Jerome Gambit: Remarkably Effective

An "objective" assessment of the Jerome Gambit is that Black should win.

A practical assessment of the Jerome Gambit played at the club level, however, is that it can be remarkably effective for White.

The successful path of the first player, it must be admitted, involves passing through initial dangers. 

In the following game, Bill Wall is accompanied in his journey by four passed pawns, and they chaperone him successfully. 

Wall, Bill - Twister

internet, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qxc5 d6 8.Qd5+ Ke8 9.O-O 

Black has the typical Jerome Gambit piece-for-two pawns advantage.

White's castling makes sense, before he is distracted by threats to his Queen.

Bill has also played 9.d3 c6 10.Qb3 as in Wall,B - Seven11, Chess.com, 2008 (1-0, 51); and 

9.d4 N8e7 10.Qb3 as in Wall,B - Am53, PlayChess.com 2013 (1-0, 14) and Wall,B - Guest7665109, PlayChess.com, 2019 (1-0, 22).

9...Nf4 10.Qb5+ 

Bill has raised this question in similar positions in other games - Block the check with the Bishop and lose the b-pawn? He now suggests 10.Qa5. 

10...c6 11.Qc4

A slip, unusual for Bill, as Black now has the murderous 11...Be6. Instead, the second player plays an even more dangerous move.

11...Qg5 12.g3 Bh3

This move is okay, but 12...Qh5 (or 12...Be6) was stronger.

13.Re1 Qg4 14.e5 

Opening the e-file against the enemy King bids to keep White in the game.

The Queens can now come off the board with 14...Qf3 15.Qe4 Qxe4 16.Rxe4 Ng6 17.exd6+ Kd7 and both Kings looks safe. 

14...d5 15.Qxf4 Qxf4 16.gxf4 

Stockfish 16.1 evaluates White as being about a pawn better, but that extra one is passed and protected.

Now White's Rook becomes active and infiltrates the enemy position.

16...Nh6 17.Re3 Bf5 18.d3 Ng4 19.Rg3 h5 20.f3 Nh6 21.Rxg7 Kf8 22.Rxb7 

22...Rg8+ 23.Kf2 Rg6 24.Nc3 d4 25.Ne4 Bxe4 26.dxe4 h4 

White's "Jerome pawns" are scary.

27.f5 Nxf5 28.exf5 Rg8 29.Bh6+ Black resigned

White has a checkmate in 7.