Like a Wall Falling on You

Bill Wall's adventures with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and other Jerome-ish openings continue with two short games that probably left his opponents stunned.

Hi Rick,

Got the file [New Year's Database] and unzipped it. Looks great. Here is what I played this evening

Wall - Surr
Chess.com, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

The Semi-Italian Opening.

I like to castle here, but Bill preferred developing another piece.

4.Nc3 Nd4

Uh-oh... Playing the Blackburne Shilling Gambit a move down? That's just asking for the Improved Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit!

5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Ke8

In all fairness, Rybka suggests that the game is equal after 6...Ke6 7.f4 Nf6 8.Ne2 Nxe2 9.Qxe2 Rg8 10.0-0 Ke7 11.d4 Qe8 12.Qc4 Kd8 13.f5 – but would you want to play Black?

analysis diagram





After the text move, Black doesn't have to either.

7.Qh5+ Ke7 8.Qf7+ Kd6 9.Nc4+ Kc5 10.b4+ Kxb4 11.Ba3 checkmate

A couple of days later Bill played this one.

Wall,B - GuestDLNJ
blitz 15 0, FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 a6

4.Bxf7+

An earlier game saw Bill be a bit more patient – until he was provoked past his limit: 4.Nc3 b5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qxe5 Bg7 9.Qd5+ Ke8 10.Qxa8 Black resigned, Wall,B -Dinghy, Internet, 1998

4...Kxf7 5.0-0 h6

6.Nc3 Nd4

Again, I cannot see the attraction of this kind of move. Certainly simple development will keep Black's advantage. (For 6...Nf6 see perrypawnpusher - EAB, blitz FICS, 2010.)

7.Nxe5+ Ke8

If instead 7...Kf6 then 8.Qh5 and if 8...Nxc2 then 9.Qf5+ Ke7 10.Ng6+ Ke8 11.Qxf8 checkmate; or 7...Ke6 8.Ng6.

The text allows mate.

8.Qh5+ Ke7 9.Qf7+ Kd6 10.Nc4+ Kc6

Or 10...Kc5 11.Qd5+ Kb4 12.a3 checkmate

analysis diagram





11.Qd5 checkmate