Jerome Gambit: The Face Palm Variation

I need to spend a moment or two on a Jerome Gambit variation that has been bothering me for almost 20 years. (See "Another Way to Sacrifice the Knight" and "PSA 2.0" for a couple of rants.) A disreputable line in a disreputable opening, it keeps showing up in games. I would like to call it the Face Palm Variation.

SPOKLECHAT - anzali
5 0 blitz, FICS, 2020

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

 4...Kxf7 5.Ng5+

This line does not have a name that I am aware of. It is based on a tactical shot that may be clever, but not convincing. (I gave a warning about a decade ago in the post "Public Service Announcment".)

The Database has 568 games with the line, with White scoring 23%. The earliest games that I have (6 losses) feature TiFoZi, at FICS, in 1999. I will try to message him there, but, according to the site, the last time he visited was October 22, 2001.

I can understand that a Jerome Gambit player might try the line on a lark, especially at blitz or lightning time controls; I noticed Jerome regulars such as COMTIBoy, DragonTail, drumme, HauntedKnight, JKELSEY, majorminor, MyGameUMove, Petasluk, snthor, sTpny, superpippo, Teterow, thmavz, ZahariSokolov, and yorgos, have given it a try.

5...Qxg5 

Of course.

The Database shows that this capture occurred 415 times, that is, in 73% of the games. (White scored 16%.)

6.d4 

The idea: the pawn attacks Black's Bishop, while uncovering an attack on Black's Queen.

One of the reasons that White fares so poorly in this line is that White played this thematic move in less than half of the games where Black had grabbed the Knight. But, why offer the piece unless you had this surprise in store? Another way of offering "Jerome Gambit odds"? Inattention?

One downside of the whole idea is that Stockfish 11 now rates Black's advantage to be about the equivalent of two Rooks and a piece...

6...Bxd4 

Out of 195 games, 16 times Black fell for this "trap". That is not very often (8% of the time after 6.d4; 3% of the games where White plays 5.Ng5+), although, when it did happen, White scored 69%.

In 147 of the games, Black played 6...Qxg2, and White still scored 11%, which is kind of amazing.

For the record, 6...Qxg2 crushes. After 7.Rf1 (best) Qxe4+ (capturing on d4 is fine, too) 8.Be3 (8.Qe2 does not provide any relief: 8...Qxe2+ 9.Kxe2 Nxd4+ 10.Kd1 d6 11.Be3 Bf5 11.Na3 Nf6 is gruesome) Nxd4 9.Nc3 Bb4 10.Qd3 (Stockfish 10 prefers castling-by-hand with 10.Kd2 and 11.Kc1, but, really) Bxc3+ 11.Qxc3 Nxc2+ and that should be convincing enough.

But, in the game we are looking at, Black fell down the well...

7.Bxg5 h6 

Black has 2 pieces for his Queen, and might as well try his luck with 7...Bxb2, going after the enemy Rook. Things can get a little complicated after 8.Na3 Nd4, but 9.0-0 Bxa3 10.f4 puts the heat back on the Black King.

After 7...Bxb2, there is also 8.Qh5+ g6 (8...Kf8 9.Na3 Bxa3 [9...Bxa1 10.Nb5] 10.Qf3+ Ke8 11.Qxa3) 9.Qf3+ Kg7 10.Nc3 Bxa1 11.Nd5 and Black will not be able to hold onto his Rook and two piece compensation for his Queen, e.g. 11...d6 12.Bf6+ Nxf7 13.Qxf6+Kg8 14.Nxc7 and White is not only threatening to win the Rook, he threatens to move the Knight to e8 to aid in checkmate.

Again, back to the game.

8.Qf3+ Nf6 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Qh5+ Kg7 

11.Nd2 Bxb2 12.Rb1 Bd4 13.Nf3 Bb6 

Black has secured most of his pieces, but he has left one at risk - his King.   

14.Nh4 d6 

Defense is hopeless. For example, 14...Ne7, 15.Rb3 with the idea of moving over to g3.

15.Qg6+ Kf8 16.Qxf6+ Kg8 17.Ng6 Black resigned

The Rook at h8, and possibly the one at a8 as well, will soon be leaving the board.

Hats off to SPOKLECHAT, who took great risks, but also took advantage of his opportunities.

Jerome Gambit: Needing More Than A Parasol

If it's raining outside, you can put on a hat, rain coat, and boots, and carry an umbrella. That will help. If you only take out a little parasol from the last cocktail you had - it won't provide much shelter.

So it is, when you are facing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). You may not need the most exacting defense - say, Whistler's, or the "annoying defense", or even Jerome's defense - but you will need to have some kind of defense prepared. Otherwise, you will just get soaked.

Witness the following game. It shows how White can wrap things up early.

Wall, Bill - Dippoldi
PlayChess.com, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 

6...Bb4+ 

This can work, if it is followed up correctly.

7.c3 Bd6

According to The Database, Black has won every time he has played the alternative, 7...Qh4!? - 13 times - except for the 2 times that it was played against Bill Wall.

8.dxe5 Bxe5

Bill points out that 8...Bf8 and 8...Be7 were the way to go. White would have only a small advantage, if any.

9.Qd5+

Also successful was 9.Qh5+  - 9...Ke6 10.Qf5+ Kd6 11.Na3 Ne7 12.Nc4+ Kc6 13.Qxe5 d6 14.Na5+ Kd7 15.Qg5 c6 16.Nc4 b6 17.Bf4 Ng6 18.Qf5+ Kc7 19.Qf7+ Qd7 20.Bxd6+ Kb7 21.Qf3 b5 22.Ne5 Nxe5 23.Bxe5 Ka6 24.g3 Bb7 25.a4 c5 26.axb5+ Kxb5 27.O-O Rhe8 28.c4+ Kc6 29.Rad1 Rxe5 30.Rxd7 Kxd7 31.Qf7+ Kc8 32.Qf8+ Kc7 33.Qxg7+ Kd6 34.Qxb7 Ree8 35.Rd1+ Ke6 36.Qd7+ Kf6 37.Rd6+ Ke5 38.Rd5+ Kf6 39.Rf5+ Kg6 40.Qf7+ Kh6 41.Rh5 checkmate, Sir Osis of the Liver - Crusader Rabbit, Jerome Gambit Tournament 4, ChessWorld, 2009. 

9...Kf6

Just about as effective as 9...Kf8, seen in Wall, - Holzkopp, PlayChess.com, 2017 (1-0, 27).

10.f4

Deadly enough was 10.h4 - 10...Ne7 11.Bg5+ Kg6 12.Qxe5 d6 13.Qxe7 Qxe7 14.Bxe7 Re8 15.h5+ Kf7 16.Bg5 Rxe4+ 17.Be3 Bf5 18.Nd2 Re6 19.O-O-O a5 20.Rde1 Rae8 21.Nb3 Re5 22.Nd4 Bg4 23.Kd2 c5 24.Nb5 Rd5+ 25.Kc1 c4 26.Nc7 Black resigned, HauntedKnight - anaribusm, FICS, 2012.

10...Qe7

Also coming to no good end: 10...Kg6, as in Wall,B - Guest6953174, PlayChess.com 2016 (1-0, 15) and 10...c6 11.fxe5+ Kg6 12.Qd6+ Kf7 13.O-O+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest11386950, PlayChess.com, 2019.

11.fxe5+ Qxe5

Even LuigiBot could not escape, trying 11...Kg6 - 12.O-O Nh6 13.Rf3 Rf8 14.Rg3+ Kh5 15.Qd1+ Rf3 16.Qxf3+ Kh4 17.Rh3 checkmate, Fandral - LuigiBot, FICS, 2013. 

12.O-O+ Black resigned

Jerome Gambit Declined: Grumping, Yet

While I'm on the topic of the Jerome Gambit Declined, I thought I would dig a little deeper...

MrJoker - david2play
2 12 blitz, Internet Chess Club, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kf8 

The Jerome Gambit Declined.

Certainly, strongest for Black was 4...Kxf7, but on rare occasions the defender decides If you want me to take the Bishop, I won't take the Bishop. That being the case in this game, the Black King is probably better off on f8 as opposed to e7.

5.Bxg8 

The typical argument can otherwise ensue, where best to retreat the Bishop, d5, c4 or b3?

MrJoker's solution, of course, is playable. I will leave the discussion of 5.b3, 5.c3, 5.Nc3, 5.d3, 5.d4, 5.Nxe5, 5.Qe2, 5.0-0, 5.Ng5 and 5.Bh5 (all are in The Database) for later posts.

5... Kxg8 6.O-O 

A reasonable move, played by HauntedKnight, Petasluk, shugart, Superpippo, Wall, and others, as well.

6...d6

For 6...Qf6 see Wall, Bill - Guest558953, PlayChess.com, 2017 (1-0, 15).

Looking at the diagram, you can ask yourself What does Black have for his gambitted pawn? Not very much - but he is playing his own game.

7.c3 h6 8.d4 exd4 9.cxd4 Bb4 

Better to have retreated the Bishop, as White shows.

10.Qb3+ Kh7 11.d5 Ba5 12.dxc6 bxc6 13.Nc3 Re8 14.Bd2 Bb6 15.Rad1 Ba6 

Black is developing, but White, as a Jerome Gambit player, must enjoy being the player with the extra piece.

16.Rfe1 Qf6 17.Be3 Ba518.Bd4 Black forfeited on time

Black's future was not bright, anyhow.

Jerome Gambit Secrets #7

Here is another Jerome Gambit line that is worth looking at, even if it is rare, if only to have a sense of how play has gone - or how it should go, if it ever appears again in a game. 

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Nc4 

Black is 2 pieces ahead, and if he wants to return some material, he has a number of choices. The text is rare method (only 3 game examples in The Database), but both players need to know a bit about what they are committed to.

7.Qh5+

This is probably White's best choice. It is a common Jerome Gambit tactic, and the resulting position is rated as equal by Stockfish 9, at an analysis level of  46 ply. We shall see, however, that in this case the computer's "opinion" is of marginal value.

The game remains complicated after the alternative 7.dxc5, which gets rid of Black's troublesome Bishop and allows White pressure along the d-file, with his advanced c-pawn ready to trouble Black's advancing d-pawn. One game by an experienced Jerome Gambiteer continued: 7...Nf6 8.e5?! (8.b3!? Ne5 9.Nc3 (9.O-O d5 10.cxd6 Qxd6 11.Nc3 -/+) 9...Re8 10.Bb2 -/+) 8...Nxe5 (8...Qe7!?) 9.Bg5 Re8 10.O-O d6 11.cxd6 cxd6 12.Nc3 Bg4 13.f3 Bh5 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Qd5+ Kf8 16.Qxb7 Re7 17.Qe4 (17.Qb4) 17...Bg6 (17...Nxf3+!?) 18.Qh4 Rg7 19.Nd5 Rf7?! 20.c3?! (20.f4) 20...a5 21.Rae1 a4?! 22.f4 Nc4? 23.f5 Ne5 24.fxg6 Nxg6 25.Qd4 Ra5 26.b4 (26.Re6!?) 26...Rb5 27.a3 Ne5 28.Rf4 Ng6 29.Rxf6 Rxf6 30.Nxf6 Rf5 31.Re8+ Qxe8 32.Nxe8 Kxe8 33.Qxd6 Ne7 34.b5 Rd5 35.Qb8+ Rd8 36.Qe5 Rd5 37.Qh8+ Kd7 38.b6 Rb5 39.Qd4+ Rd5 40.Qxa4+ Nc6 41.h4 Ra5 42.Qg4+ Kd6 43.a4 Ne5 44.Qb4+ Rc5 45.b7 Nc6 46.b8=Q+ Nxb8 47.Qxb8+ Kd5 48.g4 Kc4 49.Qb4+ Kd5 50.a5 Rc4 51.Qb7+ Rc6 52.a6 Kd6 53.a7 Rxc3 54.Qb8+ Kd5 55.a8=Q+ Kd4 56.Qd8+ Ke3 57.Qe7+ Kd2 58.Qg2+ Kd3 59.Qd6+ Kc4 60.Qgc6+ Kb3 61.Qb5+ Kc2 62.Qh2+ Kd1 63.Qb1+ Rc1 64.Qd6+ Ke2+ 65.Qxc1 Kf3 66.Qd3+ Kxg4 67.Qg5 checkmate, HauntedKnight - jthurman, FICS, 2014.

7... g6

Black can also try 7...Kf8, although it isn't really an improvment - and is equally complicated. One game continued 8.Qxc5+ Nd6 9.e5 b5? (9...Qe7!? is a better try 10.O-O (or 10.Qxc7 Nf5 11.Qc3 d6 12.O-O dxe5 13.dxe5 transposing) 10...Nf5 11.Qxc7 d6 12.Qc3 dxe5 13.dxe5 Bd7 14.Qf3 Qxe5 15.g4 Bb5 16.Nc3 Bxf1 17.Kxf1 Nf6 18.gxf5 Qxh2 19.Bf4 Qh5 (19...Qh4 20.Re1) 20.Qxb7 Re8 21.Qb4+ Re7 22.Kg2 Qg4+ 23.Kf1 Qh3+ 24.Kg1 Qg4+ drawn) 10.exd6 c6 11.Be3 Qa5+ 12.Nd2 Nf6 13.O-O a6 14.b4 Qd8 15.Bg5 h6 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Ne4 f5 18.Qxf5+ Kg7 19.Qg4+ Kh7 20.g3 a5 21.Rae1 axb4 22.Qf5+ Kg7 23.Nc5 Rxa2 24.Re7+ Kg8 25.Qf7 checkmate, HauntedKnight - Dpouchy, FICS, 2014.

While computer analysis can sometimes tease out tactical ideas, in this case Stockfish 8 & 9 frustratingly throw in the towel, suggesting 7...Kf8 8.Qf5+ Ke8 9.Qh5+ Kf8 and a draw by repetition. After all, White is two pieces down, so he should be happy with the half point.

8.Qxc5 

This capture allows White to grab the Bishop, as well, without disrupting his pawn center. The move appeared in a recent Bill Wall game, and I am a tiny bit surprised (Bill's games are full of surprises) that he didn't try the "nudge" 8.Qd5+, instead - the kind of twist that shows up in many of his games.

Looking at 8.Qd5+ Kg7, we can see that Black already has to be careful:

8...Kf8? 9.dxc5 Na5 10.Bg5 Nf6 11.Qd4 Kf7 12.e5 Nc6 13.Qc4+ d5 14.cxd6+ Be6 15.Qf4 Nxe5 16.dxc7 Qe7 17.Qxe5; or

8... Kf6? 9.Bg5+; or

8... Ke7? 9.Qxc5+ Kf7 10. Qxc4+; or

8...Ke8? 9.dxc5 Nf6 10.Qxc4. 

The game can continue in a complicated manner toward an advantage for White: 9.dxc5 Na5 10.b4 Nf6 (or 10...Nc6 11.Bb2+ Nf6, transposing) 11.Bb2 Nc6 12.b5 Re8 (or 12...Ne7 13.Qd4 Rf8 14.g4 Kg8 15.Qc4+d5 16.cxd6+ Ned5 17.Nc3 Be6 18.exd5 Bxg4 19.dxc7 Qd6 +/-) 13.bxc6 dxc6 14.Qd3 Qxd3 15.cxd3 b6 16.Nd2 Ba6 17.Rc1 Bb5 18.Nc4 Rad8 19.Ke2 Kf7 20.Bxf6 Kxf6 21.f4 Bxc4 22.Rxc4 b5 23.Rcc1 g5 +/- 

8...d5 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.e5 

Here, Black's game blew up with 10...Ne4? in Wall - Guest6959655, PlayChess.com, 2018 (1-0, 21). The defender could have maintained an even game by giving back material with 10...c6 11.exf6 Re8+ 12.Be3 Nxe3 13.fxe3 Rxe3+ 14.Kd2 Re6 15.Rae1 Rxe1 16.Rxe1 Qxf6.

So - if Black plays the almost "secret" 6...Nc4, smile, but do not celebrate yet. Go for the Queen check at h5, consider the "nudge" at d5, and prepare for complex play where you can hope for an advantage (with a draw in hand, per Stockfish). 

Jerome Gambit: Just Play It!

A recent game illustrates why people play the Jerome Gambit - it just moves along, with various tactical ideas and traps that are often hidden to the defender, until it's too late...

Wall, Bill - Guest5463336
PlayChess.com, 2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb6 

This move seems perfectly reasonable, although 6...Bxd4 is considered the strongest response.

7.dxe5 Ne7

This is a position familiar to those who play the Jerome Gambit, in
particular (according to The Database) jfhumphrey, frizerkaHR, ndrwgn, HauntedKnight, chessmanjeff - and, of course, Bill Wall.

8.Qf3+ Ke8 

Bill has also faced 8...Kg8, e.g. 9.Qb3+ Kf8 10.O-O d5 11.Nc3 Be6 12.Bg5 c6 13.Rad1 Qd7 14.Bxe7+ Qxe7 15.exd5 cxd5 16.Nxd5 Qf7 17.Qa3+ Black resigned Wall, B-Guest6791785, PlayChess.com, 2018.

In the game position, Black is still doing fine. However, as White is still making moves, he has to come up with some kind of plan.

9.O-O Ng6 

Very good: go after the pawn at e5. Also tried: 9...Rf8 10.Qh5+ g6 11.Qxh7 g5 12.Qh5+ Rf7 13.Bxg5 c6 14.Nd2 Qc7 15.Nc4 a5 16.Nd6+ Black resigned, Wall,B -WGMS, FICS, 2017. 

10.Nc3 Rf8 11.Qe2 Nxe5 

Mission accomplished. The biggest danger for Black at this point is "relaxing" too early, as the e8-h5 diagonal often brings destruction.

12.Qh5+ Rf7 

Oh, no. Suddenly worried about his Kingside, Black chooses a defense that will at least protect the g-pawn. This leaves his Knight on e5 hanging, but that is not his greatest worry.

13.Bg5 Black resigned

Never mind the Knight; White goes after the Queen.

Jerome Gambit: No Mercy

In some amateur sports leagues a game will be ended under the "mercy rule" if one team is significantly ahead of its opponent (i.e. unlikely to lose under normal circumstances). Such is not the case in chess - you can have a better position on the board for 18 moves, say, and resign after the 19th. As in the following game.

Wall, Bill - Guest757810
PlayChess.com, 2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 8.Nc3 Nf6 9.Bd2

There are 4 previous games in The Database with this move. White scored 0%. To be fair, all of the Jerome Gambiteers were playing higher-rated opponents.

9...c5

Also seen:

9...Be6 10.O-O-O Qe7 11.f4 Nc6 12.Qf2 Bg4 13.Rde1 Rhe8 14.h3 Bd7 15.g4 Kg8 16.e5 dxe5 17.fxe5 Nxg4 18.hxg4 Bxg4 19.Rhg1 (19.e6!? =) 19...Qe6 20.Re4 Bf5 21.Rh4 Bg6 22.Bf4 Nxe5 23.Bxe5 Qxe5 24.Rhg4 Qe3+ 25.Qxe3 Rxe3 26.Nd5 Re2 27.Nxc7? Rxc2+ 28.Kd1 Rd8+ 29.Ke1 Rxc7 30.a3 Rc1+ 31.Kf2 Rxg1 32.Rxg1 Rd2+ 33.Ke3 Rxb2 34.Rg4 Rb3+ 35.Kd2 Rxa3 36.Rb4 b6 White resigned, HauntedKnight - Molepolole, FICS, 2014;

9...Bg4 10.f3 Be6 11.O-O-O a6 12.g4?! Nxf3 13.Qf2 Bxg4 14.h3 Bh5 15.Be3 Re8 16.Rd5?! Nxd5 17.Nxd5 Rxe4 18.h4 Rxh4 19.Rxh4 Qxh4 20.Qf1 Qe1+ 21.Qxe1 Nxe1 22.Nxc7 Rc8 23.Nd5 Re8 24.b3 Bf3 25.c4 Bxd5 26.Kd2 Nf3+ 27.Kd3 Bxc4+ 28.bxc4 Ne5+ 29.Kd4 Nxc4 30.Bc1 b5 31.Kd5 h5 32.Kc6 h4 33.Kb7 h3 34.Bf4 Re4 35.Bg3 g5 36.Kxa6 Re3 37.Bh2 Ra3+ 38.Kxb5 Rxa2 39.Kxc4 Rxh2 40.Kd5 Rg2 41.Kxd6 h2 42.Ke5 h1=Q 43.Kd4 Qe1 44.Kd3 Rd2+ 45.Kc3 Qc1+ 46.Kb3 Rb2+ White resigned, HauntedKnight - BalintM, FICS, 2014;

9...Re8 10.O-O-O Nc6 11.Qe3 Bf5 12.f3 Na5? 13.Qg5 Bxe4 14.Qxa5 Bc6 15.Qb4 a5 16.Qc4+ d5 17.Qh4 b5 18.Bg5 b4 19.Nb1?! (19.Ne4!?) 19...h6 20.Bxf6 Qxf6 21.Qh5+ Qg6 22.Qh3 Re2 23.Nd2 Qxg2? 24.Qf5+ Kg8 25. Rhg1 Qf2 26.Qf4? (26.Qg6!?) 26...Rf8?! (26...Rae8!?) 27.Qxh6 Qd4 (27...Qxg1 28.Rxg1 Re1+ 29.Rxe1 gxh6 =) 28.Nb3 (28.Qxc6 Rxd2 29.Qe6+ Kh8 30.Qh3+ Kg8 31.Rxg7+ Kxg7 32.Qg3+ Kh7 33.Rxd2) 28...Qf6 29.Qxf6 Rxf6 30.Nd4 Rxh2 31.Nxc6 Rxc6 32.Rxd5? Rcxc2+ 33.Kd1 Rxb2 34.Rxa5 Rb1 checkmate, HauntedKnight - makeclean, FICS, 2013; and

9...Rf8 10.O-O-O Kg8 11.f4 Nc6 12.Qf2 Ng4 13.Qf1 Qf6 14.h3 Nh6 15.g4 Nf7 16.Nd5 Qd8 17.Bc3 Be6 18.Ne3?! Ng5!? 19.Qd3 Rxf4 20.a3 Nxe4 21.Rdf1 Rxf1+ 22.Rxf1 Nxc3 23.Qxc3 Qg5 24.Kb1 Qc5 25.Qd2 Qd4 26.Qf2 Re8 27.c3 Qd3+ 28.Ka1 Na5 29.Nf5 Nb3+ Black resigned, Darthnik - rsnoob, FICS, 2011. 

10.Qe3 Rf8 11.O-O-O Nc4 12.Qd3 Nxd2 13.Rxd2 Kg8

Black has castled-by-hand and has a piece for a pawn. If he keeps on making good moves, he will collect the full point.

14.e5 Ng4 15.exd6 Nxf2 16.Qd5+ Kh8 17.Re1 Bd7

Black has to keep his eye on White's pawn at d6, but with an extra piece for a pawn, he is doing well. Still, it is a complicated position. How should he continue?

18.Re7 Rf5 

Protecting the pawn at c5 and attacking the enemy Queen.

19.Qxb7 Black resigned

Wow! Black's Bishop is threatened, and the only square that even looks "safe" allows White's pawn to advance, 19...Be8 20.d7 Bf7 21.Qxa8!? Qxa8 22.d8/Q+ Qxd8 23.Rxd8+ Bg8 24.Ree8 - not so safe for the Bishop after all.

Best for Black seems to be giving up the Bishop for some play, 19...Qf8 20.Qxd7 Ng4, but after 21.Qe6 White will have centralized pieces and a couple of extra pawns, especially the dangerous on at d6.

The Delayed Pie-in-the-Face

The difference between a very strong counter in the Jerome Gambit at move 6 and an ineffective defensive line (the same move one tempo later) shows the problem with delaying an active riposte. 

Wall, Bill - Guest6766281
PlayChess.com, 2017

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb6

Black can decide which piece to save, the Bishop or the Knight. The text is a reasonable line.

Of course, Black's strongest response is to ignore both of the pieces and play 6...Qh4!?, what I have referred to as a pie-in-the-face variation.

7.dxe5 Qh4

A delayed pie-in-the-face? Tossing pies is very much a part of slapstick humor - and timing is always critical in comedy.

This line has been faced by Jerome Gambiteers chessmanjeff, frizerkaHR, GOH, HauntedKnight, jfhumphrey, ndrwgn, stretto, Wall and yorgos. As a group, they have not been impressed.

8.Qf3+ Ke7

A slightly better retreat is 8...Ke8, e.g. 9.Nc3 (9.O-O Ne7 10.Nc3 Rf8 11.Qe2 g5 12.Be3 Ng6 13.Nd5 Kd8 14.Qd2 h6 15.Bxb6 axb6 16.Nxc7 Kxc7 17.Qd6+ Kd8 18.Qxg6 Re8 19.Qxb6+ Ke7 20.Qf6 checkmate, Wall,B - Guest2616286, PlayChess.com, 2017) 9...Ne7 (9...Bxf2+ 10.Qxf2 Qxf2+ 11.Kxf2 Nh6 12.Nd5 Ng4+ 13.Kg3 Kd8 14.Bg5+ Nf6 15.exf6 h6 16.fxg7+ Ke8 17.gxh8=Q+ Kf7 18.Rhf1+ Kg6 19.Qxh6 checkmate, Wall,B - Shillam, lichess.org, 2016) 10.g3 Qh3 11.Be3 d6 12.Bxb6 cxb6 13.exd6 Ng6 14.Nd5 Qd7 15.Nc7+ Kd8 16.Nxa8 Qxd6 17.Rd1 Ne5 18.Rxd6+ Ke7 19.Qc3 Kxd6 20.Qd4+ Ke6 21.Nc7+ Kf7 22.Qxe5 Rd8 23.Nb5 Bg4 24.Qf4+ Kg8 25.Qxg4 a6 26.Qe6+ Kh8 27.Nd6 Rb8 28.Nf7+ Kg8 29.Nh6+ Kh8 30.Qg8+ Rxg8 31.Nf7 checkmate, Wall,B - Itboss, lichess.org, 2016.

9.Nc3

Or 9.O-O Nh6 10.Nc3 Rf8 11.Nd5+ Kd8 12.Qxf8 checkmate, Wall,B - Guest2293428, PlayChess.com, 2017.

9...Nh6 10.Nd5+ Kd8

Once again, e8 is the better square for the King.

11.O-O

White also has the sneaky 11.h3!? threatening g2-g3, winning the Queen. Black could escape by returning a piece for two pawns, i.e. 11...Bxf2+ 12. Qxf2 Qxe4+ but White would be better.

For the record, 11.g3?! directly could be answered by 11...Qg4 and White does not gain much by exchanging Queens, while he would lose time if he movee his Queen to avoid the swap.

11...Bd4

Looking to grab the pawn at e5, but he is overlooking a few things. He could have maintained an even game with 11...c6 12.Nxb6 axb6.

12.g3 Qh3

Why was e8 the better square for Black's King to retreat to (as suggested in the note to move 10)?

Why was the Black Bishop's trip to d4 problematic (as mentioned in the note to move 11)?

Why couldn't Black retreat his Queen to g4 (as in the note to move 11), instead of h3?

13.Bg5+ Ke8 14.Nxc7 checkmate