Jerome Gambit: With A Bullet

The following game was played at the speed of 1 minute, no increment. 

I continue to be amazed how successful angelcamina is, with such little -TIME- to work with.

angelcamina - hsynli_5

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 Qe7

9.Qc4 

Stockfish 16 evaluates 9.Qxe7+ as about 2 pawns better than the text move, but not every Jerome Gambiteer is ready to exchange Queens so early in the game. 

9...d6

The computer's choice here is the bolder 9...d5 which shows up in only one game in The Database, fehim - NicholsonM, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 32).

angelcamina has scored 13 -3 against 9...Nf6. 

He is 2 -1 against 9... c6. 

10.O-O Be6 11.Qa4+ 

Stiring things up. According to The Database, angelcamina was 1 - 2 with 11.Qb4 here, and 2 - 0 with 11.Qb5+.

11...Bd7 12.Qb3 

12...Rb8 

Playing it safe. Perhaps he did not believe that those who take the b-pawn will sleep in the gutter... Is the question "Jerome Gambit: To b or Not to b?"

Another possibility was 12...Qxe4, but perhaps that did not feel "safe".  

13.d4 

Willing to take Black at his word, that the e-pawn is poisoned. Otherwise: 13.d3. 

13...Nf6 14.Nc3 a6

Again, hoping to forestall mischief.

15.Bd2 Qf7 16.Qa3 Ke7

Hoping to be able to castle-by-hand. 

17.f4 Rhe8 18.e5 

 18...Nd5 

He would do better completing "castling" with 18...Kf8 and an even game.

19.f5 Nh8 20.Rae1 

The "Jerome pawns", backed by Rooks, are looking to cause problems.

20...Bb5 21.Nxb5 

21...axb5 22.exd6+ Kd7 23.dxc7 Kxc7 

White has 3 pawns for his sacrificed piece, but, besides Black's Knight stuck at h8, King safety - in this case, Black's King is not - is the most salient issue.

24.Qc5+ Kd7 25.Qxb5+ Kc7 26.Qc5+ Kd7 27.Qb5+ Kc7 

28.Bf4+ 

No draw, thank you, just gaining a little time on the clock.

The computer prefers 28.c4, but angelcamina is planning on finishing off his opponent quicker. Things fall apart, the center cannot hold.

28...Kc8 29.Qc5+ Nc7 30.Rxe8+ Qxe8 31.Qxc7 checkmate