As I continued looking for the "essence" of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), or at least an insight into how it "works", I discovered that some of the 7-move games in The Database began to "predict" some of the regular main lines.
For example, in the following three games White's recovery of one of the pieces that he had sacrificed is enough for Black to surrender, even though the second player actually remained with the advantage.
mediax - TJay2465
Jerome Gambit Thematic
ChessWorld.net, 2008
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5 1-0
Petasluk - mihck
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 1-0
perrypawnpusher - Aerandir
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5 1-0
Some of the other short games began to highlight the attacking ideas open to White in the Jerome Gambit, if the defense faltered.
stivb_99 - spymaster
gameknot.com, 2008
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7 (in The Database, White won 6 out of 8 games against this move) 6.Qh5 d6 7.Qf7#
Esistes - ClosetDoor
blitz, FICS, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 (The Database, White won 22, lost 8, and drew 1 against this move) 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qf7#
escapade - Sakebomb
blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d4 Nxd4 6.Nxe5+ Ke8 7.Qh5+ (in 89 games in The Database that reached this position, White won 59%) 1-0
perrypawnpusher - gelgel
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke7 7.Qxe5+ 1-0
Knight32 - Haroldlee123
Jerome Gambit Thematic,
ChessWorld, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.c3 Nf6 6.Ng5+ Kg8 7.Qb3+ (White won 2 of 5 games with this position in The Database) 1-0
Sometimes the Jerome Gambit (and its relatives) can have a frightening impact on those who face it, causing them to make decisions that they might not make during calmer times... Here are three recent example.
jollygood - kremba
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.Qh5 Nf6 7.Qg5 h6 8.Qf4 Nxc2+ 9.Kd1 Nxa1 10.d4 d5 11.Re1 Nxe4 12.f3 Bb4 13.Re2 g5 14.Qg4+ Kd6 15.Nf7+ Kc6 Black resigned
It is true that Black's Queen is threatened, and that White will win it with check, 16.Nxd8+. After 16...Rxd8, though, Black will have a Rook, a Knight and a Bishop for his Queen; and after, for example, 17.Qh5 Nd6 18.Qxh6 Bf5 he has already begun to consolidate his position.Verdict: complicated, but too soon to resign.
fianchettosstorm - fwenkey
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.0-0 Nf6 5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Ng5+ Kg8 7.c3 h6 8.Nf3 Nxe4 9.d4 exd4 10.cxd4 Bd6 11.Ne5 Nxe5 12.dxe5 Bxe5 13.Re1 Black resigned
It is true that White will now win back a piece, but this will still leave Black up a pawn, and he can add a couple more with 13...Bxh2+ 14.Kxh2 Qh4+ 15.Kg1 Qxf2+ (when he still has a draw in hand via repeated Queen checks).
Declining the Bishop with 13...Bxh2+ 14.Kf1 (14.Kh1? Nxf2+ winning the Queen) still leaves Black up three pawns after 14...Nf6 15.g3 d5 16.Kg2 Bxg3 17.fxg3 Bf5. Verdict: complicated, but too soon to resign.
Petasluk - mihck
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
The Jerome Gambit.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Black resigned
Verdict: complicated, but too soon to resign.
