Between the Refutation and the Resignation...Part 1

I've mentioned the discussion going on at Chess.com about the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). Some find it to be an interesting opening, some find it to be a poor one.

Jerome Gambit Gemeinde (and Chess.com) member Bill Wall has been positive about possible uses of the gambit ("it's the type of opening I like in blitz chess and I have had fun and success with it. My success this year has been 18 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss").

Chess.com Kacparov has been more skeptical ("The Jerome gambit can be easily refuted."). 

Both are relatively strong club players, and I'd like to present a Jerome Gambit game by each.

Wall - Rajiv

Chess.com, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4

The Nibs Variation, which received a serious look in the series "Repairing a Variation (Part 1)", "(Part 2)", "(Part 3)" and "(Part 4)". It is a wild, but dangerous, refutation.

Between the refutation and the resignation, however, the chess gods have placed the middle game (and sometimes the endgame).

7.0-0 Ng4

This is the traditional move, although Wall has also met 7...Qxe4, recommended by Rybka: 7...Qxe4 8.dxc5 Nf6 9.Nc3 Qc6 10.Re1 d6 11.cxd6 Qxd6 12.Bf4 Nf3+ 13.Qxf3 Qb6 14.Nd5 Nxd5 15.Bxc7+ Qf6 16.Qxd5+ Be6 17.Qxb7 Rhe8 18.Bd8+ Black resigned, Wall - Gorodetsky, Chess.com, 2010 

8.h3 Bb6

9.hxg4

Less successful was 9.Qf3+ N4f6 10.e5 Bxd4 11.exf6 Nxf6 12.c3 Bb6 13.Nd2 Rf8 14.Ne4 Qxe4 15.Qd1 d5 16.Re1 Qf5 17.Be3 Bxe3 18.Rxe3 Bd7 19.Rf3 Qe5 20.Qd2 Rae8 21.Re3 Qd6 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.b3 Qe5 24.Rf1 Bc6 25.Kh1 Qe2 26.Qc1 d4 27.cxd4 Qe4 28.d5 Qxd5 29.f3 Kg8 30.Rd1 Qe6 31.Qf4 Nd5 32.Qd4 Ne3 33.Rc1 Bxf3 34.Kg1 Nxg2 35.Rxc7 Qe3+ 36.Qxe3 Nxe3 37.Kf2 Bc6 38.b4 Nd5 White resigned, Sir Osis of the Liver - perrypawnpusher, JG3 thematic, Chessworld.net, 2008.

9...d6 10.f3 Be6

11.Be3 Bc4 12.Re1 Ne7

13.f4

The "Jerome pawns".

13...Rhe8 14.Nd2 Ba6 15.Nf3 Qg3

16.a4 Ba5 17.c3 Kf8 18.b4 Ng6

19.f5 Nf4 20.Bxf4 Qxf4 21.Qc2 c5

White seems to be holding on remarkably well, given that his opening has been refuted.

22.bxa5 Qxg4

I asked for Rybka's input on how the game was going, and I received it in a series of evaluations that looked like increasing pressure readings in a boiler that is about to blow up. Here White was rated 2.04 pawns ahead.

23.Rad1 cxd4

2.61 pawns 

24.Rxd4 Qg3 25.Qb3 Qf4

3.67 pawns

26.Qb1 Qg3

5.04 pawns

27.e5 g6

8.72 pawns.

28.Rxd6 Re7

12.28 pawns

29.f6 Ree8

From this position White can see mate. 

30.Qb4 Bb5 31.Rd8+ Kf7 32.e6+ Kxf6 33.Qd4+ Black resigned