Jerome Gambit: Complicated

The following game starts out in standard form, but ends with moves on both sides that makes it look like a blitz game.

I will plead "complications" for my mis-steps, as my opponsnt might, as well.

perrypawnpusher - WidowKoenig

Italian Game tournament, Chess.com, 2026

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

This move was listed as starting the "Third Variation" in the early Dubuque Chess Journal (July 1874) article and analysis, "Jerome's Double Opening", by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome.

It is Stockfish 17.1's first choice (32 ply), as I learned after the game. 

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6 

The text is, by far, the move most frequently played against me, although I have also faced 8...Qe7, 8...Qf6, and 8...Be6.

9.d3 Be6 

Black has a lot of move choices here. I have met 9...Be6 twice before, in perrypawnpusher - Sarantes, Let's Play the Italian Game tournament, Chess.com, 2018 (1-0, 37) and perrypawnpusher - TwoCatsOnTheCouch, Chess.com, 2025 (0-1, 40).

10.O-O Qd7 11.Be3 Ke7 

A slip. If Black is expecting White to exchange Bishops on c5, and then advance his f-pawn - then, placing Black's King on f7 (now that his Queen is on d7) looks risky; but once the dark square Bishops are off the board, Black would have the strong ...Qd4+, in any event, i.e. 11...Kf7 12.Bxc5 dxc5 13.f4 Qd4+

When you are playing many games at one time, this can happen.

12.Qxg7+ 

White is now better, but the position is still messy.

12...Bf7 13.Bg5 

Now, Black's best chance to jumble things up is 13...Bd4, when 14.Nc3 Bxc3 15.bxc3 Qe6 16.f4 Rag8 17.Qh6 Rxg5 18.Qxg5 Rg8 19.Qh4 Rg4 20.Qh3 Be8 21.Rae1 Qg8 22.Rf3 Bc6 23.Ree4 would look scary, but White could still hold, and eventually break in the center with e4-e5.

analysis diagram

13...Qe6 

If Black were to protect d5 with 13...c6, White would have the vacating sacrifice 14.e5 dxe5 15.Ne4, with advantage.

14.Nc3 Rag8 

Arriving late to the scene.

15.Bxf6+ 

Throwing the advantage away. Fortunately, both of us missed it.

The winning move was 15.Nd5+.

15...Qxf6 

Instead, 15...Kd7! would have given Black the chance to split the point, after 16.Qxh8 (awkward, but best) Rxg2+! 17.Kxg2 Qg4+ 18.Kh1 f3+ 19.Kg1 Qh4+, etc, drawing by repetion of position.

16.Nd5+ Black resigned