The well-rounded Jerome Gambit player knows his opening, but he also knows how to play the middle games that could arise, and he is ready to carry the fight into the endgame.
The following game shows the "1-0" arising from the threat to promote a passed pawn in a Rook and pawns endgame.
bgl001 - Kelv60.
5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6
9.Qd4
The Queen often retreats to e3, in the process preventing 9...Qg5. Here, she eyes the dark squares.
9...Nf6
Recently played: 9...Qe7 10.Nc3 c6 11.d3 h6 12.O-O Nf6 13.Re1 Qe5 14.Qe3 Ng4 15.Qg3 Rf8 16.Qxe5+ N6xe5 17.f3 Nf6 18.Bf4 g5 19.Bg3 h5 20.d4 Ng6 21.Bxd6 Rf7 22.e5 Nd5 23.Nxd5 cxd5 24.e6 Rh7 25.Re2 Nf4 26.Bxf4 gxf4 27.Rae1 Ke7 28.Re5 b6 29.Rxd5 Bb7 30.Rd7+ Black resigned, DropBearMKJ-brianthehammer, Chess.com, 2020.
10.d3 Kf7 11.Bg5 Be6
Black is happy to further his development, but this Bishop placement, along with the Knight at g6, encourages White's next move.
12.f4 h6 13.Bxf6 Qxf6 14.Qxf6+ Kxf6
Black captures with his King to keep his Kingside pawns intact.
15.f5 Nf4 16.fxe6 Nxg2+ 17.Kf2 Nf4 18.Ke3 Nxe6
The game is balanced. White is going to have to out-play his opponent. This is a 5 minute game, and the surprise and strangeness of the Jerome Gambit may have given him a lead on the clock.
19.Rf1+ Ke7 20.Nc3 Raf8 21.Nd5+ Kd7 22.a4 c6 23.Nf4 Nxf4 24.Rxf4 Rxf4 25.Kxf4 Rf8+ 26.Ke3 Ke6 27.Rg1 g5 28.h4 gxh4 29.Rh1 Rh8 30.Rxh4 h5
Black's h-pawn has no future. The game is still even, and it is hard to know if White is disappointed because he doesn't have a checkmating attack, or relieved that he is no longer down two pieces. In any event, he presses on.
31.Kf4 Kf6 32.d4 a5 33.e5+ dxe5+ 34.dxe5+ Kg6
35.e6
Premature, but he gets away with it.
35...Rf8+
Forcing White's King to go where he wants to go. Black would have all the chances after 35...Kf6.
36.Ke5 Rf5+ 37.Kd6 Rf6 38.Kd7 c5 39.e7 Rf7 40.Kd8 Black resigned
I have received a number of Jerome Gambits that show clearly why players are drawn to it - the sacrifice shows up in a variety of lines, and the games feature quick finishes. Take a look.
In his first Jerome, Kylon tries what I have begun to call an "impatient Jerome Gambit" (White doesn't wait for ...Bc5) against the Hungarian Defense. In this case, impatience is rewarded, with a checkmate in 9 moves.
Kylon - PawnStar10111
3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Be7 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.d4 Nc4 8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.Qd5#
Rawnessman applies the Jerome treatment to the Two Knights Defense, in a 1-minute bullet game. His aim is true.
Rawnessman - chepea2019
1 0 bullet, Chess.com, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Ng6 7.e5 Nd5 8.Qf3+ Kg8 9.Qxd5#
The_Guccinator does not let his opponent hide in the Petroff Defense. A Jerome-inspired sacrificial attack brings mate in under 10 moves.
The_Guccinator - taks54321
15 10 blitz, Chess.com, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 Rg8 8.Nh8+ Ke7 9.Qe5#
Things did not go exactly as planned for Jean_Kn's opponent in the following game. At least the suffering was short.
Jean_Kn - teozuy
3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Nf6 8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 Black resigned
Changing sides of the board, Jean_Kn plays a reversed Jerome Gambit, also know as the Busch-Gass Gambit or Chiodini's Gambit.
Amess923 - Jean_Kn
3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020
1.Nf3 e5 2.e4 Bc5 3.Nxe5 Nc6 4.Nxc6 dxc6 5.d3 Nf6 6.Bg5 Bxf2+ 7.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 8.dxe4 Qxd1 White resigned
DropBearMKJ's first Jerome Gambit turned out better than he expected, and certainly better than his opponent had hoped.
DropBearMKJ - ximikmamaj
3 2 blitz, Chess.com, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qf6 8.Qxc5 Black resigned
Here we have another Two Knights that gets ambushed by an impatient Jerome Gambit. I think we've seen this kind of ending position before.
ChessBrah - kevvvvvvv
5 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nc6 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Nc6 7.e5 Nd5 8.Qf3+ Kg8 9.Qxd5#
Martynas-S is ready for a full fight after 8 moves in the Jerome Gambit. His opponent, however, is ready to turn over his King.
Martynas-S - OKKidA
5 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 Black resigned
