Jerome Gambit: Short and Sweet

The following Jerome Gambit game is quickly decided: one King is threatened, while the other King faces checkmate.

HollowFabio - Aruto22

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 

HollowFabio has 805 games in The Database, scoring 55%. They are about evenly split between 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, as in this game, and 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Bxf7+, coming out of the Two Knights Defense.

5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 g6 

It is tempting to kick the White Queen, especially if a defender underestimates her sally to h5 - or the entire Jerome Gambit, itself.

8.Qxe5+ 

The year before this game, White tried 8.Qh3+ and was lucky to escape with the point: 8...Ke7 9. fxe5 d6 10.Qc3 Nh6? 11.d4 Black resigned, HollowFabio - byamba0316, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2023. 

8... Kf7 9.Qxh8 Qh4+ 

Instead, 9...Qf6?! did not work out as well, although HollowFabio still scored the point 10.Qxf6+ Kxf6 11.c3 d5 12.e5+ Ke6 13.d4 Bb6 14.O-O c5 15.Be3 Ne7 16.Nd2 Nf5 17.Bf2 cxd4 18.cxd4 Bxd4 19.Bxd4 Nxd4 20.Nf3 Ne2+ 21.Kh1 Nxf4 22.Ng5+ Kxe5 23.Rae1+ Kf5 24.Nh3 g5 25.g3 Kg6 26.Nxf4+ gxf4 27.gxf4 (27.Re8!?) 27...Bf5 28.Rg1+ Kf6 29.Rg5 Rd8 30.Kg1 h6 31.Rh5 Kg6 32.Rh4 h5 33.Re5? Bg4? (33...d4!?) 34.h3 (34.Rg5+) 34...Bf3 $6 35.Kf2 Be4 36.Rhxh5 Rf8 37.Rhg5+ Kf6 38.Ke3 b6 39.h4 a5 40.h5 Rh8 41.Kd4 Rc8 42.Rxd5 Rc4+ 43.Kxc4 b5+ 44.Kxb5 Bd3+ 45.Kxa5 Be4 46.Rde5 Bd3 47.Rgf5+ Bxf5 48.Rxf5+ Kxf5 49.h6 Kg6 50.h7 Kxh7 51.Kb6 Kg6 52.Kc7 Kf5 53.b4 Kxf4 54.b5 Ke5 55.b6 Kd5 56.b7 Kc4 57.b8=Q Kc3 58.a4 Black resigned, HollowFabio - Diman43, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2024 

10.g3 

The earliest example of this line in The Database now continued 10...Qh5 11.Qc3 d6 12.d4 Bb6 13.Be3 Bg4 14.Nd2 Re8 15.e5 dxe5 16.dxe5 Ne7 (16...Qh3) 17.Bxb6 cxb6 18.Ne4 Bf3 19.Qc4+ (19.Qxf3 Qxf3 20.Ng5+ Kg8 21.Nxf3) 19...Kf8 20.Nf6 Qf5 21.Nxe8 Black resigned, filidor - frotz, blitz, FICS, 2000. 

10...Qh3 11.f5 

With his Queen on walkabout and enemy forces knocking at the door, White calmly moves to open the f-file against Black's King.

 11...Qg2 12.fxg6+ 

Precise.

Saving the Rook with 12.Rf1 allows 12...Qxe4+ 13.Kd1 Qg4+ 14.Ke1 Qe4+ etc. with a draw.

Likewise, after 12.Qxh7+ Kf8! White has nothing better than 13.Rf1, when 13...Qxe4+ 14.Kd1 Qg4+ 15.Ke1 Qe4+ etc. is again a draw.

12...hxg6 

Moving his King does not help.

13.Rf1+ 

Black must now give up his Queen - or his King.

13...Ke7 

There is now a checkmate in 6 moves

14.Qe5+ Black resigned

The ending might go 14...Kd8 15.Qg5+ Nf6 (15...Kf8 16.Qxg6+ Ke7 17.Rf7+ Kd8 18.Qxg8+ Bf8 19.Qxf8)16.Qxf6+ Ke8 17.Qh8+ Ke7 18.Qf8+ Ke6 19.Qf6 checkmate