Jerome Gambit: Cool! A 19-Move Something-or-Other

The intricacies of the following bullet game can better be appreciated if we slow time down - with annotations.

I continue to be impressed by players who need only a minute or two to succeed with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). 

Redtheone - arashtash1976

2 1 bullet, lichess.org, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Ne7

There are 65 games in The Database with this position. White scores 72%. 

Best for Black, here, is 8...Kc6!? first seen, according to The Database, in Philidor1792 - NN, 2012 (0-1, 17). 

9.Qxe5+ Kc6 10.d4 

White's move is sharp, but not as effective as 10.Qc3. See Jerome Gambit Secrets #5

10...Bd6 

Redtheone has faced the stronger 10...d6, but not necessarily successfully: 11.Qxg7 (11.d5+?! Kb6 [11...Kd7 12.Qg5 Qf8 13.g3 c6 14.dxc6+ Nxc6 15.Qd5 Qe7 16.b3 Re8 17.e5 Kc7 18.Ba3 Bxa3 19.Nxa3 dxe5 20.Nb5+ Kb8 21.O-O-O exf4 22.gxf4 a6 23.Nd6 Qe3+ 24.Kb1 Rd8 25.Qf7 Ka7 26.Nxc8+ Raxc8 27.Rxd8 Rxd8 28.Qxg7 Qxf4 White resigned, Redtheone - mohammadhosseynchess, lichess.org, 2024] 12.Qc3 Nxd5 13.exd5 Qh4+ 14.g3 Re8+ 15.Kf1 Bh3 checkmate, Redtheone - Gnel_Danielyanm lichess.org, 2024) 11...Bb6 12.c3 Rg8 13.Qxh7 Rxg2 14.Nd2 Bg4 15.Nc4 Re2+ 16.Kf1 Nc8 17.h3 Bf3 18.Rg1 Bxe4 19.Nxb6? Bxh7 20.Nxa8 (Black now has a forced checkmate, and he eventually gets there) Bd3 21.Rg2 Rxg2+ 22.Kxg2 Ne7 23.Nxc7 Kxc7 24.Be3 Qg8+ 25.Kf2 Nf5 26.Rg1 Qxg1+ 27.Kxg1 Nxe3 28.Kf2 Nc4 29.b3 Nb6 30.h4 Nd7 31.Kg3 Nf6 32.Kf3 Bb1 33.a3 Bc2 34.b4 Bf5 35.Ke3 b5 36.Kf3 a6 37.Ke3 Kc6 38.Kd2 Kd5 39.Ke3 Kc4 40.Kd2 Kb3 41.a4 Kxa4 42.Ke3 Kb3 43.Kd2 Kc4 44.h5 Nxh5 45.Ke3 Kxc3 46.d5 Kc4 47.Kd2 Kxb4 48.Ke3 Kc4 49.Kd2 Nxf4 50.Ke3 Nxd5+ 51.Kf3 Nc3 52.Kf4 Be6 53.Ke3 Bd5 54.Kd2 a5 55.Kc2 a4 56.Kb2 a3+ 57.Kxa3 b4+ 58.Kb2 Bc6 59.Kc2 d5 60.Kd2 d4 61.Kc2 d3+ 62.Kd2 b3 63.Kc1 Bd5 64.Kb2 d2 65.Ka1 d1=Q+ 66.Kb2 Qc2+ 67.Ka3 Qa2 checkmate, Redtheone - jaisnana, lichess.org, 2025

11.d5+ Kb6 

Black's King looks for safety, far from home.

The tables have turned, and White is better.

12.Qd4+

Redtheone has also tried 12.Be3+ c5? 13.Qxd6+ Ka5 14.Qxc5+ (14.Bd2+ Kb5 15.a4+ Kc4 16.Na3+ Kd4 17.Qe5 checkmate) b5 15.b4+ (15.Qa3 checkmate) Ka6 16.a4 Qb6 17.axb5+ Kb7 18.Qxb6+ axb6 19.Rxa8 Kxa8 20.Bxb6 Ng6 21.g3 d6 22.Bc7 Bg4 23.Bxd6 Re8 24.e5 Bf3 25.O-O Bxd5 26.Rc1 Bc4 27.b6 Kb7 28.Bc5 Ne7 29.c3 Nd5 30.Na3 Bd3 31.c4 Nxb6 32.Bxb6 Kxb6 33.c5+ Kc6 34.b5+ Kb7 35.c6+ Kb6 36.c7 Rc8 37.Rc3 Bxb5 38.Nxb5 Kxb5 39.Kf2 Kb6 40.Ke3 Rxc7 41.Rxc7 Kxc7 42.Ke4 Kd7 43.f5 Ke7 44.g4 Kf7 45.h4 Ke7 46.Kf4 Kf7 47.g5 Ke7 48.f6+ gxf6 49.gxf6+ Kf7 50.h5 h6 51.Kf5 Kg8 52.Kg6 Kf8 53.Kxh6 Kf7 54.Kg5 Ke6 55.h6 Kxe5 56.f7 Black resigned, Redtheone - wejaq, lichess.org, 2024 

Untested is 12.Qc3!?

12...Bc5 13.Qxg7 Ng6 14.Nc3 

14...a6 

Seeking shelter for his King. He might have tried, instead, putting his King on a6, or looking to exchange Queens with 14...Qe7.

15.Na4+ Kb5 16.Nxc5 Kxc5 17.Qc3+ Kb6 18.Be3+ Kb5 19.a4 checkmate

A quick glance at this game might allow a viewer to think Cool! A 19-move Jerome Gambit checkmate! but checking out the individual moves, and the notes, above, would change that perception to Cool! A 19-move Jerome Gambit escape - and then checkmate!