Jerome Gambit: Another Reasonable Line

Black's response to the initial moves of the Jerome Gambit in the following game is interesting. It is only his followup that gets him in trouble. As we have seen with the Jerome, even after the "refutation" there is always the possibility of "trouble".


Wall, Bill - TenAndOnly10
lichess.org, 2016

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

4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Nxe5 6. d4  Nf6

A reasonable line. We have seen TenAndOnly10 choose "A Reasonable Line" in this position before.

7.dxe5 Nxe4

Interesting: 7...Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 9.Kg1 d5 10.Nc3 Nxc3 11.Qf3+ Ke8 12.Qxc3 Be6 13.Be3 c6 14.Rd1 Rf8 15.h3 Qh4 16.Rd4 Qg3 17.Rd3 Qg6 18.Kh2 Kd7 19.Qb4 b5 20.Qd6+ Black resigned, Wall,B - MyDrunkAccount, lichess.org, 2016.

8.Qd5+ Kf8

Alternately: 8...Ke8 9.Qxe4 Bxf2+ 10.Kxf2 Rf8+ 11.Kg1 d5 12.exd6+ Kd7 13.Nc3 Qf6 14.Bf4 g5 15.Rd1 cxd6 16.Rxd6+ Black resigned, Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016

9.Qxe4 d6 10.O-O Be6 11.Nc3 a6

I don't think that Black has time for this. Is he preparing for ...Ba7?

12.Be3 Bb6

I guess not.

13.Rad1 d5

A slip. More to come.

14.Nxd5 Bxd5 15.Rxd5 Qe7 16.Bxb6 cxb6

I think my notes say that Stockfish 8 evaluated the position as: White now has a checkmate in 59 moves. Astonishing!

17.Rfd1 Qe6 18.Rd6 Qxa2 19.Qf5+ Qf7 20.Rd8+ Ke7 21.Qd7 checkmate