Jerome Gambit: Attack the King vs Grind Your Opponent Down

 

Given the wild nature of the Jerome Gambit, it can be expected that attackers are looking to checkmate the enemy King as soon as possible.

True, but sometimes along the way, White gains enough material - via attack, or by the defender giving back some to blunt the attack - that reducing the game to a clearly won endgame is also quite nice.

The following game is a good example.

SUPREMEAPAP - NN

3 2 blitz, Chess.com, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4..Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ 

Nice, SUPREMEAPAP applies the "Nudge" instead of the immediate capture of the Bishop, to send the enemy King to the back rank where it can possibly interfere with the development of his King's Rook. 

Sure, White uses up an extra tempo, but when Black plays ...Kf7, so will he.

7... Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3

From an historical perspective, we can give the alternate move, 9.Qc3, played in Jerome,A - Brownson,O, Iowa 1875 (1 - 0, 28).

9...Nf6 10.d3 

This is stronger than 10.d4, seen in the early Charlick,H - Mann,J, correspondence, Australia 1881 (1-0, 72) 

10...Qe7 11.O-O Kf7 

Black plans to castle-by-hand.

12.f4 Re8 13.f5 Ne5 14.Qh3 Kf8 

The defender still has to be careful, as the action is going to take place on the Kingside.

15.Bg5 g6 

This is a 3-part move: it allows Black's Queen to protect the pawn at h7 and it attacks White's pawn at f5.

The third part? Unfortunately, it weakens the Kings' protection and spurs White's attack.

Less consequential would have been 15...h6 16.Bxf6 Qxf6 17.Nc3 c6 18.Rae1 

16.Qh6+ Qg7 17.Qh4 Kf7 18.fxg6+ hxg6 

19.Rxf6+

Also possible was 19.Bxf6, but the text lands with psychological impact.

19...Kg8 20.Nd2 Re6 21.Raf1 Rxf6 22.Bxf6 Qh7 

Exchanging Queens will help on defense.

23.Qxh7+ 

White reduces things to a won endgame.

23...Kxh7 24.Bxe5 dxe5 25.Nc4 Bd7 26.Rf7+ Black resigned

Behind the exchange and two pawns, Black slips and alows the win of his Bishop.