Jerome Gambit: Chess Titans Again

The other day I had a few minutes available, so, as I have done before in similar circumstances, I played a quick game against the chess program Chess Titans - an opponent that can be, in turn, surprisingly strong and surprisingly weak, both without warning.

perrypawnpusher - Chess Titans

level 3, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+ 

A few years ago the program tried the odd 8...g6. The game continued 9.Qxe5+ Kc6 10.Qxh8 Qf8 11.d4 Bxd4 12.Qxd4 h6 13.Qd5+ Kb6 14.Be3+ c5 15.b4 Qxf4 16.Qxc5+ Ka6 17.Qa5 checkmate,  perrypawnpusher - Chess Titans, casual game, 2018 

9.g3 Nf3+ 

I have noted

Here we have the "Nibs" defense or variation. It dates back to at least 1899 and is not the kind of thing that a player usually just stumbles into...

There is a significant amount of information on "His Nibs" in the blog posts "Entering the Maze (Parts 1, 2 & 3)". It is well worth checking out.

A couple of years ago I was surprised by 9...c6 10.Qxe5 checkmate, Rick - Chess Titans, beginner level, 2021.  

10.Kf1 

About the same as the text is 10.Kd1. I am 7-0 with the move, versus 14 - 3 with the text, but I have always been more comfortable with 10.Kf1. The game continued 10...Ne7 11. e5+ Kc6 12. Qe4+ d5 13. exd6+ Kxd6 14. gxh4 Bg4 15. Qd3+ Nd5 16. Qxd5+ Kxd5 17.Nc3+ Kd6 18. h3 Bf5 19. d3 Rae8 20. Bd2 Nxh4 21. Na4 Bf2 22. b3 Nf3 23. Rf1 Bd4 24. c3 Nxd2 25. Kxd2 Be3+ 26. Kc2 Bxh3 27. Rf3 Bf5 28. Nb2 Kc6 29. Nc4 Bc5 30.Na5+ Kb6 31. Nc4+ Kb5 32. a4+ Kc6 33. Na5+ Kb6 34. Nc4+ Ka6 35. b4 Re2+? 36.Kd1 Bxb4 37. cxb4 b5 38. axb5+ Kxb5 39. Kxe2 Bg4 40. Rxa7 Bxf3+ 41. Kxf3 Rc8 42. Ra1 Kxb4 43. Rg1 Rd8 44. Ke3 Kc3 45. Ne5 Rc8 46. Rxg7 h6 47. Rh7 Rb8 48.Rxc7+ Kb3 49. Rh7 Rb6 50. f5 Rf6 51. Rf7 Ra6 52. Rh7 Ra5 53. d4 Ra6 54. Ng6 Ra5 55. Ke4 Ka3 56. Rxh6 Ra6 57. Ke5 Kb4 58. f6 Ra7 59. Ne7 Kc4 60. d5 Ra5 61. f7 Ra8 62. Rc6+ Kb3 63. Rc8 Rxc8 64. Nxc8 Ka2 65. f8=Q Kb1 66. Qf2 Ka1 67. Nb6 Kb1 68. Nc4 Kc1 69. Qd2+ Kb1 70. Qb2 checkmate, perrypawpusher - Chess Titans, level 5, 2022.

10...Nxh2+ 11.Kg2 Qe7 

Or

11...Qf6 12.e5+ Qxe5 13.Qxe5+ Kc6 14.Qxg7 Bd6 15.Qxh8 b5 16.Rxh2 Bb7 17.Qd4 Rc8 18.Nc3 Rf8 19.Qd5+? Kb6 20.Rxh7 Bxd5+ 21.Nxd5+ Kc5 22.Rh5 Kd4 23.d3 Kc5 24.Nxc7+ Kb6 25.Nd5+ Ka6 26.a4 Re8 27.axb5+ Kb7 28.Kf3 Rc8 29.c3 Bc5 30.d4 Bd6 31.Ra6 Bc7 32.Nxc7 Rxc7 33.Rc5 d6 34.Rxc7+ Kxc7 35.Rxa7+ Kb6 36.Rg7 Nh6 37.c4 Nf5 38.Rg6 Nxd4+ 39.Ke4 Kc5 40.Be3 Kxc4 41.Bxd4 Kxb5 42.Rxd6 Kb4 43.f5 Kb5 44.f6 Ka4 45.Rb6 Ka5 46.f7 Ka4 47.f8=Q Ka5 48.Qa3 checkmate, Kennedy - Chess Titans, casual game, 2022; and  

11...Qd8 12.Qd5+ Ke7 13.Qxc5+ d6 14.Qg5+ Ke8 15.Qxd8+ Kxd8 16.Rxh2 Be6 17.Nc3 g6 18.d4 h5 19.d5 Bf7 20.e5 dxe5 21.fxe5 c6 22.d6 Bd5+ 23.Nxd5 cxd5 24.Be3 Kc8 25.Rd1 a5 26.Rxd5 Nh6 27.Bxh6 Rxh6 28.Kf3 a4 29.Re2 h4 30.gxh4 Rxh4 31.e6 Rh3+ 32.Kg4 Rh4+ 33.Kxh4 a3 34.d7+ Kc7 35.e7 Rh8+ 36.Kg4 Rh4+ 37.Kxh4 g5+ 38.Kxg5 b6 39.d8=Q+ Kb7 40.e8=Q axb2 41.Re7+ Ka6 42.Qa4 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - Chess Titans, level 5, casual game, 2019.

12.Qd5 checkmate