I am playing in Chess.com's second "Italian opning [sic] rapid players". In the first round, Group 1, I have managed to play only one Jerome Gambit game, but it was a successful one.
Past experience prepared me for a good start in the game.
perrypawnpusher - BIJAN_H_F
italian opning rapid players, Chess.com, 2025
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 This is a familiar position. The Database has 1,300 games where it occurs, with White scoring 63%.
Closer at hand, I have reached this position in 64 games, scoring 78%.
10.O-O
Or 10.f4 as in perrypawnpusher - MRBarupal, blitz, FICS,2010 (1-0, 18)
10...Rf8
I have faced 10...Kf7 a number of times;
perrypawnpusher - Feestt, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 19);
perrypawnpusher - thehunterrjames, blitz, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 25);
perrypawnpusher - Nadante, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 59);
perrypawnpusher - stcamillis, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 18);
perrypawnpusher - Jore, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 32);
perrypawnpusher - avgur, blitz, FICS, 2013 (0-1, 27);
perrypawnpusher - kenkenaditya, blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 33);
perrypawnpusher - scarsetto, blitz, FICS, 2014 (0-1,18); and
perrypawnpusher - acasimon1987, Chess.com, 2021 (0-1, 38)
Also 10...Ng4
perrypawnpusher - jgknight, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1/2-1/2, 58);
perrypawnpusher - lorecai, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 47);
perrypawnpusher - dkahnd, blitz, FICS 2011 (1-0, 24);
perrypawnpusher - FiNLiP, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 59); and
perrypawnpusher - Riversider, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 18)
After 10...Qe7
perrypawnpusher - Edvardinho, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 57); and
perrypawnpusher - Borislav007, Chess.com, iPhone 2024 (1-0, 12)
11.f4 Rf7
Or 11...Ng4 as in
perrypawnpusher - blackburne, Jerome Gambit 3 thematic, chessworld.net, 2008 (1-0, 38);
perrypawnpusher - MRBarupal, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 47);
perrypawnpusher - jgknight, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1/2 - 1/2, 58);
perrypawnpusher - dkahnd, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 37);
perrypawnpusher - lorecai, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 47); and
perrypawnpusher - dkahnd, blitz, FICS 2011 (1-0, 24)
Enough history. Back to the game.
12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Nc4 Or 13...Neg4, perrypawnpusher - dkahnd, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 30)
14.Qd3 Nb6
Also possible was 14...b5. In similar positions, however, I have scored 7 - 1- 1. In this game, I now have a small advantage, based on my pawn center and Black's King's uneasy placement.
15.Bg5 h6 16.Bh4 Nbd7
This move takes away a resource - exchanging Queens - that was still possible after 16...Bd7 17.e5 dxe5 18.dxe5 Bc6 19.exf6 Qxd3 20. cxd3 gxf6 and White has only a small advantage.
17.Nc3 Nf8
The Knight has been around: Nc6-e5-g6-e5-c4-b6-d7-f8.
18.Rad1 g5 19.Bg3
Stockfish 16.1 prefers more active play, showing how to take advantage of the weak Black Kingside; 19.fxg6 Nxg6 20.Bxf6 Rxf6 21.Nd5 Rxf1+ 22.Rxf1 Be6 23.Qg3 Bf7 24.Rf6 c6 25.Rxg6 Bxf6 26.Qxg6+ Kf8 27.Qxh6+ Kf7 28.Qxh6+ Kf8 29.Nc7
19...N8d7 20.e5
White will win material, and maintain his advantage.20...dxe5 21.dxe5 Qe7
It is hard for Black to come up with an answer, as White's e-pawn not only threatens to take the Knight on f6, it threatens to advance to e7, forking two pieces.
22.exf6 Qxf6
23.Rfe1+
Even stronger was 22.Nd5 right away.
23...Kf8 24.Nd5 Nc5
Worth a try, but White will not slip at this point.
25.Qe3 b6 26.Qe8+ Kg7 27.Nxf6 Bb7 28.Nh5+ Black resigns
It is checkmate after 28...Kh7 29.Qxf7+ Kh8 30.Qg7#
