Jerome Gambit: What Am I Doing Here?

The following game is a good example of choosing to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

My opponent played well, but he had some help. From me.

perrypawnpusher - Guluphatep

"Italian Game", Chess.com, 2024

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

5...Kxf7 

I was pretty sure that I had reached this position before.

Checking The Database, I discovered that I had scored 8 - 2 - 2 -- as Black. Uh oh.

I was 1 - 1 as White. 

6.Nxe5+ 

I have faced a number of different lines:

6.Nc3 as in leobrazer - perrypawnpusher, blitz, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 48); 

6.d3 as in ecimsa - perrypawnpusher, blitz, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 32) ; xulian - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024.  (0-1, 19); cool64chess-perrypawnpusher, Chess.com, 2024 (0-1, 8); cool64chess - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024 (1/2-1/2, 31); sinipete - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit Classic #1, Chess.com 2024 (1/2-1/2, 104); drewbear - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit 3 thematic ChessWorld.net 2008 (0-1, 22); Capt.Mandrake - perrypawnpusher, JG3 thematic, Chessworld.net, 2008 (0-1, 8); 

Or 6.c3 as in Philidor1792 - perrypawnpusher, internet, 2015 (1-0, 36); 

Or 6.Ng5+ as in 123456789qeeed - perrypawnpusher, Chess.com, 2024 (0-1, 19); 

Or 6.d4 as in yoyokskr - perrypawnpusher, Chess.com, 2024 (0-1, 27);

Or 6.Re1 as in Hvakkimaruru - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024 (0-1, 28). 

6...Nxe5 7.d4 

I am not sure what I am doing playing this line. A peek at The Database shows that White scores 1 - 12 - 1 against 7...d5. Fortunately my opponent was not aware of this.

7...Bxd4 

7...Bd6 was seen in perrypawnpusher - Freddy1201, Play The Italian Game III, Chess.com 2023 (0-1, 23)

7...Nc6 was seen in perrypawnpusher - vityas81, Chess.com, 2023 (1-0, 16).

8.Qxd4 d6 9.f4 Nc6 

10.Qd3 Re8 11.Nc3 Kg8 

Black's King plans to step off of the a2-g8 digonal, where he can be checked.

12.Be3 Kh8 

13.a3 

To keep Black's Knight from coming to b4, but it costs an important tempo.

13...Nxe4 

Well played. Now, if 14.Nxe4 then 14...Bf5.

14.Rae1 Nxc3 15.Qxc3 Bf5 

It is hard to find compensation for White's sacrificed material.

16.h3 Qf6 17.Qb3 b6 18.c3 Na5 19.Qd1 Nc4 

20.Bd4 Qg6 21.Kh2 c5 

White resigned

There is not a lot in 22.g4 cxd4 23.gxf5 Qxf5 24.Qxd4. I could have kept playing, but it would have required an unforced blunder by my opponent to keep him from grinding me down. There were other games to play.