Jerome Gambit: Smooth Sailing

Despite the outrageous nature of the Jerome Gambit, it can produce such examples of smooth sailing - for White - as in the following game.

angelcamina - lordjesse

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

Upsetting the peaceful Italian Four Knights game.

The database has 222 of angelcamina's games with the Italian Four Knight Jerome Gambit, scoring 60%.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Kg8 7.d4 

Trying something different. angelcamina had tried the stronger 7.Nxc6 in angelcamina - Ricardopimentakenpo, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020 (1-0, 23) and angelcamina - IranKurd, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020 (0-1, 26). 

7...Nxe5 

Immediately going wrong, although there is not a lot of thinking time per move in a one-minute game.

Better was the straghtforward 7...Bxd4. 

8.dxe5 Ne8 

Black is adrift. He would have had more to work with after 8...Bb4. 

9.Qd5+ Kf8 10.Qxc5+ d6 11.exd6 Qxd6 12.Qxd6+ Nxd6

We have a Queenless middlegame where White is up two pawns. 

Trouble continues for the defender.

13.f3 Be6 14.Be3 Ke7 15.O-O-O Rad8 16.Bg5+ Kd7 17.e5 h6 18.Bxd8 Kxd8 19.exd6 Kd7 20.dxc7+ Kxc7 21.Rhe1 Black resigned