A-Maze-Ing

In the following game Bill Wall changes up his Jerome Gambit attack, playing 6.d4, the favorite move, at first, of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome. Can his opponent follow him through the maze?

Wall,B - Guest4060198 
PlayChess.com, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 

6...Qf6

The more straight-forward 6...Bxd4 was seen in Wall,B - berserkergang, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 21) and Wall,B - Guest903719, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 47), as well as the seminal Jerome,A - Shinkman,W, 1876, (½-½, 42).

The trickier 6...Bb4+ was seen in Wall,B - ChrSav, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 11);  Wall,B - Caynaboos, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 26); Wall,B - ChessFlower, PlayChess.com, 2012 (27);  and Wall,B - Boris, SparkChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 31).

The questionable 6...Nf3+ was seen in Wall,B - Guest151963, PlayChess.com, 2011 (1-0,17).

6...Qh4, probably Black's strongest reply, was seen in Wall,B - Rajiv, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 33); Wall,B - Gorodetsky,D, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 18); and Wall,B - felineMMXI, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0,18).

7.dxc5 Ne7 8.0-0 Rf8 9.Nc3 c6 

Black would do better to follow through on his plan to castle-by-hand: 9...Kg8 10.f4 Nf7. The problem seems to be that he is trying to do too many good things at once - play ...Qf6, safeguard his King, hit back in the center with ...d5.

10.f4 N5g6 11.Be3 d5? 12.cxd6 Ng8 

The "Jerome Pawns" are a scary sight.

13.d7 Rd8

A bit better (but not much) was 13...Bxd7 14.Qxd7+ N6e7.

14.dxc8/Q Raxc8 15.Qh5

Threatening 16.f5. White is up two pawns, with the initiative. 

15...Kf8 16.e5 Qf7 17.f5 Nxe5 18.Bc5+ Ne7 19.Qxh7 Qf6 20.Ne4 Qh6 21.Qxh6 gxh6 22.f6 Black resigned

No matter how he struggles, Black is going to lose a piece and a Rook. Amazing.