My second foray into Jerome Gambit land in the current Italian Game tournament at Chess.com was a lot longer, and a lot less successful, than my first. As I note, below, the Gambiteer has to take the efforts of the defender seriously, or risk the consequences.
perrypawnpusher - starwex
Chess.com Italian game thematic, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
The Jerome Gambit.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.O-O b6
I have always been suspicious of this Bishop fianchetto against the Jerome, but, in general, I have taken serious steps against it. In this game, my skepticism made me lazy.
11.f4
An alternative pawn setup, which Bill Wall has used, is 11.d4 Bb7 12.f3.
11...Bb7 12.Nc3
After the game Houdini suggested 12.d3 Kf7 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc6 15.Qb3+ Kf8 16.Qd3 Qe7 17.Re1 Nb4 18.Qb3 Nc6 19.Qd3, which I guess it evaluated as even, as it has Black repeating the position. Interesting...
12...d5 13.f5
Sigh. I have many times gained from my opponents underestimating my chances with the Jerome Gambit. Here I repeat the same error, dis-respecting Black's plan. Better play (but still better for Black) would have been the simple 13.exd5 Nxd5 14.Qg3.
13...d4 14.Qg3 dxc3 15.fxg6 cxd2 16.Bxd2 Qxd2 17.e5 Qd4+ 18.Kh1 hxg6 19.exf6 Qd6
It is clear that White has next-to-nothing for his sacrificed material, and little changes over the rest of the game.
20.fxg7+ Kxg7 21.Qc3+ Kg8 22.Qc4+ Bd5 23.Qf4 Qxf4 24.Rxf4 Kg7
25.c4 Bf7 26.b3 Rae8 27.Rd1 Re2 28.Rdf1 Be6 29.R4f2 Rxf2
30.Rxf2 Rd8 31.h4 Rd4 32.g3 Bf5 33.Re2 c5 34.Re7+ Kh6 35.Rxa7
Whistling by the graveyard.
35...Kh5 36.Ra6 Kg4 37.Rxb6 Kxg3 White resigned
