Jerome Gambit: Good Enough for Second

The following Jerome Gambit game helped me finish in second place in the Jerome Gambit Classic #1 at Chess.com. Indeed, as predicted, cool64chess took top honors. moisesah finished third.

accattone444 - perrypawnpusher

Jerome Gambit Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qd5+ Kg7 

Or 8...Ke8 as in perrypawnpusher - moush54, Chess.com, 2021 (1-0, 23) 

9.d4 

Stepping away from Yury V. Bukayev's 9.b4 (see "JG:The New in Its Opening Theory, in Its Psychology (Part 15)"), which I tried in perrypawnpusher - auswebby, Chess.com, 2023 (0-1, 26).

9...Bb6 10.O-O  

Or 10.Nd2 as in shachaf2 - perrypawnpusher, Chess.com, 2023. 

10...Nf6 11.Qb3 Qxe4 12.Nc3 Qe7 

White has a pawn and freer development for his piece - not quite enough.

13.Bg5 Qf7 

It was possible to grab the d-pawn, but more prudent to try to exchange Queens.

14.Bh6+ Kg8 15.d5 Ng4 16.Bg5 Kg7 

17.Nd1 Rf8 18.Qc3+ Kg8 19.Bh4 d6 

Again, Black needs development more than he needs the enemy d-pawn.

20.h3 Nf6 

21.Ne3 Bd7 22.Rae1 Bb5 

Here, I thought I was winning the exchange, but, no.

23.Bxf6 Qxf6 24.Qxf6 Rxf6 25.c4 

Fair enough, but Black's extra piece still makes itself felt.

25...Bxe3 26.cxb5 Bd4 27.Re7 Rf7 28.Re2 Raf8 

This much pressure has to yield something.

29.g3 Rf3 30.Kg2 R3f5 31.g4 Rxd5 32.Re7 Rc5 White resigns

White has had enough.