Jerome Gambit Declined: What Happens Next?

Having recently taken a look at the Jerome Gambit Declined (see "Jerome Gambit: Ignore Me, Stay Aware") I think I had the right perspective in the following game.

By declining the Jerome, Black avoids a wild attack - at the cost of a pawn and the ability to castle. But, what happens next?

perrypawnpusher - grammers123

3 day/move, "Giuoco Piano Game" tournament, Chess.com, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kf8 

The Jerome Gambit Declined. Before this game, I had faced it 4 times, successfully, once with 4...Kf8 (perrypawnpusher  - ibeje, blitz, FICS, 2010 [1-0, 46]), three times with 4...Ke7 (perrypawnpusher - walkinthespirit, 12 0 blitz, FICS, 2009 [1-0, 24]; perrypawnpusher - walkinthespirit, 12 0 blitz, FICS, 2010 [1-0, 34]; perrypawnpusher - PrestonRFD, "Italian Game Classic", Chess.com, 2019 [1-0, 10]).

5.Bb3 Nf6 6.Nc3 d6 7.d3 

I decided to flip the script - Black is the gambiteer, let him attack, I am going to defend and be as boring as possible.

7...Nd4 

A new idea. To be considered as well was 7...Bg4.

8.Nxd4 exd4 9.Ne2 h6 10.Nf4 

The opportunity to attack the light squares in Black's position brought me out of my slumber.

10...Qe8

Providing some protection. 

11.O-O Bg4 

An interesting idea. White's f-pawn goes to f3, not f4. Black is willing to exchange off his Bishop that protects light squares for White's Knight that attacks them.

12.f3 Bh5 

Despite the plan, 12...Bd7 was probably a better choice. Unfortunately, the square e6 is now insufficiently protected.

13.Ne6+ 

It would have been a waste of a promising piece to try to gain the "minor exchange" with 13.Nxh5 Qxh5.

13...Ke7 14.Nxc7 Qg6 15.Nxa8 Rxa8 

White is now up the exchange and two pawns.

It was still not time to become exciting.

I was under the influence of the second chess book I ever owned, Reuben Fine's Chess the Easy Way (1968) - somehow I thought that his guidance was As soon as you have a material edge, do not do anything exciting, just exchange down to a won endgame. With such a misunderstanding, how I ever wound up championing the Jerome Gambit is beyond me.

16.Qe1 Rc8 17.Qg3 Qxg3 18.hxg3 a6 19. g4 Bf7 20. Bxf7 Kxf7 21. g5 hxg5 22. Bxg5 Bb6 23. Rac1 

The Queens are off the board. White has created and exchanged a doubled g-pawn. The goal is to slowly make progress.

23...Rh8 24.Kf2 Bd8 25.Bf4 Be7 26.Rh1 Rxh1 27.Rxh1 Ke6 

28.Rh8 b6 29.c4 dxc3 30.bxc3 b5 31.Ra8 

The Rook shows its power. Pawn-grabbing is not exciting.

31...d5 32.Rxa6+ Kf7 33.e5 Nh5 34.Be3 Bh4+ 35. Ke2 Ng3 

Black's minor pieces strike back.

36.Kd1 Nf5 37.Bg1 Bg3 38.d4 g6 

Despite Black's piece activity, the main action is White's Rook's collection of pawns.

39.Rb6 Kg7 40.Rxb5 Kh6 

Black's King heads for g2. The computer does not have any helpful suggestions.

White's boring play has yielded results.

41.a4 Kg5 42.a5 Ne7 43.a6 Nc8 44. Rxd5 Bh4 

Perhaps my opponent was aware that I tend to become careless when ahead - there will always be the chance of stalemate.

Actually, this move allows checkmate in 8, according to Komodo 12.1.1, after the game - 45.Be3+ Kf5 46.a7 Ke6 47.a8/Q Kf7 48.Qxc8 Be7 49.Bh6 Ba3 50.Rd8 g5 51.Qf5+ Ke7 52.Bxg5# - but, of course, I was too lazy to even have looked for it at the time.

45.Rd8 Na7 46.d5 Kf4 47. Re8 Kg3 48.Bxa7 Kxg2 

49.Ke2 Bg5 50.Rg8 Kg3 51.Rxg6 Black resigned