How well do you know the Jerome Gambit? Certainly, the first four moves: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+. Likely the next two, as well, after 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 and either 6.Qh5+ or 6.d4. As the following game illustrates, it is helpful to know a few more, critical, moves in a variation that guarantees that Black's game will be nasty, brutish and short. vlastous - imed 86 internet, 2019 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Nf6
Black clearly is unfamiliar with the Jerome Gambit, and, in attacking White's Queen, manages to quickly return both sacrificed pieces. The Database has 63 games with this position, with White scoring 73% - I am surprised that White doesn't do better. You should know the follow-up. 8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 Nxe4
Black's second gaffe makes things worse. Again, White should be able to spot the tactic right away. 10.Qd5+ Kf8 Instead, 10...Kf6 was met by 11.b4!? in Vlastous - Orca, ChessManiac.com, 2016 (1-0, 16) 11.Qxe4 Qf6 12.O-O d6
13.Re1 Kf7 14.Qc4+ Kg6 15.Nc3 Rf8
Black still has fight in him, and envisions a counter-attack down the f-file, aimed at White's King. White has other ideas. 16.Nd5 Qf7 17.Re7 Qf5 18.Qxc7 Qxd5
What else? But, if it looks like Black can now no longer escape checkmate, you are right. 19.Rxg7+ Kf5 20.Rg5+ Ke4 21.d3+ Kd4 22.c3+ Kxd3 23.Rxd5+ Ke4 24.Qc4 checkmate
Chessfriend Vlastimil Fejfar sent a couple more of his games. They fit in well with the current "Theory and Practice" theme. Here is the first, which illustrates an important, if infrequent line, where Black's carelessness (who needs to analyze against the Jerome Gambit?) needs to be addressed right away, with an immediate advantage to White. Suddenly, a "funny" opening isn't funny any more. Vlastous - Orca ChessManiac.com, 2016. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Nf6
Despite developing a piece that attacks the enemy Queen, this move is an error. White needs to know the proper response and play it quickly, as it leads to a position where he is up a couple of pawns (not down a couple of pieces). The Database has 56 games with this position, with White scoring 73%. (In club play, a 2-pawn advantage isn't always decisive. See "Blunder Table" for Geoff Chandler's interesting point of view.) 8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 Nxe4 10.Qd5+ Kf6 11.b4
