Jerome Gambit: Outplayed Again

With almost 800 games in The Database, I think I know a good bit about the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).

How to over-ride that opening advantage?

Just outplay me, as cool64chess does in the following game.

perrypawnpusher - cool64chess

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+ Kf8 

A good choice, for a number of reasons, including the fact that I have not done as well against 6...Kf8 as I have against 6...g6 or 6...Ke6.

The move is at least as old as Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's analysis in the July 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal. Jerome later used it successfully in correspondence games against Daniel Jaeger in 1880.

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6 9.Nc3 Kf7 

Black prepares to castle-by-hand.

10.d3 Re8 11.Bg5 Bd4 

An interesting idea, protecting the Knight at f6 and attacking the Knight at c3.

12.O-O h6 13.Be3 Bxc3 14.bxc3 Qe7 

White has to act before Black's King becomes comfortable, or his task will become more difficult.

15.f4 Bd7 16.Rae1 Kg8 17.c4 

Taking time to prevent ...d6-d5.

17...Kh8 18.Bd4 Rf8 

A plan for White? Advance the f-pawn, move the Queen to f4, and start advancing the g- and h-pawns.

Instead, I was attracted to the e-file, where my Rook faced Black's Queen, and decided on a break - that never came.

19.e5 Nh5 

A smart response.

20.Qf3 

Better was to move to e3.

20...Nxf4 21.Qxb7 

This move looks desperate.

21...Qg5 22.Be3 Nh3+ 23.Kh1 Qxe3 24.gxh3 Qc5 White resigned

Black is intending 25.Bc6+, which can not be met.