The following Jerome Gambit game, played at bullet speed - 1 minute, no increment - illustrates various standard themes that work for the attack. How does one win with only 60 seconds to think? By being familiar with those themes.

angelcamina - calemoon

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020

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 Re8 9.O-O Kf8 

White castles, Black's King steps back.

10.f4

A standard plan in the Jerome Gambit, made more attractive with Black's King on f8, facing White's Rook.

10...Nc6 11.Qc4 d6 12.b3 

Opening the way for the Bishop to work on the a3-f8 diagonal.

12...Be6 13.Qd3 Nb4 14.Qe2 c6 15.Ba3 Qb6+ 

Black is active in his resistance.

16.Kh1 Rad8 17.e5 

The attacking idea.

17...dxe5 

Fascinating. Players exchange pawns automatically - especially in bullet games. The problem is that it's not the best move.

18.fxe5

18...Bd5 19.Nxd5 Rxd5 20.Qc4 Kg8 

Getting out of the pin along the f-file, but overlooking the fact that both Knights are in danger. Better was to simply save one and give up the other: 20...Rexe5 21.Bxb4+ which would be about equal.

21.exf6 gxf6 22.Bxb4 Kh8 

Maybe he can attack along the g-file?

23.Rae1 

Instead, 23.Be3 would have been crushing and lead to mate, but the text is fine.

23...a5 24.Bc3 

Like I said...

24...Kg7 25.Bxf6+ Kg6 26.Qg4+ White won on time, just ahead of checkmate.

 

Jerome Gambit: A Curious Move

The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ ) game contains a curious 8th move for Black that led to a bit of head-scratching for me in my attempt to understand and explain. I have to say that it didn't faze White, however, who managed a checkmate in under a dozen moves. 

mitchcoleborn - TheWabbitEmu

10 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Nf7 

A curious move. What to make of it? Was he playing too quickly?

Black usually answers 8.f4 with 8...Qf6 or 8...Qh5+, or retreats his Knight to g6, or tip-toes his King away with 8...Kc6.

So, is 8...Nf7 an oversight, or part of a defensive plan to return material and then offer an exchange of Queens (see Black's next move)?

For the record, The Database has 8 previous games with 8...Nf7, with White scoring 50%.

Also, here is an assessment from one of my games from about 9 1/2 years ago

Sometimes this Knight move both takes the steed out of danger and provides for the defense of the Black King. In this game, that is exactly what it does, but it should not have.

Yet, the position is not simple. Not even ten moves in, and the Jerome Gambit still has its secrets!

White should now take the Knight with 9.Qxf7, threatening to next to take the Bishop after Qd5+.

Black has a tricky counter-attack with 9...Nf6, covering the d5 square. This seems to give away another piece after 10.e5+ Kc6, but pay attention to White's uncastled King: it is unsafe to now grab material and open both the e- and g-files. White's best is 11.d4, instead, when 11...Bxd4 can be answered with 12.Qc4+ Bc5 12.b4. If Black tries 11...Ne4 instead, White can retreat his Queen with 12.Qb3 or try 12.c4, answering 12...d5 with 13.Qxd5+ Qxd5 14.cxd5 Kxd5 15.dxc5 Nxc5.

Black can also defend d5 with 9...c6, when 10.Qxg7 Nf6 11.Qxf6 Qxf6 12.e5+ Qxe5 13.fxe5+ Kxe5 leads, as with 9...Nf6, to an edge for White.

All of this I learned after the game, with the help of Rybka 3 and Fritz 8.

9.Qxf7 

Yes. This is an improvement over earlier play, where every single player of the White pieces avoided capturing the piece. That includes me, twice.

9...Qe7 

No. This should not lead to an exchange of Queens. As noted above, 9...c6 was the proper response. Again, playing too quickly?

10.Qf5 

Definitely, too quickly, but nothing bad comes of it.

10...Nh6 

When in doubt, attack the enemy Queen. Tempting, but in this position Black needed to find a safe space for his King with 10...c6, or at least offer an exchange of Queens with 10...Qe6.

11.Qd5 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over

The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game is a 1-minute, no increment, bullet match that shows that It ain't over 'til its over. It reminds me, again, of an old chess buddy's lament "I was beating you right up to the moment you checkmated me." Ah, yes...

Anyway1 - GioDeLeo

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qxc5 d6 8.Qd5+ Be6 9.Qd3 

White can also grab the b-pawn. 

9...N8e7 10.O-O Rf8 11.Qf3+ Kg8 12.Qh5 

12...Ne5 13.f4 Nc4 14.f5 Bf7 15.Qh3 Ne5 16.d4 N5c6 

17.Bf4 Nxd4 18.c3 Nc2 19.Nd2 Nxa1 20.Qg3 Nc2 21.Bh6 Kh8 22.Qxg7 checkmate

One slip in a bullet game is all that it takes.

Jerome Gambit: Too Hazardous

 

Dan Watson (see "Jerome Gambit: Startling Discovery" for one of his previous contributions) has found an early over-the-board Jerome Gambit.

I have translated notation from descriptive to algebraic, added diagrams, and contributed the occasional note in blue.

The Earth (Burlington Vt)  January 7, 1899, page 8  "Chess"  

The game between Barnett of Burlington and Gingras of Winoski resulted in a win for the latter, showing that the Jerome gambit is too hazardous when the opponent is a strong player, as Mr. Gingras is, and the loss of the bishop and knight at the outset, can not be compensated for by the advantages of position. Following is the game. 

Barnett - Gingras

Vermont, 1899

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

4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Nxe5 6. d4 

The usual continuation here is 6.Qh5+ and is probably better than 6.d4. 

6...Qh4 

Well played, leading to a strong defense.

The earliest example of this move is Sorensen - Anonymous, Denmark, 1888 (1-0, 27 ) - Rick

7. O-O d6 

Stockfish 11 criticizes this rare move (4 examples in The Database), preferring 7...Qxe4, but it is interesting to note that it was the computers' choice in Hiarcs 11 - Deep Shredder 11, 2008 (1-0, 87) and Wall - Stockfish level 6, lichess.org, 2017 (1-0, 47) as well as a strong human's choice in Kurtenkov - Carlos100S, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020 (1-0, 42). - Rick 

8.dxe5 Qxe4 9.Nd2 Qd5 10.exd6 Bxd6

11.c4 Qd3 12.Qh5+ Qg6 13.Qh4 

This was ill considered, and led to the exchange of queens, which White was anxious to avoid. 

13...Qh6 14.Nf3 Qxh4 15.Nxh4 Nf6 16.Be3 b6 17.Nf3 h6 

18.Rac1 c5 19. Rfe1 Bb7 20. Nh4 Rad8 21. h3 Ng8 

The beginning of a well devised and strong attack.

22.Rc3 Ne7 23. g3 Rhe8 24. Ra3 a5 25. Rb3 Bc7 26. Bxc5 

Well planned, but premature, not having well considered Black's next move, which was the closing tour of the Kt in his ferocious perigrinations.Mr. Gingras is, undoubtedly, one of the strongest players in the state, and this game demonstrates his superior ability. 

26...Nf5 27. Be3 Nd4 28. Rd3 Ne2+ 29. Kh2 Rxd3 30. Rxe2 Rd1 

Black has a Rook for a couple of pawns, and a deadly attack. Countering it with exchanges would allow Black to gather in more material, e.g. 31.Ng2 Ra1 32.b3 Rd8 33.Re1 Rxe1 34.Nxe1 Rd1 35.Ng1 Ra1 36.a4 Rb1- Rick

31.f3 Rd3 32.Ng2 Bxf3 White resigned

Jerome Gambit: Many Choices

Sometimes the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) leads to an attack with many choices to enforce checkmate.

vrajeshpadiyar - caliako1

5 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 Ng6 

Black appears unfamiliar with the Jerome, and chooses to save his Knight, not the Bishop. Main line was either 7...d6 or 7...Qf6. 

8.f5+ 

An interesting idea, played only a few times before, according to The Database. Simplest was 8.Qxc5. 

8...Ke5 

Bold, but the retreat 8...Ke7 was required.

9.fxg6+ Kxe4 

 Suicidal. White has many choices as he pursues checkmate.

10.Qxc5

Strong, although he had the alternative 10.Nc3+ Kd4 11.Qd5#

10...d6

This does not stop 11.d3#

11.Qe3+ Kf5 12.O-O+ Kxg6 

There is no escape.

 13.Qg3+ Kh6 14.d4+ Kh5 15.Qf3+ Bg4 16.Qf7+ g6 17.Qd5+ Kh4 18.g3+ Kh3 19.Qg2 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: No Time For Patience

The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game is played at bullet speed, which means that both attack and defense happen quickly. I have made a few "patient" suggestions, but those mostly are useful for preparing for the next game. 

TheRealTrueD - steven_ego

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 

Not nearly as popular as 7...Kf8, according to The Database, but I am not sure why. Perhaps there is a worry about the e-file.

8.Qxc5 Nf6 9.Qe3 

Also seen recently:

9.d3 d6 10.Qe3 Ng4 11.Qg3 Qh4 12.Qxh4 Nxh4 13.O-O Ne5 14.f4 Ng4 15.f5 b6 16.Nc3 Bb7 17.Bg5 Nxg2 18.Kxg2 h6 19.Bf4 g5 20. Kg3 h5 21.Bxg5 Rg8 22.Kf4 Nxh2 23.Rh1 Ng4 24.Rxh5 Ne5 25.Nb5 Ba6 26.Nxc7+ Kd7 27.Nxa6 Kc6 28.Nb4+ Kb5 29.Nd5 a5 30.a4+ Ka6 31.Nc7+ Kb7 32.Nxa8 Kxa8 33.Be7 Rg4+ 34.Ke3 Rg3+ 35.Kf2 Rf3+ 36.Ke2 Rg3 37.Bxd6 Rg2+ 38.Kf1 Rg3 39.Bxe5 Rf3+ 40.Ke2 Rg3 41.Bxg3 Kb7 42.Rh7+ Kc8 43.Ra3 Kd8 44.Rc3 Ke8 45.Rcc7 Kd8 46.Rh8 checkmate, Hotfieryramen - mrkee05, lichess.org, 2020; and

9.O-O b6 10.Qc3 Bb7 11.d3 Rf8 12.f4 c5 13.f5 Nh8 14.e5 Ng8 15.Nd2 Ne7 16.Nc4 Qc7 17.Nd6+ Kd8 18.Bg5 Nf7 19.Bh4 Bd5 20.f6 gxf6 21.Rxf6 Rg8 22.g3 Nh8 23.Nf5 Nhg6 24.Rxg6 hxg6 25.Nxe7 g5 26.Nxd5 Qc6 27.Bxg5+ Rxg5 28.Qc4 Qh6 29.Qe4 Rb8 30.Rf1 Rg8 31.Nf6 Rf8 32.Rf4 Rh8 33.h4 Qg7 34.Kg2 Rf8 35.h5 d6 36.h6 Qxh6 37.Qc6 Qg7 38.Qxd6+ Kc8 39.Nd7 Rxf4 40.Qxb8+ Kxd7 41.Qxa7+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest_1410, chesstempo.com, 2020. 

9...d6 10.Nc3 Be6 

This placement of the Bishop, with the Knight on g6, often triggers f2-f4 with the threat of f4-f5.

11.O-O Kf7 12.d4 Re8 

13.e5

White might have done better with the more patient 13.Qd3 Kg8 14.f4 Bf7 15.e5 - but, this is a bullet game, and there is often no time for patience. 

13...Nd5 14.Nxd5 Bxd5 15.b3 Kg8 16.c4 Be6 17.d5 Bc8 18.e6 

Black has an extra piece for two pawns, but those "Jerome pawns" are active enough to balance the game.

18...Rf8 19.f3 Qf6 20.Bd2 Ne5 21.Bc3 Qf5 22.f4 Ng6 23.g3 Qh5 24.Rae1 b6 

Black has not been able to activate his Bishop, due to the enemy pawns.

25.Kg2 Rf5 26.h3 Rf8 27.g4 Qh4 28.f5 

28...Ne5 29.Bxe5 dxe5 30.Qxe5 Bb7

 Too late.

31.e7 

The pawn moves forward before Black can run his Queen back to blockade it.

31...Rfe8 32.Qe6+ 

Strong, but f5-f6 either on this move or the next would be even stronger.

32...Kh8 

33.Re2 Rac8 34.Rfe1 Qf6 35.Qxf6 gxf6 

The Queens can come off the board, as a simple advance of Kingside pawns will be too much for Black to cope with. The clock's influence can be seen in this simplification and the following moves.

36.Re6 c6 37.Rxf6 

When short of time, grab material. Again, if there were time, 37.d6 c5+ 38.Kg3 Bc6 39.Rxf6 would have been the play.

37...Rc7 

The consistent 37...cxd5 38.cxd5 Bxd5+ would lead to equality.

38.Rf8+ Rxf8 39.exf8=Q checkmate

Jerome Gambit: General Rule of Thumb

It is a general rule of thumb that the faster the game's time control, the more shallow the depth of search for moves. That is one reason why a player who is comfortable with the Jerome Gambit can do well in blitz - his opponent will not be able to "solve" the opening or many of the tactical threats that subsequently arrive. Of course, the first player will have to notice the threats that come his way, as well.

In the following game, credit the first player for keeping his head, even under the most difficult of circumstances - until the clock rides to his rescue?

OpeItMe - Zamar--2019

5 3 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.c3 

With this infrequently played move (The Database has 17 previous examples, with White scoring 26%) White declares his interest in enforcing d2-d4. The challenge is that he does so, two pieces down.

7...Qf6 8.d4 

Yes, but...

8...Nd3+ 9.Kf1 

Likely played quite quickly. 

9...Nxc1 

Likely played even quicker. (Also missing 9...Qxf2#.)

10.Qxc5 Nd3 

11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.f3 

Preventing checkmate at f2, but weakening the c1-h6 diagonal - although Black now overlooks the strong 12...Qh6, preparing to sneak behind enemy lines.

12...c6 13.Qc4 Nf4 14.e5 Qe6 15.Qc5+ Kf7 

16.Nd2 b6 

It is easier to kick the enemy Queen (It's right there!) than to analyze the strengths of 16...Qg6, to which White does not have any good answers. (Perhaps the clock was a factor.)

White's King still suffers.

17.Qa3 Ne7 18.Ne4 Qc4+ 19.Kf2 Qe2+ 20.Kg3 Qxg2+ 21.Kxf4 

21...Ng6+ 

Black knows that there has to be a checkmate somewhere, but he misses 21...Nd5+ 22.Kf5 g6#.

22.Ke3 Qg5+

Oh, no! Moving too quickly?

23.Nxg5+ Black resigned