Good moves often are followed by good moves; questionable moves too often are followed by further questionable moves; as the following Bill Wall game illustrates.
Wall, Bill - Chrissti
PlayChess.com, 2015
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7
Compared to the BSJG Declined, most recently discussed in "Bleak Future", e7 is an acceptable place for Black's King once the sacrificed piece has been collected. Even though 5...Ke7 is relatively rare compared to 5...Ke8 and 5...Ke6, the move has received attention on this blog. See "Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit 2" and "My Turn Again" for an introduction.
6.Nc3 Nf6 7.Nf3
Oddly enough, this is the only game in The Database to contain this reasonable move.
7...Nxf3+ 8.Qxf3 d6 9.d4 Bg4 10.Qf4 Bh5
Bill points out that 10...Be6 was a better retreat. Suddenly Black's game becomes difficult. Blast those "Jerome pawns"!
11.e5 dxe5 12.dxe5 Nd5 13.Qh4+ Nf6
The King retreat 13...Ke8 would cost only one piece; the text costs two.
14.exf6+ gxf6 15.Qxh5 Black resigned
From "Jedi Mind Tricks" to "Don't, Here" this blog has questioned the wisdom of declining the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit. So, when I came across a game by Bill Wall, there wasn't much to say, just share the game with Readers.
Wall, Bill -YNZP
FICS, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Ke7
Black not only declines the piece, he has his King step in the way of his Queen, preventing, at least for now, her standard BSG sally ...Qg4.
5.Bb3
White simply retires his Bishop. (5.Bxg8 works, too. 5.Nxe5 is needlessly complicating.) He can figure the rest out as the game progresses. Black's future is bleak.
5...Nf6 6.Nxd4 exd4 7. e5 Ne4
Stockfish 6 suggests instead 7...Qe8 8.exf6+ Kd8+ 9.Qe2 Qxe2+ 10.Kxe2 but that is hardly full of joy.
8.d3 Nxf2
It turns out that the Knight has nowhere safe to go, and it would have to stay on e4 to protect g5 from Bg5+.
9.Qf3 Black resigned
White's threat of checkmate would prompt Black to play 9...d5, but after 10.exd6+ the defender would have the choice of losing his Queen after 10...Qxd6 11.Bg5+ Qf6 (everything else allows a quick mate) or 10...Kd7 11.Qf5+ Kc6 12.Ba4+ and the King will not survive very long.
When it comes to the Jerome Gambit, Bill Wall may not have seen it all - but he has seen a whole lot of it. So, while it would seem to be a good idea to take him into a side line, finding a place he hasn't been to before can be a bit of a challenge.
Wall, Bill - DYQH
FICS, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening.
4.O-O Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4 Qf6 9.Be3
Note, 9.f4 allows 9...Nf3+ 10.Rxf3 Qxd4+ winning White's Queen.
9...Nc6
We have come far enough in the game to note that the current game is the only one in The Database to contain this move. Has Black succeeded in leading White astray?
Perhaps not.
There is a game with a similar, alternative move for Black in The Database: 9... Ne7 10. Nc3 Rf8 11. Nb5 c6 12. Nc7 Rb8 13. f4 Nf3+ 14. Rxf3 Qxd4 15. Bxd4 Kg8 16.Bxa7 Black resigned, Wall,B - Foman, Chess.com, 2010.
10.Qd3 Qxb2
Black's Queen gobbles a poisoned pawn.
11.Nc3 Nb4
This attack on White's Queen will actually doom the Knight and put Black's Queen at risk. Better was the developing 11...Nf6.
12.Qc4+ Ke8 13.Rab1 Qxc2 14.Rxb4 Nf6 15.Rc1 Black resigned
Along with the game Bill Wall sent (see "Strike First!") recently came the (somewhat abridged) note
Oh, I have all my games up to a few weeks ago on my chess page at http://billwall.phpwebhosting.com/ which may have more Jerome Gambits in it that you may not have seen... It is under the collections column called Bill Wall 1969-2015... Something like 43,800 games so far.
Chess players who enjoy unorthodox chess openings, take note!
In addition, here is a short win by Bill, from about 60 new-to-me games I found in his collection.
Wall, Bill - Kaefer
PlayChess.com, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Qe2
An favorite line of Bill's, We took a look at this in "Cat-and-Mouse", "Waiting... Pouncing!", "Something Had to Happen" and "The What?".
6...d6 7.O-O Rf8 8.Qc4+ Be6
The kind of quick reaction that occurs in blitz, and gets punished, appropriately.
9.Ng5+
Discussed in "Recurring Theme". No doubt played in a nano-second by Bill.
9...Kg6
Or 9...Ke7 10.Qxe6 checkmate, hinders - Devotion, FICS, 2001. hinders played over 30 6.Qe2 games on FICS in 2000 - 2002.
10.Nxe6
Thinking back upon the post "Wrong Piece - Oh, Never Mind!" I had to chuckle at the other piece capture, 10.Qxe6. Black should respond with ...Nd4, but, instead played 10...Kxg5 in linders - Lader, FICS, 2000, when the following unfolded 11.d4+ (instead, he had 11.Qf5+ Kh6 12.d4+ g5 13.Qxg5#) 11...Kg6 12.dxc5 Nd4 13. Qh3 dxc5 14. Qg3+ Kf7 15. Qxe5 Re8 16.Nb5? b6? 17.Qg3? Ne2+ White resigned
10...Bxf2+
Black throws in the towel (and a few pieces). He could have continued to fight, as in an earlier game: 10...Qe7 11.d3 Rfe8 12.Ng5 h6 13.Nf3 Kh7 14.Nh4 Qe6 15.Qb5 Bb6 16.Na4 Nd4 17.Qb4 Nxc2 18.Qd2 Nxa1 19.Qe2 Bd4 20.Qf3 Qg4 21.Qd1 Qxh4 22.g3 Qh3 23.Qf3 Nc2 24.Bd2 Bb6 25.Nc3 Nd4 26.Qd1 Ng4 27.Qxg4 Qxg4 28.h3 Qxh3 29.Nd5 Ne2 checkmate, hinders - Matheusaum, FICS, 2001.
11.Rxf2 Nxe4 12.Nxf8+ Qxf8 13.Qxe4+ Black resigned
