Jerome Gambit: More Pie, Please

The following game tells an often-shared tale: it is not enough to know the move that "refutes" a line, it is necessary to know the follow up. This is especially the case in a very sharp, double-edged opening like the Jerome Gambit.

Wall, Bill - PassCapture
lichess.org, 2016

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

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

Elsewhere I have referred to this a "pie-in-the-face" variation, and it is one that can come as a shock to the unprepared Jerome Gambiteer - but Bill Wall is hardly unprepared. He has had success against other lines in the 6.d4 variation, and is ready if someone wants to mix it up with the text.

7.O-O Ng4 8.h3 N8f6 

With this move (a novelty according to The Database) Black continues to pursue development over material, refusing to retreat.

Bill has faced other lines as well:

8...Bd6 9.e5 Bxe5 (9...Nxe5 10.dxe5 Bxe5 11.Qd5+ Kf6 12.Re1 d6 13.Rxe5 dxe5 14.Qd8+ Ne7 15.Qxh8 Qe4 [15...Kf7 16.Nd2 Ng6 17.Nf3 Qxf2+ 18.Kxf2 Nxh8 19.Nxe5+ Kf6 20.Nf3 Bf5 21.Be3 Ng6 22.g4 Be4 23.Bd4+ Ke6 24.Re1 Rf8 25.Rxe4+ Kd5 26.Ke3 c5 27.Bxg7 Rf7 28.c4+ Kd6 29.Be5+ Nxe5 30.Nxe5 Rf1 31.Nd3 Rh1 32.Nf4 Rh2 33.Re6+ Kc7 34.Re7+ Kb6 35.Rxh7 Rxb2 36.g5 Rxa2 37.g6 Black resigned, Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016] 16.Qf8+ Ke6 17.Bg5 Qb4 18.Qxg7 Bd7 19.Qf6+ Kd5 20.Nc3+ Kc4 21.b3+ Kxc3 22.Qxe5+ Qd4 23.Bd2+ Kxd2 24.Qxd4+ Kxc2 25.Rd1 Black resigned, Wall,B - Anonymous, lichess.org, 2016) 10.dxe5 Nxe5 11.Qd5+ Kf6 12.f4 Ng6 13.Nc3 d6 14.Be3 Ke7 15.Rae1 Kd8 16.Nb5 Nf6 17.Qc4 Ne8 18.Bf2 Qf6 19.Bd4 Qh4 20.Rxe8+ Kxe8 21.Nxc7+ Kf8 22.f5 Ne5 23.f6 gxf6 24.Qd5 Kg7 25.Qxd6 Rg8 26.Rxf6 Qxf6 27.Bxe5 and won Sorensen,S - X, Denmark, 1888 

8...d6 9.dxc5 N4f6 10.cxd6 cxd6 11.Nd2 Nxe4 12.Nf3 Qh5 13.Ng5+ Qxg5 14.Bxg5 Nxg5 15.Qh5+ Kf6 16.f4 Ne4 17.Qe8 d5 18.Qe5+ Kf7 19.Qxd5+ Black resigned, Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016. 

9.dxc5 Nxe4

I would have expected the consistent 9...h5!? with attack still on Black's mind, although Stockfish 8 prefers 9...Ne5 10.f4 Nc6 and White's advantage is slight.

Black's counter-attack evaporates.

10.Qd5+ Kf6 11.Qxe4 

Having surrendered a piece, Black realizes to his dismay that his Knight is pinned to his Queen - and lost.

11...d5 12.cxd6 cxd6 13.f3 h5 14.fxg4+ Black resigned

Black is down a piece - and faces checkmate.