Jerome Gambit: Again, the "Jerome Pawns"

It can be great fun to use the crashing, smashing style of Jerome Gambit attacking to produce a checkmate.

Sometimes, though, as we have seen, the compensation received for the sacrifices - the "Jerome pawns" - have their place in winning the game.

A recent game of mine is a good example.

perrypawnpusher - Steadfast61

3d/move "Giuoco Fun" tournament, Chess.com

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Ke7

Backing away (instead of the correct 7...Kd6) is not the answer.

There are 248 games in The Database with this move. White scores 77%. (I have personally scored 88% in 8 games.)

Stockfish 15.1 rates White as more than a piece better.

8.Qxe5+ Kf8 

Or 8...Kf7 in the incomplete game, bloodlet - perrypawnpusher, 3 12 blitz, FICS, 2007 - the earliest time that I faced the Jerome Gambit myself. I am 22 - 5 - 2 against the opening.

9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qe3 Nf6 

11.O-O Kf7 

Preparing to castle-by-hand.

Or 11...Qe7 as seen in perrypawnpusher - badhorsey, 5 12 blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 30). 

12.d4 Re8 13.Nc3 c6 14.Qf4 Kg8 

White has a 2-pawn advantage, not the usual 2-pawns-for-a-piece. That is what Black's King retreat on move 7 cost.

15.f3 a5 

I don't understand this move. It reminds me of my early Fidelity "Chess Challenger 7" dedicated chess computer; whenever it wasn't sure what move to make - especially when it assessed its King adequately safe (even in the middle of the board, if surrounded by pieces) - it would throw forward a Rook pawn.

16.Qg3 

I was stuck for ideas on how to move. Perhaps 16.Ne2 followed by 17.Ng3, withdrawing the Queen, if need be, to e3, was a better idea.

16...Kh8 17.Bg5 Rg8 

Black's intentions are clear enough. Besides its defensive elements, his move indicates that he will answer Bxf6 with ...gxf6, opening the g-file for his attacking Rook.

White needs to be patient. He can afford to be.

18.Rad1 Qf8 19.e5 dxe5 20.dxe5 Nh5 

From here, things get messier.

21.Qh4 g6 22.g4 Qc5+ 

What else?

23.Kh1 Be6 

Alas, taking the e-pawn would lose the Queen. 

24.gxh5 gxh5 

At this point, White has a forced checkmate. I couldn't see it, but I could feel it.

In addition, the "Jerome pawns" might become a factor.

25.Bf6+ Rg7 26.Rg1 Rag8 27.Rxg7 Rxg7 

28.Qd4 

Lazy. Instead, it was not hard to figure out: 28.Rd8+ Qf8 29.Rxf8+ Bg8 30.Bxg7+ Kxg7 31.Qf6 checkmate.

28... Qxd4 29. Rxd4 h6 30. Rh4 Bf7 

There is not going to be a checkmate, but there does not have to be.

31.f4 b5 32.f5 b4 33.Ne4 Bd5 34.e6 Kg8 35.Bxg7 Kxg7 

36.f6+ 

The pawn is protected by the pinned Knight.

36...Kf8 37.e7+ Kf7  38.Kg1 Black resigned

White's Knight is no longer pinned, so it can help the advanced "Jerome pawns". Exchanging the Bishop for the Knight is no solution, as White has that extra Rook to help the pawns promote.