Jerome Gambit: Your Opponent Will Never Be Comfortable

Recently Nicolás Felgueras sent me a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game with the comment

I like to play chess aggressively, and this opening provides you a position in which your opponent will never be comfortable receiving permanent attacks. 

Let's see how he provides the discomfort.

felguetron - one526

10 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 

Here we have a position that has appeared almost 350 times in The Database, starting with Vazquez, Andres Clemente - Carrington, William, 2nd match, Mexico, 1876 (1-0, 34); White scores 66%.

10.O-O Qe7 11.Nc3 Be6 

Black does well to focus upon development, and it is perhaps this plan that allows him to overlook the more active 11...d5, moving the d-pawn a second time. The Bishop is not well placed and will soon have to move.

12.f4 Ng4 

Black's aggression should not be ignored, but White has adequate resources.

13.Qg3

White's threat to the Knight at g4 will grow stronger after f4-f5. 

13...Bd7 

My silicon friend Stockfish 15 shocked me twice, here. First, it did not like the text, assessing the position afterwards as being more than a Rook better for White, despite the fact that Black is ahead in material and development.

Also, it recommended that Black pursue the exchange of Queens - hardly an attacking motif - with 13...Qh4 14. Qxh4 Nxh4, as a way of trying to untangle things, even though the Knight on h4 will be lost.

14.f5 N6e5 15.d4 h5 

Seriously...

Black is ready to return a piece, and activates his Kingside Rook with the possibility of giving up his Knight at g4, to open the h-file.

Just who, exactly, is supposed to be uncomfortable?

16.dxe5 dxe5 17.Nd5 Qc5+ 18.Kh1 Bb5 19.Rf3 Qxc2 

This is a blitz game, a time control that often suggests that Anything Can Happen. Indeed, Black's aggression is beginning to look scary.

Despite my concern for White, here, I am reminded of the peasant's riposte in Monty Python and the Holy Grail: "I got better".

White is actually doing quite well.

20.Bg5 Qxe4 21.h3 

A tough move to understand. Kicking the Knight? Creating luft?

Suddenly, White's position is worrisome.

The fork 21.Nxc7 was available.

21...Be2 

Complicating the situation further, when he would have done better to grab the Knight with 21...Qxd5. 

22.Re3 

Well played! Ignoring the plight of his Knight, he offers the exchange. How uncomfortable to have to sort this out while the clock ticks!

22...Nxe3

The Knight at d5 can no longer be taken for free, i.e. 22...Qxd5 23.Rxe2.

White now shows that the enemy pieces have advanced too far onto the battlefield, leaving their King undefended.

23.Be7+ Ke8 

It has come to this: 23...Kg8 instead would allow 24.Nf6+ forking King and Queen.

24.Qg6+ Kd7 25.Qe6+ Black resigned

It is checkmate next move.