Natural Moves

The latest game from Bill Wall came with the following description: Here is a Jerome where my opponent tried to attack, but made errors, grabbed a pawn too greedily and lost a piece and the game.  I just played natural moves and waited for his mistakes.

Bill makes it all look simple.

Wall,B - Guest428245
PlayChess.com, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qc3 

Sometimes - but not always, especially in Bill's games - the Queen goes to e3.

9...Nf6

Bill points out the alternatives 9...Qg5 and 9...Qh4, looking for counter attack. Black probably didn't want to repeat White's errors of moving his Queen too often.

10.d3 Kf7

10...Qe7 was seen in Wall,B - Guest4149739, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 30); while 10...c6 was seen in Wall,B - Boris, SparkChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 32). 

11.0-0

White decides not to go pawn hunting with 11.Qb3+ Be6 12.Qxb7 Qd7. "Natural moves" and all that.

11...Re8

Black continues to castle-by-hand, although Bill points out the alternative 11...b6. 

12.f4

Houdini slightly prefers 12.Qb3+ Kf8 and then 13.f4 but I am not sure why. It suggests that Black should answer 12.f4 with 12...Kg8, and after a few more moves play ...Kh8; so perhaps the suggestion of the White Queen check is designed to keep Black's King closer to the center, at f8.

12...c6

Bill recommends that Black finish "castling" with 12...Kg8.

13.Nd2 Ng4 

Black is thinking of counter attack, but, again, should have turned his thoughts toward 13...Kg8.

14.f5 Qb6+?!

Bill offers alternatives: 14...Ne7; 14...Nh8; 14...Nf8;14...Nh4 15.Nc4.

15.d4

I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Black simply overlooked this reply, expecting, instead, 15.Kh1? Nf2+ 16.Rxf2 Qxf2 17.fxg6+ Kxg6.

15...N6e5

Alternatives were 15...Ne7 16.Nc4 Qd8 17.Qg3; and 15...Nf8 16.Nc4 Qd8 17.Qg3. 

16.Kh1 Nf6?

17.dxe5 dxe5

As Bill points out, not 17...Rxe5? 18.Nc4. 

18.Nf3 Nxe4?

Black is a pawn down, but could continue to play with either 18...Qb5 19.Re1 a5 or 18...Qc7 19.Rd1. The text is a psychological slip along the lines of thinking White can't be better, now, can he, it's got to be an even game, and capturing the pawn will make it so...

I am reminded of the old Jerome Gambit saw: once White has equalized, he has the advantage.

19.Qc4+ Kf8 20.Qxe4 Black resigned