Hit Me With Your Best Shot

I recently received an email from Bill Wall, noting "I looked at your last two articles on 'not Nxe5' and since you had one of my c3 games, that now left d3 and O-O to try.  So I tried them both in one game..."

Wall,B - Guest2507113 
PlayChess.com, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.0-0 d6 6.d3 h6 7.h3 Nf6 

Some contemporary Jerome Gambit players, perhaps aided by computer evaluations, have opted not to make the second sacrifice, 5.Nxe5, in what was once called "Jerome's Double Gambit." 

These "modern" Jerome Gambit variations leave White "objectively" better off than do the "classical" lines, but, to my mind (Rick) their lack of utter chaos makes playing the attack more challenging. Black says "hit me with your best shot."

As if that ever stopped Bill Wall.

8.c4 Rf8 9.Nc3 Kg8 10.Be3 Bb6 11.Rc1 Bd7

12.Nd5 Bxe3 13.fxe3 Be6 14.Qb3 Rb8 15.Rf2 Qd7 16.Nh4 Kh7 17.Qa4 a6 18.Qc2 Ne7 

White's pieces have been probing the enemy position. Now he sees a chance to weaken the Kingside a bit.

19.Nxf6+ Rxf6 20.Rxf6 gxf6 21.Rf1 

Threatening 22.Rxf6

21...f5?

Better 21...Ng6 22.Nxg6 Kxg6

22.exf5 Nxf5 23.d4 

The Knight is now pinned and White threatens Nxf5

23...Rf8? 

Black keeps playing reasonable moves, and they keep not working out. Bill recommends 23...Qf7 24.dxe5 dxe5 25.Qe4 Rf8 26.g4 while Houdini 3 suggests giving up the piece directly with 23...Kh8 24.Nxf5 In either case, White would still be better.

24.d5 Bf7 25.Rxf5

Threatening 26.Rxf7+, winning the Queen 

25...Kg7

Threatening 26...Bg6, pinning Rook and Queen. If 27. Nxg6, then 27...Qxf5 and Black is winning.

26.Qf2 Qe7? 27.Rf3

Threatening 28. Nf5+, forking Queen and King 

27...Qg5 28.Rg3 Black resigned