Jerome Gambit: In the Mirror

One thing that has kept me interested in exploring the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) has been the fact that despite its nature as a "refuted" chess opening, there are many players who play it regularly - and successfully.

This what I have referred to as "the psychology of error".

The following game brings to mind the idea of "mirroring" (matching our behavior to that of someone we are interacting with), and, at a more basic level, that of the recently discovered "mirror neurons". 

In the process, things can be overlooked.

joca552000 - Mabbpah

8 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

7.Qxe5 Be7 8.d4 Bf6 9.Qf4 Ne7 10.e5 Ng6 

Okay, here we go.

11.Qf3 Nh4 12.Qf4 Ng6 13.Qf3 Nh4 14.Qf4 Ng6 15.Qf3 Nh4 

Here, the game was drawn.

Fair enough?

You are probably thinking Wait a minute...

Justly so. Had Black found 12...Nxg2+ he would have won White's Queen on the next move. Likewise, if he had found 14...Nxg2+.

However, White to move in the final diagram can play 16.Qf4 and claim a draw by three-fold repetition.