Winning With the Jerome Gambit: A Game Full of Lessons

Winning with the Jerome Gambit, as many posts here have shown, can be explosive and fun. It can, as we have also seen, be slow, difficult and demanding.

In the following game Bill Wall faces a prudent opponent who is in no hurry to self-destruct. This reticence works against the defender, however, when his best line requires boldly sacrificing material to initiate an attack. The moment passes - and Bill fights his way to victory.

Playing through this game and enjoy its lessons.

Wall,B - Albulus
PlayChess.com, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

White enters the Jerome Gambit via the Two Knights Game or a closed variation of the Giuoco Piano. In doing so, he transposes into a "modern" Jerome - one without 5.Nxe5.

5...Kxf7 6.0-0

If Black had tricked White, a proponent of the "classic" Jerome lines (with 5.Nxe5), into an unfamiliar area of chess theory, that might have been a plus. Ah, but Bill has been here, and near here, before. Alternatives include

6.Nc3 Ng4 7.Ng5+ Kg8 8.Qxg4 d6 9.Qf3 Nb4 10.Qf7 checkmate, Wall,B - Richard123, Chess.com, 2010; and

6.Be3 Bxe3 (6...Bb4+ see Wall,B - Westender, Chess.com, 2010 [1-0, 19] ) 7.fxe3 Rf8 8.0-0 Kg8 9.c4 d6 10.Nc3 Ng4 11.Qe2 Qe8 12.Nd5 Qd7 13.Nh4 Nf6 14.Rf2 Nxd5 15.Rxf8+ Kxf8 16.exd5 Ne7 17.Rf1+ Kg8 18.Qh5 b6 19.Qf7+ Kh8 20.Ng6+ hxg6 21.Qf8+ Kh7 22.Rf7 Bb7 23.Qxg7 checkmate, Wall,B - Hovo,D, Chess.com, 2010.

6...Re8 

Alternatives Bill has faced include

6...h6 7.Nxe5+ (7.Be3 see Wall,B - Mukak, Chess.com, 2010 [1-0, 24] or 7.Nc3  Wall,B - Guest2622844, PlayChess.com, 2013 [1-0, 39]) 7...Nxe5 as in Wall,B - Lee,S, PlayChess.com, 2015, (1-0, 22);

6...Kg8 7.c4 as in Wall,B - KRM, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 25); and

6...Rf8 7.c3 Kg8 (7...d5 8.b4 Bb6 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.b5 Nce7 11.c4 Nf4 12.Bxf4 exf4 13.Nc3 Kg8 14.Qb3 Be6 15.Ne4 h6 16.Rae1 Bf7 17.Ne5 Ng6 18.Nxg6 Bxg6 19.c5+ Bf7 20.Qc3 Rc8 21.cxb6 cxb6 22.Qd2 Qd5 23.Qxf4 Qxa2 24.Nd6 Bb3 25.Qe4 Rcd8 26.Nf5 Bf7 27.Qe5 Qe6 28.Qxg7 checkmate, Wall,B - Mokdad,M, Chess.com, 2010) 8.b4 Bb6 9.a4 a6 10.Be3 d6 11.Qb3+ Kh8 12.Bxb6 cxb6 13.Nbd2 Ng4 14.h3 Nh6 15.d4 exd4 16.cxd4 Qf6 17.Qc3 Ne7 18.Qc7 a5 19.Qxb6 axb4 20.Qxb4 Nc6 21.Qc3 Bd7 22.Rfc1 Na5 23.Qc7 Bc8 24.d5 Rf7 25.Qb6 Qg6 26.Qd8+ Ng8 27.Rxc8 Rxc8 28.Qxc8 Black resigned, Wall,B - Bandera,M, Chess.com, 2010. 

7.Nc3 Nd4 

There is nothing wrong with the ordinary 7...d6.

8.Na4 Nxf3+ 9.Qxf3 Be7 

Black continues to play ultra-safely. It is interesting to see how White proceeds against this.

10.d4 d6

Black can give a piece back with 10...exd4 11.e5 d6 12.exf6 Bxf6, but he prefers to make White do the work.

11.dxe5 dxe5 12.Rd1

Pressure along the d-file.

12...Bd6 13.h3

Bill points out the dangers of going after the b-pawn: 13.Qb3+ Be6 14.Qxb7 Rb8 15.Qxa7 (15.Qa6 Nxe4 16.Be3 Qh4) 15...Ra8 16.Qb7 Rxa4. White needs to be patient. He starts by keeping enemy pieces out of g4. Perhaps he will be able to launch his kingside pawns later.

13...Kg8 14.Bg5 Rf8

Lining the Rook up on the same file as the enemy Queen. Apparently Black did not want to "create a weakness" on his Kingside, as he had available 14...h6 15.Bxf6 (15.Bh4 g5 16.Bg3 Qe7) 15...Qxf6 16.Qxf6 gxf6, as pointed out by Bill; which looks okay for the second player.

15.Qb3+ Kh8 16.Nc3 c6 

Bill's comment in an email about this game is enlightening: I was losing for a long time in the opening and middlegame... 

"Objectively", White does have a "lost" game after 4.Bxf7+, despite the complications. He has to play on, however, hopefully - often towards success.

17.f4 Qe7 18.f5

The f-pawn may become the spearhead of a pawn advance. Currently, it limits the movement of Black's light-squared Bishop (which, in turn, limits the movement of Black's Rook), which is another small benefit.

18...h6 19.Be3 b5

Black's solution to the pressure on the b7 pawn (and the Queenside) is a pawn advance. This allows him to feel comfortable "doing something", and leads to the win of a pawn - which turns out to be poisoned, alas.

20.g4 a5 21.Ne2

The alternatives Bill gives do not look attractive: 21.a3 a4 22.Qa2 Bc5 23.Bxc5 Qxc5+ 24.Kg2 Nxe4 25.Nxe4 Qxc2+ 26.Nd2 Rd8; or 21.a4 Bc5 22.Bxc5 (22.Re1 Bxe3+ 23.Rxe3 Qc5 24.Nd1 b4) 22...Qxc5+ 23.Kh1 b4 24.Ne2 Nxe4.

The game move leads to a very complicated position.

21...Nxe4 22.Qd3 

Black has grabbed the e-pawn, but now faces the possible loss of either his Knight or his dark-squared Bishop. He decides to continue building up his attack.

22...Bb7

The fact is that even after this move Stockfish 6 sees Black as better. However, the fact that the second player has to meekly give back a piece cannot feel good to the human competitor.

Did he have a better move? He did, as Bill pointed out: 22...Bxf5! 23.gxf5 Qh4 24.Kg2 (24.Kh2 Rxf5 25.Rf1 Raf8 26.Rxf5 Rxf5 27.Bg1 Rf6 28.Rd1 Nf2) 24...Rxf5 25.Rf1 Raf8 26.Rxf5 Rxf5 with an attack on the enemy King.

The sacrifice was hard to see. Worrying about losing Piece A or Piece B, Black misses the fact that he should give up the cramped and limited (until now!) Piece C...

23.Qxe4 c5 24.Qd3 Rfd8 25.Nc3

It certainly was not time for 25.Qxb5? Ba6 26.Qb3 Bxe2 as Bill points out. 

25...c4 26.Qf1 

26...b4 27.Nd5 Bxd5 28.Rxd5 Bc7

Black suddenly goes in for exchanges. Does he believe in his passed pawn that much?

29.Qxc4 Rxd5 30.Qxd5 Rd8 31.Qe4 Qh4 32.Kg2 Qe7

33.Rf1 Rd6 34.Bc5 Rd2+ 35.Rf2 Rxf2+ 36.Bxf2 Qd6

It is a good thing that White is not emotionally exhausted from his struggle from a "losing" position back to a "better" one. Converting his extra pawn will take a good bit of work, as long as the Queens and Bishops remain on the board. White decides to stir things up.

37.Qa8+ Kh7 38.Qb7 e4

Bill points out a couple of alternatives: 38...g6 39.fxg6+ Kxg6 40.Qe4+ Kf7 41.Qh7+ Ke8 42.Qg8+ Kd7 43.Qf7+ Kc6 44.Be3; or 
38...Bd8 39.Qe4 Kh8 40.Qf3.

Black has miscalculated: unfortunately, he does not have a mating attack.

39.Qxe4 Qh2+ 40.Kf1 Qxh3+ 41.Ke2 Kh8

This is not Black's best defense, but it is now only a matter of choosing which way to lose.

42.Qe8+ Kh7 43.Qg6+ Kh8 44.f6 Black resigned

A "Jerome pawn" assists in the mating attack.

What Does He Not See?

Inspired by the cautionary (for Black) ending of Mannixcannon - Ellema, FICS, 2014 posted a few days ago  (see "Q.E.D.") I wanted to present another recent example of the "lesson" for the defender - do something with the extra piece(s) that White freely gives you.

According to The Database, Karranca, of FICS, started playing the Jerome Gambit (and related lines) last year.

Welcome to the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde!

Here is how one of his games ended. (It almost looks like Black's extra Bishop has not moved since its initial trip to c5; but it has, it later returned.) It is clear what his opponent did not see until it was too late. Short on time? Stressed out? Overconfident (a piece is a piece)?

Karranca - Keracim, blitz, FICS, 2014
after 47...Kxc4 Drawn

Here is a short, complete game by Karranca, showing that he understands that White must do something with the opportunities given to him, too.

Karranca - bevalenzuela
blitz, FICS, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5 d6 8.Qc3 Nf6

9.d3 Re8 10.O-O c6 11.Re1 Ne5 12.Nd2 Qc7 13.d4 Neg4 14.Qg3 Nxe4

A tactical oversight. Jerome Gambiteers do not always get this chance. White sees that. 

15.Nxe4 Rxe4 16.Qf3+ Kg8 17.Rxe4 d5 18.Re8 checkmate.

We Know What We're Doing (Sort Of)

I chuckled when I was putting together the earlier blog post, "Opening Discussion, Not Quite Closed". The idea that there were several very good moves to be played in an opening position, and I chose none of them -- and won the game, anyhow -- seemed very appropriate in a Jerome Gambit blog.

Anyone who has browsed through the 51,000+ games in The Database has come away with an appreciation of the fact that Jerome Gambiteers frequently play second (or third, or fourth, or fifth...) best moves successfully. Some of that is due to their creativity, or their familiarity with the strategies of the opening. Some of that is due to the time control (blitz) or level of play (club chess).

Finally, some of White's success is due to the strangeness of the Jerome Gambit itself, which forces defenders to continually figure things out - or perish. I am reminded of the following anecdote from the "Blackmar Diemer Gambit World", #43, January, 1991, told by IM Gerard Welling, and reprinted in "Tom's BDG Pages"

At the Hastings Chess Congress in 1937 Emil Josef Diemer created a stir in a game with an English gentleman. Diemer had a bad position, but after a move by his opponent he replied quickly, then jumped up, and to the chagrin of his opponent exclaimed: "Precisely the blunder that I have been expecting!" 

White in the following encounter has 15 games in The Database. Perhaps that is not enough, yet, to allow too much straying from the "straight and narrow". He has interesting chances to win or draw, but eventually succumbs in a madcap ending to the ticking clock.

bemillsy - Dpouchy
blitz, FICS, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.Nxc6 dxc6

6...bxc6, as in fehim - Pawnshop, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 48) could have been punished by 7.Qg4+!?

7.Qg4+

Possibly the best move. I mention that, because of the following games, where White varied:

7.d4 Be7 8.Qg4+ Kf7 9.Qh5+ Kf8 10.O-O Nf6 11.Qe2 Be6 12.e5 Nd5 13.c4 Nb4 14.a3 Na6 15.Nc3 Qxd4 16.Rd1 Qxc4 17.Qf3+ Kg8 18.Be3 Bg4 19.Qg3 Bxd1 20.Bh6 Qg4 21.Rxd1 Qxg3 22.hxg3 gxh6 23.Rd7 Kf7 24.f4 Rad8 25.Rxd8 Rxd8 26.Kh2 Rd2 27.b4 Rd3 28.Nb1 Rb3 29.Nd2 Rxa3 White resigned, blackburne - DREWBEAR 63, ChessWorld JG6, 2011. White has 155 games in The Database.

7.d3 Qf6 8. O-O Ne7 9. c3 Rd8 10.d4 Bb6 11. Nd2 Kf7 12. Qb3+ Kf8 13. Nf3 c5 14. e5 Qc6 15. Bg5 Re8 16. Bxe7+ Rxe7 17. d5 Qd7 18. c4 Qg4 19. h3 Qg6 20. e6 c6 21. Rad1 cxd5 22. cxd5 Bc7 23.Rfe1 b6 24. d6 Bxd6 25. Rxd6 Bb7 26. Rd7 Bc8 27. Rd8+ Re8 28. e7  checkmate, UNPREDICTABLE - jrauch, FICS, 2010. White has 450 games in The Database.

7.O-O Nf6 8.d3 Qd4 9.c3 Qd7 10.d4 Be7 11.e5 Ne8 12.f4 Rf8 13.Qh5 Kd5 14.c4+ Kxc4 15.Na3+ Kd5 16.Qxh7 Qg4 17.Be3 Bf5 18.Qh3 Qe2 19.Qg3 Be4 20.Rfe1 Qxb2 21.Bf2 Nf6 22.Qb3+ Qxb3 23.axb3 Ng4 24.Nc4 Rxf4 25.Rf1 Bb4 26.Rad1 Raf8 27.Be3 Rxf1+ 28.Rxf1 Rxf1+ 29.Kxf1 Nxh2+ 30.Kg1 Ng4 31.g3 Nxe3 32.Nxe3+ Kxd4 33.Kf2 Be1+ 34.Ke2 Bxg3 35.e6 Kc3 36.e7 Bg6 37.Nf5 Be5 38.Nh4 Bd3+ 39.Ke3 g6 40.e8=Q Bd4+ 41.Kf4 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - johnde, blitz, FICS, 2010. White has 548 games in The Database. 

7...Kf7

Possibly the weakest of his choices. Better defense was found after 7...Kf6 8.Qh4+ g5 9.Qg3.

8.Qf3+

Instead, 8.Qh5+ wins back a piece by forking the King and Bishop. 

8... Nf6 9. c3 Re8 10. d4 Bb6

Cooperative. The alternative, 10... Rxe4+, looks stronger.

White battles on, eventually dropping the exchange, which puts him a Rook down - but he does not lose hope.

11.Bg5 Kg8 12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.O-O c5 14.Qg3+ Kh8 15.d5 Rxe4 16.Nd2 Rg4 17.Qf3 c4 18.Ne4 f5 19.Ng3 f4 20.Ne2 Qg8 21.Nxf4 Rg5 22.Rfd1 Bg4 23.Qe4 Bxd1 24.Rxd1 Re8 25.Qxc4 c6 26.g3 Bc7 27.Ne6 cxd5 28.Qxc7 Rxe6 29.Qxb7 a5 30.Kg2 h5 31.Rxd5 h4 32.Rd7 Rh6 33.Qe4 

A glance shows Black attacking fiercely - with his extra Rook.

33...hxg3

Where is E. J. Diemer when you need him? Is this precisely the blunder that bemillsy had been expecting?? Now White has a draw.

34.Qd4+! Rg7 35.hxg3 Rhg6

And again??

Black needed to mildly accept a draw by repetition with 35...Kh7 36.Qe4+ Kh8 37.Qd4 Kh7 30.Qe4+ etc. Now White is better.

36.c4

Homer - I mean, bemillsy - nods. He is right, his advancing pawn will be important, but after he plays 36.Rd8 to win Black's Queen for a Rook. Q + 5Ps will then out-play 2Rs + P.

36...Kh7

Black takes his opportunity to avoid the above killing fork, but should have done so with a Queen move like 36...Qe6 or 36...Qa8+, when he would be better again.

Now White again has a plucky draw by repetition: 37.Qh4+ Rh6 38.Qe4+ Kh8 39.Qd4 etc.

37.Rxg7+

Making things difficult again, if Black correctly recaptures with the Queen. White would have plenty of checks to deliver to the enemy King, but eventually the extra Rook would prevail over the extra pawns.

37...Rxg7 38.Qh4+ Kg6 39.f4

White does not accept the 39.Qe4+ line, drawing, and looks for a mate that is not there. (This does have the feel of a blitz game as time runs down.)

39...Kf7 40.Qh5+ Kf8 41.Qf5+ Rf7 42.Qc8+ Kg7 43.Qxg8+ Kxg8

White puts his trust in what must still be considered his "Jerome pawns".

44.Kf3 Rd7 45.Ke3 Kf7 46.g4 Kf6 47.b3 Ke6 48.a3 Re7 49.b4 a4 50.b5 Kd6+ 51.Kd4 

The pawns look scary, especially with a ticking clock, but "objectively" the Rook still has time to pick them off, one-by-one.

51...Kc7

Suddenly, Black's chances have crashed according to Stockfish 6, and the best he can hope for is now 52.g5 Rd7+ 53.Ke4 Re7+ 54.Kd4 Rd7+ and a draw by repetition. Instead of re-positioning his King, it looks like he needed to get his Rook into a pawn-flanking position.

52.c5

On the other hand, advancing the pawns on the wing where there is an in-place stopper will not bring victory. I do not think there is anything left for White now.

52...Rd7+ 53.Ke5 Rd3 

54.g5 Rxa3 55.f5 Re3+ 56.Kd5 a3 57.f6 a2 58.f7 Rf3 White forfeited on time

Revisiting a Strange, But Intriguing Path

The following miniature is a gift from Jerome Gambiteer shugart, of FICS, who has almost 100 games in The Database. I think his opponent tried to fool him with a tricky 5th move, but the joke was on Black when he missed a critical defense.

shugart - miatero
blitz, FICS, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6

There were 10 games with this position in the forerunner of The Database in early 2010 when I looked at "A Strange, But Intriguing Path (Parts 1, 2 & 3)". The Database now has 23 games and White's scoring has increased to 63%.

This game should boost that percentage for those who follow in shugart's footsteps.

6.Qg4+ Kxe5

Five years ago I wrote 

If White is going to have a chance in this variation, he must sacrifice the second piece [with 6.Qg4+]. If Black then wishes to play on, he must accept the piece.
If 6.Qg4+ Kf6, then 7.Qf5+ Ke7 8.Qf7+ Kd6 9.Nc4 checkmate.
If 6.Qg4+ Kd6 7.Nf7+ wins.
If 6.Qg4+ Ke7 7.Qxg7+ Kd6 8.Nf7+ wins.

7.d4+ Kxd4

Black's King takes one bite too much. The necessary capture was 7...Bxd4, after which White can win Black's Queen, i.e. 8.Bf4+ Kf6 9.Bg5+ Kf7 10.Bxd8. The resulting Queen vs three pieces middle game is interesting, but probably favors White, e.g. 10...Nxd8 11.Qg3 d6 (or 11...Nf6 12.Nc3 d6 13.O-O-O Nc6) 12. Nc3 Nf6 13. O-O-O Nc6. There are currently no games with 7...Bxd4 in The Database.

8.Be3+ Kc4 9.Qe2+ Kb4 10.Bd2+ Ka4 11.b3 checkmate

Opening Discussion, Not Quite Closed

I have been looking at a Jerome Gambit-related opening line that does not appear to have a name. Although I have covered it a number of times on this blog -  "Offside!" "The Other Side" "Bishop in A Hurry", "Watch that last step...", "It Worked -- This Time", "A Line of Play Everyone Should Know About", "The Psychology of Error in Chess", "It Takes More Than Just One Move",  "Checking Back", "Huh?", "A Snack", "Betcha Can't Eat Just One", "Entertaining and Educational", "Barely Got His Coffee Sipped", "Crime and Punishment", "Hard to Believe", "Poison", "Puzzling", "A New Mate", "On the Other Hand", "Chess Marches On", "Chess Marches On (Again)", "Always Good To Remember", "Cure Worse Than the Disease", and "Repetition Helps Those Who Pay Attention" - I have only played it twice, and only faced Black's best response once.

I am talking about 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5,

which certainly can be met with 4.Nxe5 with an edge for the first player, but which I like to meet with 4.Bxf7+.

After 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ (there are 1933 games with this position in The Database, and White scores 72%) the strongest reply appears to be 5...Ke7  (although this move is seen only 371 times in The Database, that is less than 1/5 of the time, and White scores 70%).

How should White proceed?

As in "A Discussion Continued" I invited Stockfish 6, Houdini 3, Rybka 3 and The Database to consult with me. There were ideas and disagreements galore.

In my original notes to perrypawnpusher - wred, blitz, FICS, 2011, I pointed out that Rybka 3 preferred 6.Nc3. The move appeared 11 times in The Database. White scored 73%. The most recent game with the line continued 6...d6 7.Nd5+ Ke8 8.Qh5+ Black resigned, Alnischu - Kaliz, blitz, FICS, 2013.

On the other hand, 6.d4 was preferred by Stockfish 6. The move appeared 171 times in The Database. White scored 64%. The most recent game with the line continued 6...Nf6 7.Bg5 d6 8.Bxf6+ Kxf6 9.Ng4+ Kf7 10.Qf3+ Bf5 Black forfeited by disconnection, seinfeldaddict - JDZAAA, standard, FICS, 2014.

However, Houdini 3 preferred 6.Qf3. The move appeared in 27 games in The Database. White scored 70%. The most recent game with the line continued 6...Nh6 7.d3 Qe8 8.Bxh6 gxh6 9.0-0 Bg7 10.d4 d6 11.Nd3 Bxd4 12.c3 Bf6 13.Nd2 Rf8 14.Qe2 h5 15.Nf4 Bg4 16.Nd5+ Kd7 17.Nxf6+ Rxf6 18.f3 Be6 19.Rfe1 Rd8 20.c4 Kc8 21.b3 Qg8 22.Qf2 Nc6 23.Nf1 b6 24.Ng3 Ne5 25.Rad1 Ng4 26.Qd2 Ne5 27.Qd4 h4 28.Qf2 hxg3 29.Qxg3 Rg6 30.Qf2 Bh3 31.g3 Nxf3+ 32.Qxf3 Bg4 33.Qg2 Bxd1 34.Rxd1 Rf8 35.Qh3+ Kb8 36.Qd7 Rgf6 37.e5 Rf2 38.exd6 Rc8 39.dxc7+ Rxc7 40.Qd6 Rxa2 41.Rf1 Qe8 42.Rf8 Qxf8 43.Qxf8+ Rc8 44.Qf4+ Rc7 45.Qe5 Kb7 46.Qd5+ Kb8 47.b4 Re7 48.Qd8+ Black resigned, sadhamlet - whickmeister, blitz, FICS, 2014.

What did I actually play in my game against wred? Why, 6.Qh5. The move appeared in 107 games in The Database. White scored 73%. The most recent game with the line continued 6...Nh6 7.d4 Qe8 8.Bg5+ Kd6 9.Qxe8, Black resigned ffdallagnol - praiseanosyk, FICS, 2014.

The answer to the question of the best continuation for White in this line remains unsettled, although all four moves given have been successful in practice.   

Q.E.D.

While it is not from the longest or strangest Jerome Gambit game in The Database (see "The Longest (and Strangest?) Game in The Database") - for other numerical recreations, see "King in Peril: Comment & Reply" - the following end position shows the logical outcome of Black being happy with his extra piece, from 4...Kxf7 through 114...Kxa7, but not doing a whole lot with it in the 100-plus moves in the interim.

Mannixcannon - Ellema, FICS, 2014
Drawn after 114...Kxa7

[July 2015 was the third most-visited month in this blog's history. Thank you, Readers, for your attentions. Please visit regularly.]

The Jerome Gam' Again

Another player who likes the excitement of the Jerome Gambit is Louis Morin (MrJoker), whose earliest game in The Database dates from 2000.

He recently played the Jerome in the Quebec Open - and wishes others would answer with 3...Bc5 instead of 3...Nf6 or 3...Be7 so he could bring out the Jerome Gambit in over-the-board play more often. He gets most of his opportunites online at the Internet Chess Club.

Morin,L - Occillien,J 
Quebec Open, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6

10.d4 Kf7 11.0-0

This looks like a slight improvement over 11.f4 Re8 12.e5 Nd5 13.Qb3 Be6 14.f5 Qh4+ 15.g3 Qe4+ 16.Kf2 Qxf5+ 17.Bf4 Ndxf4 18.Qxb7 Bd5 19.Qxc7+ Re7 20.Qxd6 Nh3+ 21.Ke1 Bxh1 22.Nc3 Qf2+ 23.Kd1 Qf1+ 24.Kd2 Qxa1 25.Nd5 Bxd5 26.Qxd5+ Kf8 27.Qxa8+ Re8 28.Qxa7 Qxb2 29.Qc5+ Kg8 30.a4 Nf2 31.Qc6 Rf8 32.e6 Qxd4+ 33.Kc1 Ne7 34.Qb7 Ne4 35.Qxe7 Qa1 checkmate,  MrJoker - bwhited, ICC, 2011. 

11...Rf8

Black presents a small improvement over 11...Re8 12.f3 Kg8 13.c4 Be6 14.b3 Qd7 15.Bb2 c6 16.Nd2 h6 17.f4 Bf5 18.e5 Nh7 19.Qg3 dxe5 20.fxe5 Qe6 21.Nf3 Be4 22.Rae1 Bxf3 23.Rxf3 Rf8 24.Rxf8+ Rxf8 25.d5 cxd5 26.cxd5 Qb6+ 27.Qe3 Qxe3+ 28.Rxe3 Nf4 29.d6 Ne6 30.Rf3 Nhg5 31.Rc3 Ne4 32.Rc4 Nd2 33.Rc1 Kf7 34.Ba3 Kg6 35.Re1 Rc8 36.Re2 Nxb3 37.axb3 Kf5 38.h3 Rd8 39.Kf2 Nd4 40.g4+ Ke6 41.Rd2 Nxb3 42.Rb2 Na5 43.Rb5 Nc6 44.Rxb7 Nxe5 45.Rxa7 Rd7 46.Rxd7 Kxd7 47.Kg3 Nc4 48.Bc5 Nxd6 49.Kf4 g6 50.Ke5 Nf7+ 51.Kf6 Ng5 52.Kxg6 Nxh3 53.Kxh6 Ke6 54.Be3 Kf7 55.Kh5 Kf6 56.Kh4 Black resigned, MrJoker- HarryP, ICC, 2011.

12.f4 Kg8 13.c4

White builds his "Jerome pawn" center before putting it in motion. Previously he tried a small variation with 13.f5 Ne7 14.c4 b6 15.h3 Bb7 16.Nc3 Nc6 17.g4 Qe7 18.Nd5 Nxd5 19.cxd5 Nd8 20.Bd2 Re8 21.Rae1 Qh4 22.Qf3 Ba6 23.Rf2 Nf7 24.Kh2 Ng5 25.Bxg5 Qxg5 26.e5 Rad8 27.e6 Bb7 28.Rc2 Re7 29.Rec1 Rc8 30.Kg3 Qf6 31.Qe4 g6 32.Kh2 gxf5 33.gxf5 Rg7 34.Rg1 Rxg1 35.Kxg1 Qg5+ 36.Kh2 Kh8 37.e7 Qg8 38.f6 Qf7 39.Rxc7 Rxc7 40.e8Q+ Black resigned, MrJoker - Zoli, ICC, 2011.

13...Ng4

Irresistible.

14.Qg3 Qh4 15.Qxh4 Nxh4

White's center and two extra pawns pretty much balance out Black's extra piece. How does the first player get more than equality?

16.h3 Nf6 17.Nc3 Ng6 18.Bd2 b6

After the game Louis said that at the time he did not fully appreciate the idea behind Black's Queenside actions.

19.e5 Nh5 20.Ne2 dxe5 21.fxe5 Rxf1+ 22.Rxf1 Ba6 23.b3 b5

I think I have seen something like this in Andras Adorjan's Black Is Ok!, but, of course, it was not in the context of the Jerome Gambit!

24.g4 bxc4 25.gxh5 cxb3 26.Re1

White also had something like 26.hxg6 Bxe2 27.Ra1 b2 28.Rb1 Rb8 29.Bc3 hxg6 30.Rxb2 Rxb2 31.Bxb2 but that seems to peter out into a drawn Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame. 

26...Nh4 27.Kf2 Rf8+ 28.Nf4 bxa2 29.Ra1 Bc4 30.Ke3 Rb8 

The sacrificed piece has been regained.

From here on, Black, with the extra, advanced pawn, has what winning chances there are, but he cannot find them.

White plays confidently, outplays his opponent, and splits the point.

31.d5 Rb1 32.Bc3 g5 33.hxg6 hxg6 34.Kd4 Bb3 35.Kc5 Nf5 36.Nxg6 Ne3 37.d6 cxd6+ 38.exd6 Rxa1 39.Bxa1 Be6 40.h4 Nc2 41.Bc3 a1Q 42.Bxa1 Nxa1 43.Kb5 Drawn