Jerome Gambit: The Promise of Sharp Play and Quick Wins

Players are drawn to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4  e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) because of the promise of sharp play and quick wins. One of the best ways of achieving that outcome is to know which early moves by Black can lead to immediate punishment - and how to deliver that punishment.

I have been warning Readers about the following variation for over a dozen years (see "Jerome Gambit and The Perfesser (Part I)") that there are concrete steps that can be taken to bring the game to a successful conclusion.

Yet, the following game, a win, brings to an end a 7-game losing streak for White, according to The Database. Hence, this post. 

 

TePart0 - dmjjmd

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4  e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4... Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf6

This move has been faced by many Jerome Gambit players, including angelcamina, chessmanjeff, drumme, DutchLiLi, fehim, MrJoker, Perfesser, perrypawnpusher, Petasluk, shugart, UNPREDICTABLE, vlastous, Wall, and ZahariSokolov.

It appears in 89 games in The Database, with White scoring 76%.

As I mentioned in "Ghost of Compensation"

This is an example of the defender relaxing a bit too soon. Certainly he should feel confident, as he is two pieces ahead. He has every reason to believe that White, having played foolishly, will continue in his bizarre ways. Yet, a bit of care in analyzing the position would have shown that the attacker can now regain significant material.

and again, in "Give the Jerome Gambit A Little Respect"

Ahead by two pieces, Black is too casual in his reply. (He can protect his Knight with 6...Ke6; or dodge the check with 6...Kf8; or block the check with 6...g6 or 6...Ng6; in each case with good prospects.)

The Jerome Gambit has a number of refutations, and while it does not command a lot of respect, it should receive at least a little

 7.f4 

This is a very Jerome-ish move, attacking the Knight and threatening the Bishop, should the Knight move. In addition, White sets up the threat of Qg5+, an x-ray attack through the enemy King to the enemy Queen.

Yet, it is not the best.

Who can forget the surrender, almost 2 decades ago, of Chickenbrain in his blitz game at  FICS, in 2002: 7.Qf5+ Black resigned.

Once again a familiar position can be reached after 7.Qf5+ Ke7 8.Qxe5+ Kf8 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qe3 and White has recovered his two sacrificed pieces.

7...Bd6 

One of the reasons the Jerome Gambit is gaining in popularity is that even though it is considered "refuted", it inspires equally unbalanced responses that can then be taken advantage of.

A couple of responses faced by a club player we have been covering (see "Jerome Gambit: Quo Vadis?" "Jerome Gambit: Chess Is An Easy Game, After All" and "The Jerome Gambit Is For Club Players") are

7...d6  8.fxe5+ (8.Qg5+!) 8...Ke7 (8...dxe5? 9.c3? [9.Rf1+ Ke6 10.Qf7+ Kd6 11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.Qxc5+ Qd6 13.Qc3] 9...g6 10.Rf1+ Ke6? 11.d4 gxh5 12.d5+ White resigned, Intercrosse - jdebettenco1, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021) 9.c3 g6 10.Qe2 dxe5 11.b4 (11.d4) 11...Bb6 12.Ba3 Nf6 13.c4 c6 14.c5 Bc7 15.O-O Rf8 16.Bb2 Nd7 17.d4 Rxf1+ 18.Kxf1 Qf8+ 19.Kg1 Qf4 (19...exd4) 20.dxe5 (20.d5) 20...Nxe5 21.Nd2 Bg4 22.Bxe5 Bxe5 23.Nf3 Bxa1 White resigned, Intercrosse - shyqrish, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020; and  

7... g6 8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qc3 Ne7 11.O-O Rf8 12.b3 Nc6 13.Bb2 Ke8 14.d3 Qh4 15.Nd2 Rxf4 16.Rxf4 Qxf4 17.Rf1 Qe3+ 18.Kh1 Bd7 19.Qh8+ Ke7 20.Qg7+ Kd8 21.Rf8+ Be8 22.Qf6+ Kd7 23.Nf3 Rd8 24.Qh8 Qh6 25.Bf6 Ne7 26.Nd4 Qc1 checkmate, Intercrosse - mpumsi_msubath, lichess.org, 2021

8.fxe5+ 

One measure of how troubled Black's last move was is that this move by White is rated by Stockfish 13 as stronger than simply winning the Queen with either 8.Qg5+ or 8.Qh4+.

8...Bxe5 9.d4

Re-establishing the threat to win Black's Queen (and unfortunately missing the fun 9.O-O+ Bf4 10.Rxf4+ Ke6 11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.Qe5 checkmate). 

Black resigned

The Jerome Gambit Is For Club Players

The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bxf7+) is for club players.

Sometimes a master or a grandmaster will try it - especially in a blitz game - mostly for entertainment purposes (see "Jerome Gambit: All In Good Fun" and "Jerome Gambit: GM vs GM!?" for examples), but they are most likely to do so with a bit of whimsey and tongue-in-cheek.

On the other hand, while the "official" birth of the Jerome dates back to published analysis in the Dubuque Chess Journal of April 1874, the opening has been "discovered" a number of times since by club players who had a taste for wild attack, without any awareness of what work had gone before them. See "A Small Clue to Follow" and "A New Opening?" for examples.

The following game is another in a series of posts looking at a Jerome Gambit variation through the eyes - and games - of a club player who clearly enjoys the opening: the good, the bad, and of course, the ugly.

Intercrosse - afchs

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bxf7+  

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Ng6 

This is different than what we saw in Intercrosse - Udit00, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020 (1-0, 12), where Black tried 7...Nf6.

The text is a reasonable way to return one of the sacrificed pieces, so I was surprised to find only 32 games with this position in The Database. After all, The Database contains almost 16,550 games with 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bxf7+.

8.Qd5+  

White has several interesting alternatives, each showing that despite what Stockfish 13 may say, the first player has good practical chances.

With 8.f5+, White has scored 4 - 1, although with best play on both sides he doesn't quite get somewhere, if Black can untangle himself, e.g. 8...Ke7 9.fxg6 d6 10.e5 Qe8 11.d4 Bb6 12.Nc3 Qxg6 13.Qxg6 hxg6 14.0-0-0

White has scored 7 - 3 with 8.Qf5+ arriving at a familiar position where he has 2 healthy "Jerome pawns" against Black's extra piece, e.g. 8...Kd6 (8...Ke7 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qe3 transposes) 9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ d6 11.Qe3. 

8.Qxc5, directly, has scored 7 - 2, and despite appearances (and Stockfish 13's sense that it leads to a balanced game) can lead to some very complicated play, for example 8...d6 9.f5!?. Intercrosse met success after 8....d6 9.Qb4 Qh4+ 10.g3 Qf6 (10...Qh3!?) 11.0-0 (11.f5+!?) Ke2 12.d4 c6? (12...Kd8) 13.e5 Nxe5 14.fxe5 Black resigned, Intercrosse - jordan508, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020.

8.c3 saw the game end quickly, and not in a good way: 8...Qh4+, White resigned, Intercrosse - MeliksahHarden, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020. After the exchange of Queens, White's two extra pawns do not compensate for Black's two extra pieces.

The move in the game has scored 5 - 2. While it is Stockfish 13's third choice (by about 1/2 a pawn) it was the choice of Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura in his 3 0 blitz game, GMHikaruOnTwitch - Damwon, Chess.com, 2021 (1-0, 29)

8...Kf6

Wouldn't you know, I go through all that serious work (above) and afchs tosses it all in the trash bin right away. Instead, with 8...Ke7 9. Qxc5+ d6 10.Qe3 he would have the pull that many defenders of the Jerome Gambit have.

Reminder: this is a 3-minute blitz game.

9.Qxc5 

Ouch. Another example of the "equalizing injustice of chess". Instead, 9.Qg5+ would have led to the win of the Queen. Nobody expects such gifts, but it is always good to keep an eye out for one.

Reminder: this is a 3-minute blitz game. 

9...Nxf4 

White was given a second chance with 9...d6 in Intercrosse - Newtrix, lichess.org, 2021, (0-1, 42).

The text returns the second of the sacrificed pieces. Black could have held on, instead, with 9...Kf7 10.Nc3 Nf6 11.f5 Ne7 12.d3 Re8

10.O-O 

You know you are doing well when you can play this kind of move: defends, attacks and intimidates.

10..g5 11.g3  

Happy with winning the Knight. There was also 11.Qc3+ Kg6 12.Qxh8 but that wasn't necessary. (Yes, the Queen can escape from the corner.) 

11...d6 12.Qc3+ Kg6 13.gxf4 

See the above note. 

13...gxf4 

See the above note.

14.Qxh8 Black resigned 

Jerome Gambit: Chess Is An Easy Game, After All

In the previous post, it was enjoyable to examine a line in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) through the games of a particular player.

So, let's do it again.

Intercrosse - PrashantKakade

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 

As I wrote years ago

As early as his first Jerome Gambit article (Dubuque Chess Journal April, 1874), Alonzo Jerome considered the possibility that Black might refuse to capture the second piece with 5...Nxe5, and instead play for King safety instead with 5...Kf8.
In a letter to the American Chess Journal, March 1877, Jerome wrote

5...Kf8 leaves White's pawns intact while Black has lost two strong pawns and doubled another. This defense was adopted by G.J. Dougherty of Mineola, NY, a strong amateur, against whom I first played the opening, and I think he will agree that 5...Kf8 is not a good defense. He generally played 6.bc and that was the play of Mr. J. C. Young of Danville, KY, who subsequently abandoned the game. Why, I do not know, as it was not necessarily lost to either of us. It is a question with which Pawn it is best to take.

The earliest game example that I have of this line is Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, USA, 1875 (1/2-1/2, 29) 

For some games and history, see "Jerome Gambit: A Trip Down Memory Lane (Part 1)".

6.Qh5  

And, again

White also has the option of playing 6.Qh5, the Banks Variation, as in Banks - Rees, Halesowen, 2003, when Black can transpose with 6…Nxe5  as recommended by the American Chess Journal, (3/1877) - "The continuation adopted by Jerome, Qh5 looks promising."

Pete Banks ("blackburne" online), a stalwart member of the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde ...brought international attention to Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's invention by writing to International Master Gary Lane, who commented at length on the opening, and on a couple of Banks' games, in his March ("The Good Old Days") and April ("Chess Made Easy") 2008 "Opening Lanes" columns at ChessCafe.com. IM Lane also mentioned one of Banks' games in his The Greatest Ever chess tricks and traps (2008), which reprised some of the earlier material.

It is humorous to note that in his "Opening Lanes" column Lane wrote, after 5.Nxe5+, "I think anyone with good manners playing Black would now kindly ask their opponent if they wanted to take their move back" while in his book he changed this to "I think anyone with good manners playing Black would now go to another room to carry on laughing."

Apropos the Banks Variation itself (i.e. playing 6.Qh5 in response to 5...Kf8), IM Lane noted in "The Good Old Days" that "6...Qe7 is a good alternative [to 6...Qf6 of Banks - Rees], because it stops the checkmate and protects the bishop on c5."

How should Black respond?

There is 6...Qf6 7.O-O ( More to the point is 7.Nxd7+ Bxd7 8.Qxc5+) 7...Nxe5 8.c3 d6 9.d4 Bxd4 (9...Bg4 10.Qg5 Qxg5 11.Bxg5 Nf7 12.dxc5 Nxg5 13.cxd6 cxd6) 10.cxd4 Nc6 11.e5 dxe5 12.dxe5 Qxe5 13.Nc3 Qxh5 White resigned, Intercrosse - Piropiro2, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020; 

Black could transposte to the main line with 6...Nxe5 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qf4+ Nf6 9.d4 Bxd4 10.O-O Be5 11.Qf3 Bg4 12.Qb3 Rb8 13.Bg5 h6 14.Bh4 g5 15.Bg3 Kg7 16.Nc3 Bxc3 17.Qxc3 Qe7 18.Rae1 Rbe8 19.f3 Be6 20.f4 gxf4 21.Bh4 Rhf8 22.Rxf4 Kg6 23.Re3 Qg7 24.Rg3+ Ng4 25.Rfxg4+ Bxg4 26.Rxg4+ Kf7 27.Qxg7+ Ke6 28.Rg6+ Rf6 29.Qxf6+ Kd7 30.Rg7+ Re7 31.Qxe7+ Kc6 32.Qxc7+ Kb5 33.b4 Kxb4 34.Qxb7+ Kc3 35.Rc7+ Kd2 36.Qd5+ Ke3 37.g4 Kf4 38.e5 Kxg4 39.exd6 Kxh4 40.Rg7 Kh3 41.Qh5 checkmate, Intercrosse - Drunkpad, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020; 

Black could be creative and return material with 6...Bxf2+?! 7.Kxf2 Qf6+ 8.Ke1 (hoping to pin the enemy Queen to its King with Rf1, but it never happens; better the simple 8.Nf3) Qxe5 9.Rf1+ Nf6 10.d4? Qxe4+ White resigned, Intercrosse - shyqrish, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020; 

There was also 6...g6 7.Nxg6+ hxg6 8.Qxh8 Qf6 9.Qh6+? (9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 10.Qxf6 Nxf6 11.d3 would leave White with 3 pawns and a Rook vs Knight and Bishop) 9...Kf7? White resigned in an equal position, Intercrosse - TickleAttack, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020; 

Surprisingly, after 6...Qe8 White resigned in Intercrosse - ehne_mehn_muhh, 3 0, blitz, lichess.org, 2020. Again, after the tactic 7.Nxe7+ Qxd7 8.Qxc5+, Black would have a small edge. 

Finally, 6...Qe7!? suggested by IM Lane (see above) was tested in splott - mika76, GameKnot.com, 2008: 7.Ng6+ hxg6 8.Qxh8 Qxe4+ 9.Kf1 Qd4 10.Ke1 Qxf2+ 11.Kd1 d6 12.h3 Qxg2 13.Re1 Qf3+ 14.Re2 Bf2 15.d3 Nd4 16.Nc3 Qh1+ 17.Kd2 Nf3 checkmate. 

So, how did Black respond in the game?

6...Nf6 7.Qf7 checkmate

Chess is an easy game, after all.

By the way, this is the only game in The Database with this final position. There are 3 similar games that proceeded 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 (not 5...Kf8, as in our main game) 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qf7 checkmate: Esistes - ClosetDoor, blitz, FICS, 2009; perrypawnpusher - platel, blitz, FICS, 2011, and BahatiTheGrandmaster - Mammaen-din, 10 5 blitz, lichess.org, 2021.

Jerome Gambit: Quo Vadis?

The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game revolves around two big questions about where the White Queen should go - or should not go. As can be seen in the game and in the notes - and you should read the notes - how the questions are answered determine the game(s)'s outcome(s).

Always, mind you, with the clock ticking in a 3-minute game.

Intercrosse - Udit00

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 Nf6 

Giving back both sacrificed pieces.

8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 d6 

10.Qb4 

Where should the Queen go? This is an interesting and important question.

The Database has 35 games where the position after 9...d6 was reached. In about half of the games, White chose to retreat his Queen to e3. In about one sixth of the games, White chose to retreat to c4. In one ninth of the games, White chose to retreat to b5, and, likewise, to retreat to b4. The squares g5, d4 and a5 were chosen once each.

By contrast, Stockfish 13 evaluated the three top squares for the Queen to move to, with very little difference amongst them, as b5, a5, and g5.

What is going on here? Clearly, the vast majority of chessplayers represented by The Database simply chose a safe and centralized place for their Queen, behind the e-pawn, hoping to assist in the general advance of the "Jerome pawns". This is reasonable.

The computer, however, preferred to move the Queen out of direct action (i.e. 9...Qa5 and 9...Qg5) or to set up the age old dilemma for Black: after 9...Qb5, is it worth giving up the b-pawn to develop the light squared Bishop?

Earlier in the year, White had explored 10.Qc4+, and  the game continued 10...Be6 (better was 10...d5) 11.Qe2 Re8 12.O-O h5 (an aggressive idea that should have been met by 13.f5) 13.d4 h4 14.h3 c6 15.e5 Nd5 16.Qh5+ (even stronger was to trust in the "Jerome pawns" with 13.f5) g6 17.Qh7+ Kf8 (White now has a mate in 8, but misses it) 18.Qxg6 Bf7 19.Qh6+ Kg8 20.Nc3 Re6 White resigned in a position where he still had an edge (time trouble?), Intercrosse - pavyon, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020.

10...Nxe4

This is the second big question: should the Knight be taken? (Hint: it has to do with White's King on the open e-file.)

Recall the post "Jerome Gambit: A Series of Shocks".

Later in the year, White ducked the question in a similar position: 10...Re8 11.O-O (or 11.d3) Nxe4 12.d3 c5 13.Qc4+ d5 14.Qb3 c4 15.Qb4 (Dangerously allowing Her Majesty to be cut off from supporting the Kingside. Better was 15.dxc4 b6 16.cxd5) 15...a5 16.Qa4 (After all that harassment, Black now has mate in 7) Qb6+ 17.Kh1 Nf2+ 18.Rxf2 Qxf2 (good enough, but 18...Re1+ was faster) White resigned, Intercrosse - Anton_Sork, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020 

11.O-O 

Toward the end of the year, he could not resist temptation, facing the threatened loss of his Queen after 11.Qxe4 Re8, therefore White resigned, Intercrosse - dinazorrr, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020) 

11...Rf8

Ouch. Here we see an example of a player taking the right advice at the wrong time. It is often a good idea in the Jerome Gambit for Black to castle-by-hand, and this appears to be what he is doing. However, he either forgot about his Knight, or he still believed that White would not take it. With 11...Nf6 Black could have stayed only a pawn behind. 

12.Qxe4 Black resigned

Black is down a piece and a pawn, without compensation.

Jerome Gambit CHECKMATE!!!

CHECKMATE!!!

I just discovered a YouTube video, "Jerome Gambit CHECKMATE!!!" that appears to be a 30 0 game Jerome Gambit game between Alexandrea Botez and Andrea Botez.

The game features a delightful march of White's e-pawn, supported by the Queen, ending with a Queen sacrifice and a promotion to a Queen leading to checkmate.

The moves appear to be the same as in Ftmean - Saleem, 10 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021 (1-0, 16), but watching the video is a lot more fun.

Check it out.

Jerome Gambit: vs WGM!?

 

The following game is a rematch - see "Jerome Gambit: vs WGM?!"

Playing White is a Jerome Gambiteer who specializes in bullet - 1 minute, no increment - play.

Playing Black is a Women's Grandmaster - who has serious chess skills, and who is not going to be surprised by a "refuted" opening this time. 

The thing is, though, that it is still the Jerome Gambit.

Anonymous - Anonymous,

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ Qe7 9.Qe3 Nf6 

So far, the same as the previous game. Now White opts to defend his e-pawn, so his opponent immediately attacks it.

I think being allowed to exchange Queens may have come as a surprise to Black, but we have seen many examples where the extra pawns are easier to play than the extra piece. 

10.d3 d5 11.exd5 Qxe3+ 12.fxe3 Nxd5 13.O-O+ Ke7 14.e4 Nf6 15.Nc3 Rf8 16.Bg5 

Target: f6, a standard Jerome Gambit theme.

16...h6 17.Nd5+ Ke6 

Okay, quick: This is an error. If you were playing the game, you would have a few seconds to find and punish it. Go!

18.Nxf6 

White settles for winning a pawn, a concrete gain. 

The right path was 18.Bxf6 c6 19.Nc7+ Kd6 20.Nxa8 although extracting the Knight at a8 would be difficult, if not impossible: 20...Bg4 21.Rae1 Be6 (21...Rxa8 22.Rxf6+) 22.d4 Kd7 (22...Rxa8 23.Rxf6 Rg8 d5 24.d5 Kd7 25.dxe6+) 23.b3 Rxa8 24.Rxf6 Rg8 25.d5 Bg4 26.e5 and White's advanced passed "Jerome pawns" outweigh Black's extra piece.

18...gxf6 19.Bxh6 Rh8 

There's got to be a tactic somewhere, thinks Black. There is, for White - which is why 19...Rf7 was probably better.

20.Bg7 Rh7 21.Rxf6+ Ke7 22.Rxg6 Kf7 23.Rg3 Rxg7 24.Rf1+ Kg8 25.Rxg7+ Kxg7 

White has 4 pawns for the Bishop. I believe that in club games, the pawns should be easier to play with and easier to win. Against a very strong player, perhaps the odds shift toward the Bishop - although the short time control may work against it.

26.h3 Be6 27.Rf4 Bxa2 28.g4 a5 29.Kf2 b5 30.Ke3 b4 

31.Rf5 Be6 32.Rc5 Ra7 33.b3 a4 34.bxa4 b3 35.cxb3 Bxb3 36.a5 Be6 

Black has been playing with energy, but White's three pawn islands will prove too much.

37.d4 Kf7 38.d5 Bd7 39.e5 Ke7 40.Kd4 Kd8 

41.e6 Be8 42. Ke5 Ra6 43. h4 Ra8 44. h5 Rb8 45. h6 Rb1 46.Kf6 Rf1+ 47. Kg7 Rg1 48.Rc4 Bh5  49.h7 Bxg4 Black resigned

White will promote his pawn to a Queen and then checkmate the next move.

Jerome Gambit: vs WGM?!

We have seen Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games by the following player of the White pieces, who has always requested anonymity for himself and his opponents.

He recently played a couple of online bullet games against a WGM

Anonymous - Anonymous

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021

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

 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ Qe7 9.Qe3 Nf6 

An alternative of about the same strength, 9...d5 was faced earlier by the same player,  Anonymous - Anonymous, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020 (1-0, 34)

10.O-O 

Choosing King safety at the cost of a pawn. Earlier in the year he had tried 10.Nc3 d5 11.exd5 Qxe3+ 12.fxe3 Kf7 13.O-O Rf8 14.e4 Kg8 15.d4 Bd7 16.e5 Ng4 17.h3 Nh6 18.Bxh6 gxh6 19.e6 Be8 20.Ne4 Rxf1+ 21.Rxf1 Ne7 22.Nf6+ Kg7 23.c4 b6 24.b4 a5 25.a3 axb4 26.axb4 Rd8 27.Rf3 Ng6 28.Nh5+ Kg8 29.g3 c6 30.Rf5 cxd5 31.Rxd5 Rxd5 32.cxd5 Kf8 33.Nf6 Ke7 34.Ne4 Bb5 35.Kf2 Nf8 36.Ke3 Nxe6 37.dxe6 Kxe6 38.Kf4 Kd5 39.Nf6+  Kxd4 40.Nxh7 Kc4 41.h4 Kxb4 42.g4 Kc3 43.g5 hxg5+ 44.hxg5 Bd3 45.Nf8 Bg6 46.Nxg6 b5 47.Ne5 b4 48.Nd3 b3 49.Nb2 White won on time, Anonymous -Anonymous, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021. 

10...Qxe4 11.Qa3+ d6 12.Nc3 Qe8 13.d4 h6 

14.Qb3 Be6 15.d5 Bd7 16.Be3 Kg8 17.Rae1 Kh7 

Black has focused on castling-by-hand and is not worried about the fate of his b-pawn.

There was a pawn to be had now, but White's attention flows in a different direction.

18.Bd4 

It was possible to step off the path for a moment and play 18.Bxh6 Qf7 19.Bg5 but he wanted his Bishop on the long diagonal.

18...Qf7 19.Ne4 Nxe4 20.Rxe4 Rhe8 21.Rfe1 Rxe4 22.Rxe4 Re8 23.Qe3 Rxe4 24.Qxe4 Bf5 25.Qe3 Qxd5 

Black has defended well and her counter-attack has left her a piece ahead. However, it is not clear how much time this has cost her. Now, in chasing a Queen exchange, she manages to overlook a deadly threat.

26.h3 c5 27.Bc3 Qe4 28.Qd2 Qxc2 29.Qxd6 Qe4 30.Qc7 Qc6 31.Qxg7 checkmate

Well, okay, let's attribut this to the strangeness of the Jerome Gambit. I mean, nobody expects the Jerome Gambit, right? 

What would happen if they played again?