Jerome Gambit: Experience Helps

Entering into complications in the following game, I was confident, because I had weathered just this type of storm a number of times beforehand.

perrypawnpusher - xulian

Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024

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+ 

This is an exciting variation, going back to the imaginary telephone game between "R.F." and "Nibs" in the June 1899 issue of the American Chess Magazine. In 26 games against it, I have scored 88%. This contrasts, though, with the overall statistics from The Database: 215 games, White scores 58%.

10.Kf1 

I have played this reply in 19 games, going 16 - 3, while playing the alternative, 10.Kd1, 7 times (7 - 0). For the record, Stockfish 16.1 sees less than 1/4 pawn difference between the two moves.

10...Nxh2+ 

The best move, 10...Qh6, was successfully played by Temmo against me in our game in the third Jerome Gambit thematic tournament at ChessWorld.net in 2008 (0-1, 43).

11.Kg2 

11...Ne7 

This move, developing with an attack on the enemy Queen, is not as good as it looks, because of a Zwischenzug. Best was 11...Qg4. Against that, I managed to slip away and win in perrypawnpusher - JTIV, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 32).

12.Qe5+ 

Escaping the attack, with check.

12...Kc6 13.gxh4 Ng4 14.Qc3 Kb6 

Black has two pieces for a Queen and a pawn. Equally troublesome, his King is uneasily placed.

15.d4 Bd6 16.e5 Nd5 17.Qb3+ Kc6 

Oddly enough, I had an earlier game that finished 17...Bb4 18.Qxd5 d6 19.c3 c6 20.Qf3 Black lost on time, perrypawnpusher - constipatedguru, blitz, FICS, 2017.

18.Nc3 Nxc3 19.Qxc3+ Kb6 20.exd6 cxd6 21.a4 

Thinking about checkmate.

21...a6 22.a5+ Ka7 23.d5 

The pawn blocks a pawn which blocks a pawn which blocks the Bishop that keeps the Rook from coming into play...

23...b5 24.Qxg7 

White could exchange his Queen for a Rook and a Knight with 24.Qxg4 Rag8 25.Qxg8, but why?

24...Bb7 25.Qd4+ Kb8 26.Qxh8+ Kc7 27.Qc3+ Kb8 

Sometimes I get sloppy when I think I have a "won" game, so perhaps my opponent wanted to test that.

28.Rd1 Nf6 29.Qxf6 Ka7 30.Be3+ Kb8 31.Qd8+ Bc8 32.Rd3 Ra7 33.Bxa7+ Kxa7 34.Qxc8 h5 

One last hope: stalemate?

35.Rc3 b4 36.Rc7 checkmate