Jerome Gambit: Roller Skating on Ice

In the following Jerome Gambit game, White is confronted by an opponent who is equally interested in aggressive play. Side-stepping some interesting lines (mentioned in the notes), the players battle - but in the end Black's attack is more successful than White's defense.

The Jerome Gambit: roller skating on ice.

rohanazad - Akshaj14

10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Ke6 

A past comment, from "Jerome Gambit: Surprising Chances (Part 1)"

This is an odd defense. I have written about it a number of times, most recently in "Jerome Gambit: More Concrete" and "Jerome Gambit: Over the Rainbow (Part 1)"

6.Nxc6 

This move is very reasonable and consistent with the position.

However, if you want to remember a sharp and winning line, you might consider

Best is the forcing 6.Qg4+, which has scored 81% in 8 games. The line is discussed in Wall, Bill - Skandervitch, Internet, 2021 (1-0, 11); Wall, Bill - Guest4105968, PlayChess.com, 2018 (1/2 - 1/2, 50); and Wall, Bill - Guest13762608, PlayChess.com, 2019 (1-0 8).

A check at The Database allows me to update these statistics: in 11 games White has scored 77%.

6...Qh4 

I have suggested this move in the past, but this is the first time that I have seen it played.

7.O-O 

If you consult Stockfish 14.1, it will wrestle over the benefits of 7.Qe2 Bxf2+ 8.Kf1 vs 7.Qe2 Bxf2 Qxf2 when it comes to getting an edge; it all gets tedious quite quickly.

The move played in the game is good and resonable. In a blitz game, it is probably the one to first come to mind.

7...bxc6 

"Capturing toward the center," as our teachers have encouraged.

Instead, 7...dxc6 would leave Black with two pawn islands, instead of three.

Both are about the same.

8.Nc3 

Instead, 8.d4 would both strengthen his center and help with later development.

8...Bd6 

Planning: Checkmate!

9.g3 Qh3 10.d3 Nf6 11.Re1 

Overlooking Black's threat 11...Ng4. 

11...Kf7 

Overlooking his own possible threat - and White's current threat.

What can I say? In blitz games, anything can happen - and in Jerome Gambit blitz games, even moreo.

12.e5 Ng4 

Better late than never.

13.exd6 

He should have taken the precaution of 13.Qf3+, protecting the f2 square.

13...Qxh2+ 14.Kf1 Qxf2 checkmate