Jerome Gambit: Eight Moves!

                                    

Having enjoyed the recent post "Jerome Gambit: Seven Moves!" it was hard not to share the following recent game.

ZeKnightRider - NN

5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Nxe5 6. Qh5+ Kf6

No good will come of this move - there are 366 games in The Database with this move, with Black scoring 24%.

Better was 6...Kf8, 6...Ke6, 6...g6 or 6...Ng6.

Although, a year earlier ZeKnightRider - Kralin, lichess.org, 2023 continued 6...Ke6 7.d3 Nf6 8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.Nc3 and White won in 19 moves.

 7.d3 

Calm, calm, calm, as in his earlier game, although 7.Qf5+ Ke7 8.Qxe5+ Kf8 9.Qxc5+ was for choice.

7...d6 

Lulled by White's last move?

He could have tried 7...Ke6, when 8.Qf5+ would have transposed to regular lines (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+) where White would have the extra move d2-d3; but Black would still be better. 

The only game in The Database with those moves is PureProxy - RonyRonaldo, lichess.org, 2021 (1-0, 31).

8.Bg5+ 

Ouch.

Black resigned