Jerome Gambit: It's Complicated

One answer to the question "Why do people play the Jerome Gambit?" is simply "It's complicated".

For example, the following game.

N7PRO - dim62

3 2 blitz, Lichess Bundesliga Team, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6

Blackburne's defense. 

8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.O-O

As we recently saw in GeNer4tion_KiLL - mahan9191, 3 2 blitz, Streamer Arena August '25, lichess.org, 2025, 9.d4 was a strong alternative.

See, also, see the post "Updating the Blackburne Defense (Part 1)" 

9...Nf6 10.Qd8 Bh3 

Quoting from the post "Updating the Blackburne Defense (Part 2)" 

The most exciting move in the position is Chandler's 10...Bh3!?, when White has to temporarily forego the Rook at a8 and focus on checking Black: 11.Qxc7+ (11.g3? Qxe4 12.Qxc7+ Kf8 White resigned, Siggus - toe, FICS, 2007; 11.Qxa8? Qg4 12.Qe8+ Nxe8 13.g3 Qf3 14.Re1 Qg2#) 11...Kf8! (11...Kg8 lost in Chandler,G - Dimitrov, T/5 minute special game 2004; in Hiarcs 8 - RevvedUp, blitz 2 12, 2006 [1-0, 17]; and AsceticKingK9 - blackburne, ChessWorld JG6, 2011 [1-0, 22] ) and analysis by Geoff Chandler and, later, Dennis Monokroussos (see the two posts on his blog) show that the outcome is a draw, as it is too dangerous for either player to look for more.

11.Qxc7+ Kg8 

A slip - remember, this is a 3-minute game. As Chandler noted

In my Game v Todd he played the natural 11...Kg8 which allows a check on b3 12.Qxb7 Qg4 13.Qb3+ Kg7 14.Qxh3

12.Qxb7 Re8 

Seen in Hiarcs 8 - RevvedUp, blitz 2 12, 2006 (1-0, 17).

Black's powerful development does not balance his deficit of the exchange and four pawns.

13.gxh3

This capture is tempting, and avoids the arguably stronger, simplifying, long line of play: 13.Qb3+ Be6 14.Qg3 Qxg3 15.hxg3 Nxe4 16.d3 Nxf2 17.Rxf2 Rf8 18.Bf4 g5 19.Nd2 gxf4 20.gxf4 Rxf4 21.Nf3 Bxf2+ 22.Kxf2 leaves White a couple of pawns up.

13...Qxh3

There is a complicated alternative that would force White to give up his Queen - 13...Qg5+ 14.Kh1 Nxe4 15.Qxe4 Rxe4 16.d3 Rf4 17.Nc3 Qh4 18.Bxf4 Qxf4 19.Rae1 Qf3+ 20.Kh1 Qxh3 - when White has two Rooks and two pawns for the Queen.

14.Qb3+ 

Forcing the exchange of Queens, when Black has no compensation for his Rook and three pawn deficit.

14...Qxb3 15.axb3 Black resigned