Jerome Gambit Delayed: Who Is Fooling Who?

Bobby Fischer said that he did not believe in psychology, he believed in good moves.

That said, good moves often have a psychological impact. 

Given a very limited time to calculate and play moves, the definition of "good" tends to expand. The following game is a good example.

angelcamina - pepe16

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 

The Two Knights defense.

angelcamina likes the Jerome Gambit.

4.d3 

Oh, well.

4...Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

You didn't think that you were going to get off that easily, did you?

The Database had 46 of angelcamina's games with this position. He scores 50%.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 

Here we have a Jerome Gambit position, only Black has used his extra move (White usually plays d2-d4, not d2-d3 & d3-d4) to develop another Knight.

How can White get away with this? He is a veteran at playing bullet games - a time control that often allows such audacity - and he is very familiar with the Jerome Gambit.

7...Nc6 8.dxc5 Nxe4 

His opponent, on the other hand, does not appear to be familiar with the Jerome.

Is this a slip, or a trap?

9.Qd5+ Kf6 10.O-O 

How easy it would be in a 1-minute game to grab the Knight with 10.Qxe4 and immediately regret it after 10...Re8.

Now Black has to rescue his Knight. 

10...Ng5 

Black's best was to walk into a pin along the e-file, himself, with 10...Qe8, when 11.Re1 (echo) Qe5 12.Qxe5+ Nxe5 13.Rxe4 would leave him only a pawn down.

11.Bxg5+ Black resigned

The Queen will be lost.