To play the Jerome Gambit at bullet speed - one minute time control, no increment - you can't always do deep analysis, and sometimes you can't do much analysis at all. You have to have a feel for the opening, where the pieces go, how things develop.
The following game, where angelcamina was using about a second a move, is a good example.
angelcamina - iheartannakendricks
1 0 bullet, lichess.org
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 b6
Not the usual response, but one that Jerome Gambit players are familiar with. I have faced it, as has gobo, MrJoker, Bill Wall, shugart - and Australian master Henry Charlick, over the board, back in 1884.
9.Qe3 Qe7 10.O-O Bb7 11.d3 Nf6 12.f4 Kf7 13.e5 Nd5 14.Qf2 Ngxf4
I am not sure what Black is about, here, as White could simply capture with his Bishop.
15.g3 Qg5
Certainly thinking of a kingside attack, now, although the e-pawn could be had for free.
16.Bxf4 Nxf4 17.Qxf4+ Qxf4 18.Rxf4+ Ke6
Whoosh! Things have transformed into a Queenless middlegame where White is probably better. Certainly his moves are reasonable to come by.
19.d4 Rhf8 20.Rxf8 Rxf8 21.Nc3 c5 22.dxc5 bxc5 23.Rd1 Bc6 24.Re1 a6 25.Ne4 Rf5 26.Nxc5+ Kd5 27.Nxa6 Rxe5 28.Nb4+ Ke6 29.Rxe5+ Kxe5 30.Nxc6+ dxc6
Moves came rapid fire, like out of a machine gun. White's win is straight forward.
31.Kf2 Kd4 32.Ke2 c5 33.a4 c4 34.a5 Kc5 35.Ke3 Kb5 36.a6 Kxa6 37.Kd4 Kb5 38.c3 g6 39.g4 h6 40.h4 g5 41.h5 Ka4 42.Kxc4
42...Ka5 43.Kc5 Ka4 44.b4 Kb3 45.b5 Kxc3 46.b6 Kd3 47.b7 Ke3 48.b8=Q Kf3 49.Qd6 Kxg4 50.Qxh6 Kf4 51.Qg6 g4 52.h6 Kg3 53.Qxg4+ Kf2 54.h7 Ke1 55.h8=Q Black resigned
It is wise not to get in a footrace against angelcamina.
angelcamina - Erosen
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Re8
I like this move, especially in bullet chess. Black does not bother deciding which minor piece to rescue, he develops his Rook on an attacking file and makes White choose.
8.dxe5 Rxe5 9.O-O Kg8
Black has a material advantage, better development, and he has castled-by-hand. But - he is facing the weirdness that is the Jerome Gambit, an opening that often prompts bad things to happen to defenders.
10.Bf4 Rxe4
Like this. Black decides, rather than retreat his Rook and lose time, to give up the exchange for a pawn. But, this is an illusion, as White immediately shows.
11.Nxe4 Nxe4 12.Qd5+
Oh, I see.
12...Kh8 13.Qxe4
From here, White quickly outplays his opponent, who occasionally contributes to the effort.
13...d5 14.Qd3 g6 15.Be3 d4 16.Bf4 Bf5 17.Be5+ Kg8 18.Qc4+ Kf8 19.Qxc5+ Qe7 20.Qxc7 Qxc7 21.Bxc7 Rc8 22.Be5 Rxc2 23.Bxd4 Rxb2 24.Bxb2 Ke7 25.Rfe1+ Black resigned
The following game is a mess. White makes mistakes (more than usual). Black makes mistakes (plenty enough to lose). Quickly.
Because, to be fair: in a 1-minute (no increment) game, advantages often shift back and forth, until someone wins, or time runs out.
Also, the game is a Jerome Gambit variant, and we know that the Jerome is an oft-refuted line of play. White purposefully gets himself a worse game - and then, often wins. So, maybe things are not so surprising, after all.
angelcamina - eloali
1 0 bullet, lichess.org
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. It can work as a surprise, eating up response time, containing tactics that impact on the clock.
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit. White has his own tactical surprise.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8
At first glance, this looks safest. As angelcamina knows from earlier experience, however, this move allows the action to focus on the Black King.
6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 Nxc2+
White's opening continues to cast its spell. This counter-grab of a Rook is always tempting, but, here, it should only lead to an even game, or maybe and edge for White. The correct move was 7...hxg6.
8.Kd1 Nxa1 9.Nxh8+ Ke7
10.Qf7+
The game wouldn't be nearly as interesting after 10.Qe5#, but it would be over.
10...Kd6 11.d4
Highly unusual. angelcamina now misses 11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.Qe5#. It is not safe for Black to keep dancing on the edge of the abyss, however - after the text, White is still better.
11...Kc6 12.Qd5+ Kb6 13.Nc3 c6
14.Qb3+ Kc7
Okay, a couple of "Think Quick!" surprises, there.
15.Bf4+ d6 16.Qf7+ Ne7 17.e5 d5
White has two pawns for a piece in this strange position - and his King is safer.
18.e6+ Kb6 19.Na4+ Ka5 20.b3 b5 21.Bd2+ Ka6 22.Nc5+ Kb6 23.Qf4 Ng6
24.Qe3
Saving the Queen this time, but hanging the Knight. Time had to be a factor.
24...Nxh8 25.Qc3 Bxc5
Falling in with White's plans - it is surprising how often defenders "believe" in their opponents' attacks. Best defense was to return the Knight with 25...Nxb3 26.axb3 a5, with advantage (but that is easiest to see after the game).
26.Qa5+ Kb7 27.Qxd8 Bb6 28.Qe7+ Ka6 29.Qxh7 Bb7
30.e7 Black resigned
In the following game, White improves his play, and quickly ushers his opponent into checkmate. Of course, in bullet chess, everything happens quickly.
angelcamina - apropes
1 0 bullet, lichess.org
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bb4 8.dxe5 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Nxe4 10.Qd5+
Improving over his recent win against Puffy04.
10...Kf8 11.Ba3+ d6 12.Qxe4 Be6 13.O-O-O
It certainly looks like White is enjoying himself.
13...Bd7 14.exd6 cxd6 15.Bxd6+ Kg8 16.Rhe1 Qg5+ 17.Bf4 Qa5 18.Rd7 Qxc3
Last gasp.
19.Rxf7 Kxf7 20.Qe6+ Kf8 21.Bd6 checkmate
I would guess that this game was played after the one previously posted on this blog. Having tasted the Jerome Gambit in a painful bullet (one minute, no increment) game, Black may have decided to avoid that evil line. Not that he was able to escape a similar punishment.
angelcamina - MegaBane
1 0 bullet, lichess.org
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bb4
No Giuoco Piano, so no Jerome Gambit, right?
4.c3 Ba5 5.Bxf7+
Not again.
5... Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ g6
Reminiscent of the Blacburne Defense in the Jerome Gambit.
8.Qxe5 Bb6 9.Qxh8 d6
Black has a piece for a couple of pawns, but he is about to be crushed.
10.Qxh7+ Kf6 11.O-O Bg4 12.d4 Ne7
13.f4
Here 13.Qh4+, followed by 14.Qxg4, was even stronger, but it doesn't really matter.
13...Qd7 14.h3 Be6 15.e5+ dxe5 16.fxe5 checkmate
Ouch. Again.
Bullet chess - one minute time control, no increment - is beyond my comprehension. So is trying to defend against a strange opening variation like the Jerome Gambit, as it is played by someone skilled in its nuances. Black may have been wondering: Why did I do that?
angelcamina - MegaBane
1 0 bullet, lichess.org
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8
Understandable, but rare and risky.
6.Qh5+
It is possible that 6.Nxc6 is stronger, but who wants to be the first (according to The Database) to meet the dynamic counter 6...Qh4!? - ? Anyhow, the text is thematic and a lot more fun.
6...g6 7.Nxg6 hxg6
Best is 7...Bxf2+, but who thinks of that in a 1 minute game
8.Qxh8 Kf8
9.O-O d6 10.c3 Be6 11.d4 Bb6 12.d5 Bf7 13.dxc6 bxc6
Is it over, yet?
14.Bh6+ Ke7 15.Bg5+ Nf6 16.Bxf6+ Ke6 17.Bxd8 Rxd8 18.Qxd8 Bxf2+
19.Rxf2 d5 20.exd5+ cxd5 21.Rf6+ Ke5 22.Nd2 c5 23.Qe7+ Be6 24.Qxe6 checkmate
"All" you have to do to defeat the Jerome Gambit is: pay attention, then pay some more attention, and then continue to pay attention... Don't lose focus, though, especially in a bullet game.
angelcamina - ELVerdugo
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4 Nc6
9.Qc4+ d5 10.exd5 Ne5 11.Qf4 Qd6 12.O-O Re8 13.Be3 Kg8
Okay. Black has a piece for two pawns, and he has castled-by-hand.
14.Bd4 Nxd5 15.Nxd5 Qxd5 16.Bxe5 Rxe5
Black's game is rock solid. What could go wrong? Ah, but, remember, the time control is one minute, no increment. Anything can happen.
17.Rad1 Qe6
Careless, and therefore, painful. Focused play was 17...Qb5.
18.Rd8+ Qe8 19.Rxe8+ Rxe8 20.Qxc7 Be6
Now the advantage is to White, if he can bring it home.
21.b3 Bd5 22.c4 Bc6 23.f3 Rac8 24.Qa5 Rcd8 25.Re1 Rf8 26.Re7 Rd6 27.Qc3 Rff6 28.Qe3 Rd1+ 29.Kf2 Rdd6 30.h4 Be8 31.g4 Bg6 32.Kg3 Rf8 33.h5
Black resigned
