Jerome Gambit: Just Win

It can be enjoyable to win a game by executing a long, forced, checkmate - so long as it doesn't take up too much time or energy.

Sometimes, as in the following game, a King hunt allows White to just win. 

Tracy824 - ellnegro

5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 Nc6 8.Qd5+ Ke7 

Tracy824 has also faced 8...Kf6, i.e. 9.Qg5+ (9.Qf5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ d6 11.Qe3 transposing to familiar setups) 9...Ke6 10.Qxc5 d6 11.Qf2 Qf6 12.O-O Nge7 13.c3 Kf7 14.d4 Re8 15.Qe2 d5 16.e5 Qe6 17.Be3 Kg8 18.Nd2 Rf8 19.Nf3 h6 20.h3 b6 21.g4 Nd8 22.f5 Qf7 23.Nh4 g5 24.fxg6 Qg7 25.Rxf8+ Qxf8 26.Nf5 Nxf5 27.gxf5 Bxf5 28.Rf1 Qf6 29.Rf2 Qxg6+ 30.Rg2 Qxg2+ 31.Qxg2+ Kf7 32.Bxh6 Ne6 33.Qf2 Rg8+ 34.Kh2 Rh8 35.Qxf5+ Ke7 36.Qf6+ Kd7 37.Qxh8 Black resigned, Tracy824 - DEATH_MARC, lichess.org, 2024 

9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qg5+

White plays something more aggressive than the usual retreat to e3.

The Database gas 45 games with this position White scores 69%.

10...Nf6 

Develop a piece and block the check? Tempting, but it is an error.

Tracy824 has also faced 10...Ke8 11.Qxg7 Nf6? 12.Qxh8+ Black resigned, Tracy824 - tahlo, 5 0 blitz, lichess, 2024.

Probably best for Black is 10...Kf7. The Database has 15 games with that position, although White still scores 60%. For club players, defending is more difficult than attacking.

11.e5 

Instead, White could win a Rook after 11.Qxg7+ Ke8  12.Qxh8+ Kf7 13.Qxd8 Nxd8 14.d3.

White might have chosen the text, to win a piece, because he did not see that Black's other line would have led to checkmate in 14! -  11.Qxg7+ Ke6 12.f5+ Ke5 13.Qg3+ Kxe4 14.O-O Kd5 15.c4+ Kxc4 16.Na3+ Kc5 17.Qc3+ Kd5 18.Qb3+ Ke5 19.Nc4+ Kd5 20.Nb6+ Kc5 21.d4+ Nxd4 22.Be3 d5 23.Bxd4+ Kd6 24.Qb4+ c5 25.Qxc5#.

Who could blame him? 

11...dxe5 12.fxe5 h6

When your opponent attacks one of your pieces, look to find one of his - possibly more important - to attack.

This sage piece of advice does not work for Black here. He should have surrendered the Knight with 12...Kf7 13.exf6  and had an equal game after 13...Re8+ 14.Kd1 Qxf6 15.Qxf6+ gxf6 16.h3.

13.exf6+ gxf6 14.Qg7+ Kd6 

Escaping to e6 might have been better, as further play shows.

15.O-O f5 

Hoping to save the pawn.

16.Qg6+ Kc5 

Seeking shelter from the storm.

17.c3 Ne5 

At b6 the Black King might not be checkmated, but the second player would be behind in material and King safety. 

18.d4+ 

Black may escape checkmate, but not the loss of the game.

18...Kb5 19.dxe5 c6 20.Na3+ Kb6 21.Nc4+ Kc7 22.Qd6+ Qxd6 23.exd6+ Black resigned

White is up a piece, a pawn, and a safer King.

If you found checkmates earlier in the game - in 12 moves, in 11 moves, in 10 moves - be careful: in a 5-minute game, you do not need to spend time on such long calculations, if something simpler, if less forceful, presents itself.