I got to play an online blitz game the other day, and it was reassuring to see that tradition is still respected.
perrypawnpusher - SSGSSGSSG
5 5 blitz, FICS, 2018
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6
The Two Knights defense. I have to try for a Jerome, anyhow.
4.Nc3 Bc5
Now I can get a Jerome out of this.
For some reason I am always uneasy playing this line. Hmmm. Let me check The Database...
I thought so. I have played 60 games with the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit line, and have scored only 74%.
That compares to the regular Jerome Gambit move order, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, which I have played 319 times and have scored 82%.
Or the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+, which I have played 58 times, and have scored 88%.
Even with the Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.Bxf7, which I have played 58 times, I have scored 78%.
(It has to be me. I just checked Bill Wall's statistics, and he scores "only" 92% with the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, vs 93% with the regular Jerome.)
5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bb4
There you have it. Problem solved. Stockfish 9 even gives Black a 1/3 of a pawn advantage here. Now to finish White off.
8.dxe5 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Nxe4
10.Qd5+
How rude.
This kind of thing happens in blitz games all the time. Three of my past games ended at this point: perrypawnpusher - ohforgetit, blitz, FICS, 2010; perrypawnpusher - KnightIsHorse, blitz, FICS, 2011; and perrypawnpusher - Sonndaze, blitz, FICS, 2011.
10...Kf8
Or 10...Ke8, as in perrypawnpusher - Aerandir, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 15).
11.Qxe4 d6
12.O-O Qe7
I had seen 12...dxe5 13.Qxe5 Qe7 before (but, of course, did not remember it) in perrypawnpusher - obmanovichhh, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 39).
The text has a weakness (putting the Queen on a dangerous diagonal) that 12...Qe8 might have avoided.
13.Ba3 Be6
Probably stronger than 13...c5, which was seen in perrypawnpusher - Abatwa, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 17); but Stockfish 9 prefers 13...Kf7.
14.exd6 cxd6
Okay. Time to take stock. White has recovered his sacrificed piece, with better development and a safer King. His extra pawn is not a big deal, as it is doubled and isolated - a fair reminder that lazy play could lead to a Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame that Black could draw easily.
So - What weakness in Black's position should White focus on?
15.Rae1
I decided to pin the Bishop and put pressure on it.
If you thought, instead, that White should go after the d-pawn with 15.Rad1, threatening Black's Queen and King along the a3-f8, Stockfish 9 agrees with you.
15...Kf7 16.f4 g6
17.f5 gxf5 18.Rxf5+ Kg7
19.Qxe6
Sure, this works, but so does 19.Qg4+ Kh6 20.Rh5 checkmate. Ooops.
Now Black has to exchange Queens and go into a lost endgame - or face checkmate.
19...Qc7 20.Qf6+ Black resigned
