1 Qd2+ 26.Kb3 Be6+ 27.Ka3 Qxa2 checkmate, PedrosF1 - genakrokodil555, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021) 13...Ne5 14.d4 Ng4+ 15.Kf3 h5 16.Bf4+ Kc6 17.Na3 Qf8 18.d5+ Kb6 19.Nc4+ Kc5 20.b3 b5 21.Nd2 b4 22.cxb4+ Kxb4 23.a3+ Kc5 24.b4+ Kb6 25.a4 Kb7 26.a5 a6 27.Rhb1 c6 28.dxc6+ dxc6 29.Nc4 Be6 30.Nd6+ Ka7 31.h3 g5 32.hxg4 gxf4 33.gxh5 Rd8 34.Rd1 Rd7 35.e5 Qh6 36.Ne4 Qxh5+ 37.Kxf4 Qf5+ 38.Ke3 Qxe5 39.Rh1 Nd5+ 40.Kf3 Rf7+ 41.Ke2 Qxe4+ 42.Kd2 Qxg2+ 43.Kd3 Nxb4+ 44.Kc3 Nd5+ 45.Kd4 Qg4+ 46.Kc5 Bd7 47.Rhg1 Qb4 checkmate, PedrosF1 - Jaquecadepotra, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021 

9.Qh3 Ke7 

Stockfish 14.1 prefers 9...Bxf2+ 10.Kxf2 Rf8+ but the text is fine, as Black returns one of the sacrificed pieces for a pawn, disturbing White's King in the process.

10.d4 d5 11.Qg3 Rg8 

Just like that, Black goes from winning to losing. The Jerome Gambit is a strange thing.

Better was either 11...Nef7 or 11...Nhf7. 

12. Bg5+ Black resigned

Black will lose his Queen, when White will have a Queen and two pawns for two pieces.