Jerome Gambit: The End Comes Quickly

There are problems for the second player if the defender makes less-than-best responses to the Jerome Gambit.

The following game - quick, already, as it is a 1-minute game - gives another speedy example.

angelcamina - V1rtuoso

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024

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

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bb4 

Black pins White's Knight, to neutralize the protection of the e-pawn.

Simpler and stronger is 7...Bxd4, returning one of two "extra" pieces.

The Database has 124 with this position. White scores 70%.

8.dxe5 Nxe4 

As planned, but missing something.

9.Qd5+ Ke7

angelcamina also faced 9...Kf8, e.g. 10.Qxe4 Qe7 (10...Qe8 11.Qxb4+ 1-0 angelcamina - ngx11, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020) 11.O-O Bxc3 12.bxc3 d6 13.Ba3 (13.f4 Bd7 14.Ba3 Bc6 15.Qe3 Re8 16.Rad1 g6 17.Qg3 Kg7 18.c4 Rhf8 19.Bb2 Kg8 20.f5 Black resigned, angelcamina - CATCHESS11, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024) 13...Kg8 14.Qf3 Qxe5 15.Rae1 Qf5 16.Qxf5 Bxf5 17.Re7 h6 18.Rxc7 Bxc2 19.Rxb7 Kh7 20.Re1 Rhf8 21.Ree7 Rf6 22.Rxg7+ Kh8 23.f3 Bd3 24.c4 Bxc4 25.Bb2 Rff8 26.Rh7+ Kg8 27.Rbg7 checkmate, angelcamina - likinfride, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019) 

Also 9...Kg6 10.Qxe4+ Kf7 11.Qxb4 Qe7 12.O-O Qxb4 White resigned, angelcamina - abhinavatul, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020.

And 9... Ke8 10.Qxe4 Bxc3+ (10...a5 11.O-O g5 12.Nd5 Bc5 13.Nf6+ Ke7 14.Bxg5 h6 15.Nd5+ Black resigned, angelcamina - The_KGD, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019) 11. bxc3 Kf8 12.Ba3+ d6 13. Qf3+ Ke8 14. O-O-O Qg5+ 15. Kb1 Rf8 16. Qe2 Bg4 17. f3 Be6 18. exd6 Kf7 19. dxc7 Rac8 20. Bxf8 Rxf8 21. Rhe1 Rc8 22. Qxe6+ 1-0 angelcamina - Parsel_1, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020.

10.Qxe4 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 d6 

Another slip.

Previously:

11...Rf8 12.Bg5+ Rf6 13.exf6+ Kf7 14.Qd5+ Kf8 15.fxg7+ Kxg7 16.Bxd8 Black resigned. angelcamina - Davide313, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023; and

11...Qf8 12.Bg5+ Ke8 13.O-O Qf7 14.f4 c6 15.f5 Qd5 16.Qe2 b6 17.Rad1 Qc5+ 18.Be3 Qxc3 19.f6 Rf8 20.fxg7 Rxf1+ 21. Rxf1 Black resigned, angelcamina - LoFi_Lxgend, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024.

12.Bg5+ Kd7 13.Bxd8 Rxd8 

Or 13...Kxd8 as in angelcamina - adriannez, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org. 2019 (1-0, 44). 

14.exd6

1-minute chess games can go back and forth. Here, White swaps pawns - and gets away with it. Better was 14.O-O-O Re8 15.Rhe1 h6 16.e6+ Ke7 17.Qh4+ g5 18.Qxh6 Bxe6 19.Qxe6+ Kf8.

14...cxd6

Missing a chance to win the enemy Queen with 14...Re8.

It is time for White to wrap thing up.

15.O-O-O Kc7 16.Qc4+ Kb8 17.Rhe1 b6 18. Re7 a5 19.Qc7 checkmate