Jerome Gambit: Attack Quickly

Everything happens quickly in a bullet game, especially an attack.

In the following game, angelcamina - who specializes in 1 0 bullet games with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) shows how it is done.

angelcamina - ethylotete_123

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 

Declining the second piece has been examined in "Jerome Gambit for Dummies 2.0 (Part 4)" and "The Jerome Gambit Does That To You" (and elsewhere)

I was amused - but not surprised - that the lichess.org computer labelled this move a blunder.

If you have no idea what kind of devastating attack your opponent has just unleashed upon you, it is quite normal to decide not to choke on sacrificed pieces, but to put your King closer to safety. 

Verdict: psychologically sound, chessically suspect.

Why suspect?

While The Database shows little difference between retreating the King to e8 (421 games, White scores 54%) and retreating the King to f8 (614 games, White scores 56%); Stockfish 15 (at 34 ply) shows a definite preference for 5...Kf8, rating it as about 2 pawns better for Black, while rating 5...Ke8 as about a half pawn better for White. 

6.Qh5+ 

As mentioned in "Jerome Gambit: Over Quickly" and still true today

White takes advantage of the fact that Black's King has moved back to e8 - an aggresive check pushes forward his attack.

The computers recommend 6.Nxc6, which would be met by 6...Qh4!?, a counter-attack that remains unplayed.

6...g6  

Or 6...Ke7 7.Qf7+ Kd6 8.Nc4 checkmate, as in angelcamina - SammmDBest, lichess.org, 2021. 

7.Nxg6 

7...hxg6 

Natural, and likely the first thing to come to mind in a bullet game.

Still, it it interesting to point out that the computer recommends 7...Bxf2+, although the Database shows White scores 16 - 7 - 1 (69%) against the move.

angelcamina has also seen

7...Qf6 8.Nxh8+ Kd8 9.Qxc5 Qxh8 10.Qf8 checkmate, angelcamina - DenBlood, lichess.org, 2022; and

7...Nf6 8.Qh4 Nxe4 9.Qxe4+ Ne7 10.Nxh8 d6 11.Qxh7 Be6 12.O-O Qd7 13.Ng6 Nxg6 14.Qxg6+ Bf7 15.Re1+ Kf8 16.Qh6+ Kg8 17.c3 Qf5 18.d4 Bb6 19.Bg5 d5 20.Bf6 Qh7 21.Qg5+ Qg6 22.Qh4 Qh7 23.Qg3+ Qg6 24.Qxg6+ Bxg6 25.Nd2 c6 26.Re7 Bc7 27.Rae1 Bd6 28.Rd7 Bf8 29.Nf3 Rb8 30.Be7 b5 31.Bxf8 Kxf8 32.Ree7 Be8 33.Rxa7 White won on time, angelcamina -  stockfishdanirealno1, lichess.org, 2021) 

8.Qxh8 

White has a Rook and 3 pawns for two pieces, but, more importantly, he has strong play against the enemy King.

8...Kf7 

Better than 8...Kf8 9.O-O d6 10.c3 Be6 11.d4 Bb6 12.d5 Bf7 13.dxc6 bxc6 14.Bh6+ Ke7 15.Bg5+ Nf6 16.Bxf6+ Ke6 17.Bxd8 Rxd8 18.Qxd8 Bxf2+ 19.Rxf2 d5 20.exd5+ cxd5 21.Rf6+ Ke5 22.Nd2 c5 23.Qe7+ Be6 24.Qxe6 checkmate, angelcamina - MegaBane, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org 2019. 

9.Qh7+ Kf6 10.c3 

Okay, this move isn't "faster than a speeding bullet", but it is powerful, nonetheless.

10...d5 11.d4 Bd6 

With a plan to return some of the sacrificed material and stifle the attack - although it has a slight flaw.

12.e5+ Bxe5 13.dxe5+ Nxe5 14.Qh4+ g5 15.Qxg5+ Black resigned

X-ray attack on the unprotected Queen.