I have faced a number of defenders who fought back against the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) by putting their light-squared Bishop on b7 and putting one or two Rooks on the g-file. My success made me lazy in the following game, and the result was not hard to predict.
perrypawnpusher - xxfred
blitz, FICS, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Neg4
The nice thing about being two pieces ahead is that you have many choices on how to give one back.
8.dxc5 d6
Black has played a number of alternatives, the first shown here being a bit too exotic:
8...Nxf2 9.Kxf2 Rf8 10.Rf1 Kg8 11.Kg1 d6 12.Bg5 dxc5 13.e5 h6 14.Qxd8 Rxd8 15.exf6 hxg5 16.fxg7 Kxg7 17.Ne4 Bf5 18.Nxc5 Bxc2 19.Ne6+ Kg6 20.Nxd8 Rxd8 21.Rac1 Rd2 22.Rf2 Rxf2 23.Kxf2 Be4 24.Rxc7 a5 25.Rc4 Bd5 26.Ra4 b6 27.b4 axb4 28.Rxb4 Bxa2 29.Rxb6+ Kh5 30.h3 Bd5 31.Rb5 Bc4 32.Rc5 Be6 33.Re5 Bc4 34.Re4 Bd5 35.Rd4 Bc6 36.g3 Be8 37.h4 gxh4 38.Rxh4+ Kg5 39.Kf3 Bc6+ 40.Kf2 Bd5 41.Rd4 Bc6 42.Rc4 Bd7 43.Kf3 Bc6+ 44.Ke3 Bb5 45.Rf4 Bc6 46.Kd4 Bg2 47.Kc5 Ba8 48.Kd6 Bb7 49.Ke5 Bc6 50.Rb4 Bf3 51.Rf4 Bd1 52.Rf5+ Kg4 53.Rf1 Bf3 54.Rg1 Bd1 55.Kd4 Bf3 56.Ke3 Bc6 57.Kf2 Bd5 58.Rd1 Bc6 59.Rd4+ Kg5 60.Ke3 Bb7 61.Rb4 Bc6 62.Rb6 Bd7 63.Rd6 Bb5 64.Rd5+ Kg4 65.Rxb5 Kxg3 66.Rb4 Kg2 67.Kd2 Kf3 68.Ke1 Ke3 69.Rb5 Kd4 70.Rb4+ Black forfeited on time, yorgos - mikheilmikeladze, FICS, 2009;
8...Qe8 9.Bf4 Nxe4 10.Qd5+ Kf8 11.Qxe4 Qxe4+ 12.Nxe4 d5 13.cxd6 cxd6 14.Nxd6 Be6 15.f3 Nf6 16.0-0-0 Ke7 17.Nxb7 Bxa2 18.Rhe1+ Kf7 19.b3 Rac8 20.Nd6+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Kaiser, Chess.com, 2010; and
8...Qe7 9.0-0 Qe5 10.b4 Qxh2 checkmate, stretto - HunterCuinn, FICS, 2008.
9.cxd6 cxd6 10.0-0 Re8 11.Bg5 Kg8 12.h3 Ne5 13.Qd4 Rf8
Missing a chance for the tactical pawn grab: 13...Bxh3 (if 14.gxh3 Nf3+).
14.Rad1 Nf7 15.Bxf6 Qxf6 16.Qxf6 gxf6 17.Nb5 Rb8 18.Nxd6 Nxd6 19.Rxd6 Kh8
White has three pawns for his sacrificed piece, and the game looks about even.
20.Rfd1 Rg8 21.Kh2 f5 22.e5 b6 23.Rf6 Rb7 24.f4
A complete misunderstanding of the needs of the position. White's g-pawn is going to take a lot of heat. Black, too, can attack in the Jerome Gambit!
24...Rbg7 25.Rd2
Better 25.Rg1
25...Bb7 26.Rxf5
Suicide.
26...Rxg2+ 27.Rxg2 Rxg2+ 28.Kh1 Rg5+ White resigned
