Jerome Gambit: Watch Your Step

If you are standing on ice, a dozen paces from the shore, you need to make twelve good steps - or you will fall.

That warning - in this case, to Black - reminds me of the following game.

MUNJA666 - rajesh99999

10 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2026

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 

The Semi-Italian Opening

4.O-O Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

Stockfish 17.1 (30 ply) evaluates the position about 2 1/2 pawns better for Black.

MUNJA666 has 42 games in The Database, scoring 70%.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ke6 8.Kh1 

A careful step, preparing f2-f4.

There are only 2 games in The Database (143,000 games) with this position.

8...Qg5 

Black hopes to stymie the attack by exchanging Queens.

Also 8...g6 9.Qh3+ Kf7 10.c3 Nf6 11.d4 d5 12.dxe5 Bxh3 13.exf6 Be6 14.e5 d4 15.Nd2 dxc3 16.bxc3 Qd3 17.Rb1 b5 18.Rxb5 Qxb5 White resigned, Robepersky - scalaQueen, 15 0 standard, FICS, 2025 

9.Qh3+ Qg4 10.Qb3+ Ke7 

Black has two extra pieces to White's two extra pawns. 

A 10-minute game is still kind of speedy, but the second player seems to have things in hand.

11.Nc3 Bb6 12.h3 Qg6 13.f4 Nc6 

Black's pieces (except for his King) are safe and sound.

14.f5 Qg3 

Oh, no! Watch your step!

15.Nd5+ Kd8 16.Qxg3 Black resigned

As baseball player and manager Yogi Berra once said, "It ain't over 'til it's over".

(I suspect that Yogi played chess, but not the Jerome.)