Jerome Gambit: The Long And The Short of It

The following Jerome Gambit game fails to reach even a dozen moves, and leaves a lot of questions unanswered - especially since one of the games in the notes answers a whole lot of questions.

ZeKnightRider - wailu

5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

Later on in the year: 6...Ng6 7.Qxc5 d6 8.Qc4+ Be6 9.Qd3 Nf6 10.O-O Rf8 11.Nc3 Kg8 12.Ne2 c5 13.b3 a6 14.a4 Bd7 15.Ng3 Bc6 16.f3 d5 17.exd5 Bxd5 18.Bb2 Ne7 19.Bc3 Qc7 20.Nf5 Nxf5 21.Qxf5 Ne4 22.Qg4 Nxc3 23.dxc3 Rae8 24.Rad1 Be6 25.Qg3 Qxg3 26.hxg3 b5 27.axb5 axb5 28.Rd6 c4 29.bxc4 bxc4 30.Re1 Bf7 31.Rc1 h6 32.Rd4 Rd8 33.Rf4 Rd2 34.Rh4 Kh7 35.f4 Bg6 36.g4 Rxc2 37.Ra1 Rxc3 38.g5 Rb3 39.gxh6 gxh6 40.Ra7+ Rf7 41.Ra1 Rb1+ 42.Rxb1 Bxb1 43.f5 Bxf5 44.Rxc4 Kg6 45.g4 Be6 46 Rc6 Rf6 47.Rc1 Kg5 48.Ra1 Rf4 49.Ra5+ Kxg4 50.Ra6 Bc4 51.Ra1 h5 52.Kh2 Rf2+ 53.Kg1 Rf3 54.Kh2 Rh3+ 55.Kg1 Rg3+ 56.Kf2 h4 57.Ra4 Rf3+ 58.Ke1 Rf4 59.Kd2 Bb5 60.Ra1 h3 61.Rg1+ Kh4 62.Ke3 Ra4 63.Rh1 Ra3+ 64.Kf4 Ra4+ 65.Ke5 Ra5 66.Kd6 Be2 67.Re1 Ra2 68.Kc5 h2 69.Kd4 Kh3 70.Ke3 Bg4 71.Kf4 Rf2+ 72.Kg5 Rg2 73.Kf4 Bd7 74.Re3+ Kh4 75.Re1 Rg4+ 76.Ke5 Bc6 77.Kd6 h1=Q 78.Rxh1+ Bxh1 79.Ke5 Kg5 80.Kd6 Kf5 81.Kc5 Rf4 82.Kd6 Re4 83.Kc5 Re5+ 84.Kd6 Ke4 85.Kc7 Kd5 86.Kb6 Re6+ 87 Ka5 Rd6 88.Kb4 Rc6 89.Ka3 Kc5 90.Kb2 Rb6+ 91.Kc3 Rb5 92.Kd2 Rb4 93.Ke3 Kc4 94.Kf4 Kc3+ 95.Ke5 Draw, ZeKnightRider - Pepenico, lichess.org, 2023 [Black ran out of time; White did not have mating material]

7.Qh3+ 

White's choice of moves is interesting. He could have played 7.Qf5+, instead, although, according to The Database, his record with that move was 15 - 24 - 1. He was a bit better, at 17 - 16 - 2, with the text. The Database shows no games with 7.f4.

7...Kf7

Played about the same time as the other game in the notes: 7...Kd6 8.Nc3 Qf6 9.O-O Ke7 10.Nd5+ Kd6 11.Nxf6 Nxf6 12.d3 b6 13.Bf4 Bd4 14.c3 g5 15.cxd4 gxf4 16.dxe5+ Kxe5 17.Qf5+ Kd4 18.Qxf4 d6 19.Qxf6+ Kc5 Black resigned, ZeKnightRider - Hotdogbarn, lichess.org, 2023.

8.Qh5+ Ke6 

Inviting 9.Qf5+ again, which White again declines.

9.Qh3+ Kf7 10.Qh5+ Draw

The game reminds me of the Animals' 1965 song, "We Gotta Get Out of This Place". White seems to have had second thoughts about the Jerome Gambit, and Black is fine with leaving it behind, too.