Not Much to Say

I handed the following Jerome Gambit game by Bill Wall over to Houdini 2, to look at in "blunder check" mode, and was surprised that it had little to say, until the end, when it indicated that Black had blundered in a largely even position.

That indicates one of the fascinations of the Jerome: Black doesn't have to blunder to lose, he only needs to put together a series of second- or third-best moves, while White develops and begins making threats - and the opening is again "justified".

The Jerome Gambit may not be anything to try against a computer, but it continues to provide interesting play against people.

Wall, Bill - Guest1475978
Playchess.com, 2013

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.Qh5 

After delivering a typical "nudge" (7.Qd5+) White's Queen decides that she wants to take a different way home. There are only 10 previous examples in The Database's 27,400 games, and White had (up until this point) only scored 45%, but Bill was exploring and taking his opponent out of any "book" he might have been familiar with.

9...Nf6 10.Qe2 Kf7 11.O-O Re8 12.d3 Kg8 

Black has wisely castled-by-hand, one indication that he might know something about the Jerome.

13.f4 a6 14.f5 Ne7 15.g4 Qd7 16. g5 Nxe4 17.dxe4 Nxf5 

Black continues in knowing fashion, returning his piece for two pawns, relying on his better pawn structure to reassure him of progress.

18.Nc3 Nd4 19.Qc4+ Ne6 

This all seems so well-prepared, until you begin to ask: What does Black do next? Does he really have to move his King so that he can move his Knight so that he can move his Queen so that he can move his Bishop?

20.Be3 b5 21.Qd5 c6 22.Qf5 

White continues to move his Queen in a disconcerting manner, as we have seen recently in "A Day in the Life of the Jerome Gambit" and "You can't play like that!"

22...Qe7 23.a3 Nc5 24.Qf3 Nxe4 

Pleased with his maneuvering, Black triumphantly snaps off the weak e-pawn (see the note to move 17) and Houdini 2 murmers that White now has a small edge.

25.Nxe4 Qxe4

If only chess were this simple. Houdini 2 recommends instead: 25...d5 26.Nf6+ gxf6 27.Rae1 Qg7 28.Kh1 f5 29.g6 hxg6 30.Bd4 Rxe1 31.Bxg7 Rxf1+ 32.Qxf1 Kxg7 when Black has a Rook, a Bishop, and two pawns for his Queen.

26.Qf7+ Kh8 27.Qf8+ Rxf8 28.Rxf8 checkmate

(And that is why Bill Wall scores 96% with the Jerome Gambit, according to The Database - although I may have missed a win or two.)