Jerome Gambit: Hang On

I like to play the Jerome Gambit. In this tournament, I had to play against it as well.

I won all of my Jerome Gambit games with White, and I defeated all the Jerome Gambits when I had Black.

Apologies to the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde.

In the following game, with Black, I had one plan: Hang on.

Hvakkimaruru - perrypawnpusher

Jerome Gambit Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.O-O 

One of the "modern" variations of the Jerome Gambit, that is, when White avoids the "classical" 5.Nxe5+ that Alonzo Wheeler Jerome played. At 30 ply, Stockfish 15.1 prefers the Knight capture by about 1/4 of a pawn.

5...Nf6 6.Re1 

I have played - and played against - this position previously:

6.d3 Rf8 7.Ng5+ Kg8 8.Nf3 d5 White resigned, Capt.Mandrake - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit 3 thematic tournament, ChessWorld.net 2008;

6.Nc3 Rf8 7. Ng5+ as in leobrazer - perrypawnpusher, blitz, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 48); and 

6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 as in perrypawnpusher - Freddy1201, Play The Italian Game III, Chess.com 2023 (0-1, 23) and perrypawnpusher - vityas81, Chess.com 2023, (1-0, 16). 

6...Re8 

Black is better here. His job is to hang on.

White must stir things up and play for the advantage.

7.c3 Kg8 8.d4 exd4 

After the game, Stockfish expressed a preference for 8...Bf8 and 8...Bb6. I am not sure why. 

9.cxd4 

Likewise, the computer preferred 9.e5 and 9.b4.

My opponent's moves were troubling enough, thank you very much. 

9...Bb4 10.Bd2 Bxd2 11.Nbxd2 d6 

White has a pawn for his sacrificed piece. His pawn center is good, but it is not sufficient compensation.

12.h3 h6 13.e5 dxe5 14.dxe5 Nd7 15. Qb3+ Kh8 

White's "Jerome pawn" - passed and protected - looks like it could cause trouble, but nothing comes of it.

16.e6 Nc5 17.Qc4 Nxe6 18.Ne5 

A slip.

18...Nxe5 19.Rxe5 Qxd2 

White will now play to win two pieces for a Rook, but that does not completely address the material imbalance.

20.Rae1 Qd6 21.Rd5 Qf8 22.Rde5 Bd7 23.Rxe6 Rxe6 24.Rxe6 Bxe6 25.Qxe6 

A Rook is a Rook.

25...Re8 26.Qd7 

Now mate follows. 

26...Re1+ 

At this point I gave a series of if/then moves that wound up

27.Kh2 Qf4+ 28.g3 Qxf2 checkmate

That made me 22 - 0 - 0 for my group, Round 1 - a decent start.