Jerome Gambit: Forked...

The game presented in the previous two posts, perrypawnpusher - Claire bot, Spark Chess, 2023 (1-0, 23), got me thinking and thinking...

Hadn't I overlooked a similar game?

A little research showed that the following game should have been posted on this blog over 7 years ago.

perrypawnpusher - IlToscano

Giuoco Piano Thematic tournament, Chess.com, 2016

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+ 9.g3 Nf3+ 10.Kf1 Nxh2+ 

This is another one of those complicated Jerome Gambit positions where theory and practice differ markedly.

Stockfish 15.1 (32 ply) sees Black as about a pawn better.

Yet The Datbase has 19 games with this position, with White scoring 84%. (I am 9 - 0.)

11.Kg2 Qf6 

Out of the frying pan, into the fire. 

12.Qd5+ 

This is embarassing.

What was the time control on this game? How many days per move?

Yes, indeed, I missed the pawn fork 12.e5+, winning Black's Queen.  

12...Ke7 13.Qxc5+ d6

14.Qxc7+ Bd7 15.Rxh2 Rc8 16.Qxb7 Rxc2 

White has a two pawn advantage, although he has to untangle his Queenside.

Fortunately, the position of Black's advanced Rook suggests a move for White - and, quite possibly, critically distracts Black.

17.Nc3 Nh6 

Overlooking something.

18.Nd5+ Black resigns

A fork, winning the Queen, after all.