An Inoffensive Defense

Wall,B - Guest1443273
playchess.com, 2012

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 

I have referred to this as a "calming variation" in the "Nothing Happened" post a couple of years ago. Although it is similar in a way to the "anti-Bill Wall gambit," I don't think that Bill has seen this particular move in any of his games, but remember - he has The Database, and there are 70 examples there.

8.Kxf2 Qh4+ 9.Kf1 TN 9...Qf6+ 10.Qxf6+ Nxf6 

The wild, madcap attack from the Jerome Gambit has been cancelled. Black, however, is simply a pawn down, and he is still a long way from the possible drawing chances of a Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame.

11.Nc3 c6 12.e5 Nh5 13.Ne4 Ke6 14.Ng5+ Ke7 15.d4 Rf8+ 16.Ke1 h6 17.Ne4 g5 

Not only does White's Knight eye d6 and f6, we can see the foreboding (for Black) situation of the light-squared Bishop on c8 blocking the Rook at a8, a common behind-in-development feature in "reduced" Jerome Gambits.

18.Bd2 b6 19.Bb4+ c5 20.Nxc5!? bxc5 21.Bxc5+ Ke8 22.Bxf8 Kxf8 

White has three pawns and a Rook against a Knight and Bishop. The pesky "Jerome pawns" quickly go to work.

23.h4 g4 24.Rf1+ Kg7 25.c4 Ba6 26.b3 Rd8 27.d5 Re8 28.e6 

At first glance this looks like White is simply tossing a pawn, but he has a different idea.

28...dxe6 29.d6 Rd8 30.Rd1 Ng3 31.Rf4 h5 32.c5 Nf5? 

Black needed to get the Bishop on the defensive a4-e8 diagonal with 32...Bb5.

33.Ra4 Bb7?  

Allowing a nice finish.

34.Rxa7 Rd7 35.Rxb7! Rxb7 36.c6 Black resigned