Jerome Gambit: It Only Takes One Slip

One attraction of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) for club players is that it might only take one slip for the defender to fall into significant danger.

The following game is an excellent example. Instead of looking more deeply into the position at move 8, Black saves time and relies on a remembered chess maxim - which, in this case, leads to disaster.

AyltsMe - Huy0404

10 5 rapid, 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 g6

Black remembers the old piece of advice: If your piece is attacked, you might not have to move it away, if you can attack one of your oppoent's more valuable pieces.

In this case, however, the advice fails. In an instance, the game goes from (theoretically) "Won for Black" to "Won for White".

9.Qxe5+ Kc6 

Can White now afford to capture Black's Rook?

Years ago, I faced that question, in  perrypawnpusher - spontex, 8 8 blitz, FICS, 2009 (1/2-1/2, 59), and played 10.Qd5+, going for a non-existant checkmate. It was better to simply take the Rook

I corrected the mistake in  perrypawnpusher - vermifugo, blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 38).

10.Qxh8 

10...Qh4+ 

Black responds sharply, as he must.

Stockfish 16.1 suggests 10...b6 or 10...b5, with the idea of Black's King retreating to b7; but the text move appears more human.

11.g3 Qh3 12.Qxg8 Qg2 

Black's Queen hopes to duplicate the infliction of mayhem, but events overtake the defender.

13.Qd5+ Kb6 14.Rf1 d6 15.Qb3+ Kc6 16.Nc3 Bg4 17.Qb5 checkmate