Jerome Gambit: Like Sand Through An Hourglass

I suspect that many Jerome Gambit players dream of powerful attacks leading to checkmate. 

I am not quite sure how they feel about a draw. Is it an escape from a wild and reckless "refuted" sacrifical opening, or is it a lowly half-point-instead-of-a-win?

In the following game, the fortunes of war first favor White, who reaches a much better position - only to feel it slip through his fingers, like sand through an hourglass...

msc87 - kylethepug

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ 

I have called this the Abrahams Jerome Gambit, as in his books The Chess Mind (1951) and The Pan Book of Chess (1965), Gerald Abrahams referred to it as the Jerome Gambit.

 However, I have not been able to find any analysis or games of this variation actually played by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome.

3...Kxf7 4.Qh5+ g6 

A natural reflex in a bullet game. It can't be a bad move, as it results in an even game, but 4...Kf8 would please the computer more. 

5.Qxe5 d6 

If Black has faced the Jerome Gambit proper, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, this move might seem a proper part of defense, here.

However, msc87 has experience with a line that leads - or should lead - to an even game: 5...Bxf2+!? 6.Kxf2 Nf6 7.Qf4 (7.Nf3? Nc6? [7... Re8? 8.Ng5+?! {8.Qf4} 8...Kg7 9.Qd4 Nc6 10.Qc3 d5 11.Re1 d4 12.Qc4 Ng4+ 13.Kg1 Qxg5 14.d3 Qh4 15.h3 Qxe1 checkmate, msc87 - namhor, lichess.org, 2022] [7...Ng4+ 8.Ng5+? {8.Qf4} 8...Kg7 9.Qf4? Rf8 10.Qh4 Nxe4+ 11.Ke1 Nxg5 12.d3 Ne5 13.Bxg5 Nf3+ 14.gxf3 Qe8+ 15.Kd2 Rxf3 16.Bh6+ Kh8 17.Qd4+ Kg8 18.Qd5+ Kh8 19.Qxf3 d5 20.Qf6+ Kg8 21.Qg7 checkmate, msc87 -mstrozzi, lichess.org, 2022]) 

I admit my evaluation of a number of the moves in the above note is kind of harsh; after all, this was a 1-minute game.

6.Qxh8 

White is now comfortably ahead in material, with a safer King.

6...Qf6 7.Qxh7+ 

Exchanging Queens would have been fine, too, but White wants more.

7...Kf8 8.Nf3 Nc6 9.Nc3 Bg4 

10.Nd5 Qe5 

The rapidly ticking clock takes its toll.

11.Nxc7 

Or does it?

Black's Queen was there for the taking, but White had his eye on the enemy c-pawn.

11...Qxe4+ 

Too many (for White) Jerome Gambit games have turned out poorly after a ...Qxe4+. This one is no exception.

12.Kd1 Bxf3+ 13.gxf3 Qxf3+ 14.Ke1 Qxh1+ 15.Ke2 

15...Qg2 

Giving White one more chance.

Instead, there were pretty checkmates to be found: 15...Re8+ 16.Nxe8 (16.Qe7+ Rxe7+ 17.Ne6+ Rxe6+ 18.Kd3 Qd5+ 19.Kc3 Bb4#;  or 16.Ne6+ Rxe6+ 17.Kd3 Qd5+ 18.Kc3 Bb4#) 16...Nd4+ 17.Kd3 Qf3+ 18.Kc4 b5 checkmate. 

16.Nxa8 

Missed it. 

(I am completely intimidated by bullet chess. If I gave it a try, I think I would be flagged before my 10th move.)

Anyhow, 16.Ne6+ Ke8 17.Nc7+ Kd8 18.Ne6+ Ke8 etc. would claim the draw.

16...Qxf2+ 17.Kd3 Qd4+ 18.Ke2 Qf2+ 19.Kd3 Ne5+ 20.Ke4 Qd4 checkmate