Making it look easy...

Playing over Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Bill Wall's games, it is hard to remember that he is playing an opening that is considered many times refuted!


billwall - buhov
Chess.com, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

7.Qd5+ Ke7

Playable, but not nearly as popular as 7...Ke8 or 7...Kf8. The King placement gives Bill an idea about placing his Queen differently, too.

8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qg5+ Nf6 10.Nc3

Alternately, 10.d3 Qf8 11.Nc3 Be6 12.Be3 Ne5 13.h3 Kd7 14.f4 h6 15.Qg3 Nc6 16.0-0-0 Rd8 17.f5 Bf7 18.Qf3 Ne5 19.Qf2 a6 20.b3 b5 21.d4 Nc6 22.g4 Kc8 23.Qf3 b4 24.Na4 a5 25.d5 Ne5 26.Qe2 Nfd7 27.Qa6+ Kb8 28.Ba7+ Ka8 29.Bb6+ Kb8 30.Qa7+ Kc8 31.Qxc7 checkmate, stampyshortlegs - calchess10, JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009.

10...c6 11.f4 Rf8

An instructive error. Black plans to castle-by-hand, moving his King to f7 and g8 – a laudable defensive strategy in the Jerome Gambit. This move leaves the soon-to-be-attacked pawn at g7 unprotected, however – an indication that Black should have started his "castling" with 11...Kf7.

This game is a good example of how a stronger player, having given "Jerome Gambit odds," can take advantage of each of the defender's slips until he captures the full point.

12.f5 Ne5 13.Qxg7+ Rf7 14.Qg3 Qg8

Stopping the attack before it builds by offering the exchange of Queens. This is fine with White, who has three "Jerome pawns" (and an even game) for his sacrificed piece.

15.Qxg8 Nxg8 16.d4 Ng4 17.h3 N4f6 18.g4 h6

19.Bd2 b5 20.e5 dxe5 21.dxe5 Nd5 22.Nxd5+ cxd5 23.e6 Rf8

A tactical slip, as the pressure builds.

24.Bb4+ Ke8 25.Bxf8 Kxf8 26.h4 Nf6 27.g5 hxg5 28.hxg5 Ne4

The pawns! The pawns!

29.Rh8+ Kg7 30.e7 Bb7 31.Rxa8 Bxa8 32.e8Q Black resigned