My most recent Jerome Gambit game (an Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, a relatively more difficult line for me), was a rather sketchy affair, with both my opponent and me missing multiple opportunities to put the game away, even as we both dove into time troubles.
Inspired by Philidor1792's play with the extra "Jerome pawns" against Black's extra piece, I persevered, reaching a position that was winning for White.
 |
| perrypawnpusher - Velascovillar blitz, FICS, 2012 |
54.d5
This "safety play," eliminating Black's last pawn and guaranteeing White at least a draw (while creating connected, passed, center pawns), is not correct.
Instead, I should have played 54.c5!, as the a1-h8 diagonal would then be cut off for Black's dark-squared Bishop, and White's advanced pawns would overwhelm his opponent's light-squared Bishop: e.g. 54...Bc7 55.h7, etc.
54...cxd5 55.cxd5 Bc7
This works, too, but more direct would have been 55...Bd4, when Black's Bishops and his King effectively blockade the White pawns, and the game is only drawn.
56.h7
Superficially scary, but Black has everything under control once he stops the h-pawn with 56...Be5 and then plays ...Be8 to stop the center pawns. (It's like playing a Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame with an extra Bishop.)
56...Bf5+
Now one of the pawns will be unstoppable.
57.Kg2 Be4+ 58.Kf2 Bb6+ 59.Be3 Black resigned
