Jerome Gambit: Just When Things Started to Become Interesting... (Part 2)

The following recent game had barely gotten going before it ended.

Again, not everyone has time for everything, every day.

 

cool64chess - perrypawnpusher

Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.O-O 

A "modern" approach to the Jerome Gambit, as opposed to the "classical" 5.Nxe5+ that Alonzo Wheeler Jerome played.

5...Nf6 6.d3 

White followed the plan of 6.c3 and then 7.d4 in Philidor1792 - perrypawnpusher, Chess.com, 2015 (1-0, 36) and carzair -perrypawnpusher, Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024 (0-1, 28). 

I was shocked to discover that there were 766 games with 6.Ng5+ in The Database, with White scoring 35%. My recent game continued 6...Kg8 7.d3 h6 8.Nf3 d5 9.Nc3 dxe4 10.Nd2 Bg4 11.Qe1 exd3 12.cxd3 Qxd3 13.Nd1 Be2 14.Ne3 Bxe3 15.fxe3 Bxf1 16.Nxf1 Kh7 17.Ng3 Rad8 18.b3 Qc2 19.Nf5 Rd1 White resigned, 123456789qeeed - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024. 

Instead, 6.d4 exd4 7.Ng5+ was seen in 27 games in The Database (White scored 48%) including yoyokskr - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024 (0-1, 27).

Alternately, 6.Nc3 Rf8 7.Ng5+ was seen in leobrazer - perrypawnpusher, 3 0 blitz, FICS, 2009  (0-1, 48). 

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

6...Rf8 

Black hopes to castle-by-hand.

7.c3

Instead, one more check from g5: 7.Ng5+ Kg8 8.Nf3 d5 White resigned, Capt.Mandrake - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit 3 thematic, ChessWorld.net, 2008.

7...Bb6 

My King did get to scurry to safety with 7...Kg8 in ecimsa - perrypawnpusher, blitz, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 32). 

8.Qb3+ 

Halting the Black King, at least for a moment.

There was also 8.Bg5 in xulian - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024. 

8...d5 

Here, Black won on time.