In the Jerome Gambit, White may get "only" a couple of pawns in exchange for his sacrificed piece, but, if he gives his pawns a chance, they can prove very helpful in the outcome of the game. The following contest is an example. White's calmness in the face of aggression at the end of the game is exciting, too - why become upset, if you can checkmate your opponent, first? vlastous - ADELAZIZ internet, 2019 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8
The Jerome Defense, presented by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome in his earliest published analyses. 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qf4+ Qf6 This is a perfectly logical move, offering to exchange Queens to blunt White's attack; and although it does not show up in early Jerome Gambit analyses, The Database points out that it is played twice as often as 8...Nf6. 9.d3 Qxf4 10.Bxf4 Nf6
11.Nc3 Kf7 This looks like a slight improvement over 11... a6, which was seen in vlastous - Nyanyiwa, internet 2017, (1-0, 34) 12.h4 Rf8 13.f3 Nh5 14.Bh2 Bb4 15.g4 Nf6 16.O-O Be6
The "Jerome pawns" already take on a menacing look, but Black is still doing fine. His problem will be finding and executing a successful defense and counter-attack. 17.Bg3 a6 18.Ne2 Rad8 19.Nf4 Rfe8 20.c3 Bc5+ 21.d4 Bb6 22.Kg2 d5
The move ...d5 is frequently good against the Jerome Gambit (and 1.e4 e5 openings in general) but here the move gives White's Kingside ambitions encouragement. Stockfish 10 suggests the quieter 22...g6. 23.e5 Ng8 24.Nxe6 Rxe6 25.f4 c5
The right idea, hitting back at the growing center. 26.f5 Rc6 27.e6+ Ke8 28.Be5 cxd4
This move looks like a slip, according to Stockfish 10, which suggests, instead, 28...Kf8 29.dxc5 Bxc5 30. g5 Bd6 31.Bd4 Bc5 and a draw by repetition. The computer is not yet impressed by the "Jerome pawns", but the problem with the text move is that White does not have to recapture at d4 - he can take the g7 pawn, instead, opening the way for the connected passed pawns that have suddenly grown fierce. 29.Bxg7 dxc3 30.bxc3 d4
To open lines, but his King's castle has already been breached. 31.g5 dxc3 32.f6 Rd2+ 33.Kh1 Rc4
Black's counter-attack looks scary, but White has one move at his disposal that brings home the point - by implementing his own mating attack. 34.f7+ Ke7 35.f8=Q+ Kxe6 36.Rae1+ Kd7 37.Qe8+ Kc7 38.Be5+ Black resigned
I just received another Jerome Gambit game played on the internet by Vlasta Fejfar ("vlastous"). The following game show the need for patience in certain lines of that wild, crazy attack. A certain amount of sitzfleisch helps, too. After a period of calm, White suddenly activates his Rooks, and Black does not react well to the danger. [By the way, this is post #2,500 on this blog. As Mortimer Snerd - or Edgar Bergen - said, "Who'd a thunk it?"] vlastous - Nyanyiwa internet, 2017 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
The defense 6...Kf8 is solid and sensible. It can lead to a position where the Queens come off the board before a dozen moves have been played. "Objectively" Black's extra piece is worth more than White's two extra pawns, but in the rough-and-tumble of club play - especially when the first player has knowledge or experience of such lines - there is play to be had for the gambiteer. 9.d3 Qxf4 10.Bxf4 Nf6 11.Nc3
Black has surrendered the Bishop pair to injure White's pawn structure. He still has a long way to go to collect more than a half point, however. In the meantime, White startssome action on the Kingside. 17.Kd2 Bd7 18.g4 h6 19.h4 d5 20.g5 hxg5 21.hxg5 Ng8
White is ready for some action on the Kingside, starting with a surprise. 22.g6+ Kxg6 Immediately, Black slips. He would have done better side-stepping the pawn with 22...Ke6, but he misses White's plan (perhaps because White has been so "quiet" with his play. The capture allows White a useful gain of tempo in response.
23.Rag1+ Kf7 24.Rh7 Ke7
You can see the rest of the game from here. Whites Rooks spring to life. 25.Rgxg7+ Kd6 26.Rxd7+ Kc6 27.Rxc7+ Kb5 28.exd5 Nf6
Black is suddenly 4 pawns down, 3 of them passed, but he hopes to use this Knight fork to win one back. Alas he slips. 29.Rh6 Nxd5 30.c4+ Black resigned
