Jerome Gambit: Stars Won't You Hide Me?

The following game reminds me a bit of Ben Bova's short story "Stars Won't You Hide Me?", in which Holman, the sole survivor of the human race, rockets through space, pursued by the Others who intend to complete the elimination of homo sapiens. Onward they go, with the pursuers doggedly closing in on the pursued, almost catching their prey - until 

billions of galaxies all rushed together down to a single cataclysmic point in spacetime

The end of the universe

Okay, the following game isn't that explosive, but give it a look. 

BaltyBalty88 - 06_Jay_06

3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Nxe5 6. Qh5+ g6 

7.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 

This is the "Counter-Jerome Defense" or the "Counter-Jerome Gambit".

There are 473 games with this line in The Database, with White scoring 72%.

8.Kxf2 Qf6+ 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 10.b3 

White plans to make the long diagonal part of his play. 

10...Nxe4+ 11.Ke3 

Stockfish 15.1 prefers 11.Kf3, even though it blocks the f-file for White's Rook, because after the text Black has 11...Re8.

11...d5 12.Bb2 Re8 13.d4 

Stepping away from the threatened discovered check with 13.Kf3 was safer.

13...Ng3+ 14.Kf3 Nxh1 15.Nd2 Bf5 16.c4 c6 17.b4 dxc4 18.d5 cxd5 19.Rxh1 Rad8 20.g4 Bc2 21.Kg3 

Pawns, won't you hide me?

21...Re3+ 22.Kh4 g5+ 23.Kh5 Rh3+ 24.Kxg5 h6+ 25.Kf4 Rf8 26.Ke5 Re3+ 27.Kd4 Rd3+ 28.Kc5 Rc8+ 29.Kb5 a6+ 30.Ka5 

Now it is White's turn.

30...Rxd2 31.Rf1+ Kg6 32.h4 Rb8 33.h5+ Kg5 

34.Rf5+ 

A slip. In this case, neither notices. The clock ticks for both players.

34...Kxg4 35.Rf1 b6+ 36.Kxa6 Bd3 37.Rg1+ Kxh5 38.Rh1+ Kg4 39.Rg1+ Kf3 40.Be5 c3+ 41.Ka7 Rc8 42.Bxc3 Rxa2+ 43.Kb7

At the end of the story, Holman said "The end of the world. The end of everything and everybody. We finish in a tie."

Not in this game. Here, White won on time.