Jerome Gambit: Facing Two Opponents

In a 1-minute bullet game, each player has two opponents - the one across the board, and the clock. Both must be defeated in order to score the full point.

The following tricky win by angelcamina shows him holding on long enough against a talented defender / counter-attacker and out-racing the clock - until he can deliver checkmate.

Whew!

angelcamina - ogLMFAO

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6  

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 Qf6 9.O-O N8e7 

9...Nh4 was seen in angelcamina - Nieto01, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org 2022 (1-0, 22) 

10.Qxc7 

This pawn grab is correct, but requires quick judgement and iron nerves.

10...d6 11.Nc3 Ne5 

A more attacking idea is 11...Nf4. 

Last year angelcamina faced 11...b6 12.f4 Be6 13.Qb7 Bc8 14.Qxa8 Kf7 15.f5 Nf4 16.d4 Black resigned, angelcamina - aNKansEn, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2022. 

12.f4 N5c6 13.e5 Qh4 

White White's Queen is far away from home, Black thinks about an attack on the King. I am not sure how White kept his cool.

By the way, Stockfish 15.1 recommended, instead, the unexciting 13...dxe5 14.fxe5 Qxe5 15.Qxe5 Nxe5 with an even game. 

14.exd6 Nf5 15.g3 Qh3 

Hopeful, but the retreat 15...Qd8 was probably more realistic. 

16.Re1+ 

Time is of the essence, but the slower 16.b3 and 17.Ba3 also came to mind.

16...Be6 

Black's second opponent - the clock - is beginning to affect play.

17.Rxe6+ Kf8 18.Re1 

Likewise for White, who, given a chance to breathe, might have found the creative 18.d7 Nh4 19.Qc8+ Kf7 20.d8=N+! Rxd8 21.Rf6+ Kxf6 22.Qxh3.

Now Stockfish 15.1, which occasionally seems stuck on the idea that the Jerome Gambit should end in a draw, suggests 18...Nh4 19.gxh4 Qg4+ 20.Kf1 Qf3+ 21 Kg1 Qg4+ draw.

The game now begins to resemble the old television show "Beat The Clock" as White gathers in the win.

18...Ncd4 19.Qxb7 Nf3+ 20.Qxf3 Rd8 21.d7 Rxd7 22.Qa8+ Kf7 23.Qe8+ 

Ooops.

23.Kf6 

Ouch.

24.Qxd7 Rf8 25.Re6 checkmate

I really don't know how he does it... again.