Jerome Gambit: The Queen Goes Where She Will

One thing that seems to give defenders a sense of ease is the number of times White's Queen moves in the Jerome Gambit. It is important that such a feeling be translated into further strong moves, not inattention or overconfidence. View the following game.

Wall, Bill - PerGranBom
lichess.org, 2017

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 Nc6

An interesting alternative to the more usual 7...d6 (although the game transposes).

8.Qd1

Bill has moved the Queen to different squares in other games:

8.Qd2 d6 9.Nc3 Be6 10.O-O g6 11.f4 Nge7 12.Nd5 Bxd5 13.exd5 Nb8 14.f5 gxf5 15.Qe2 Qd7 16.Bh6 Ke8 17.Rae1 Rg8 18.Rxf5 Kd8 19.Rf7 Re8 20.Bg5 c6 21.Qh5 cxd5 22.Rfxe7 Rxe7 23.Rxe7 Qb5 24.Qf7 Nd7 25.Rxd7+ Kc8 26.Rd8 checkmate, Wall,B - 1063314, lichess.org, 2017;

8.Qd5+ Kf8 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.Qc4 d6 11.O-O Ne5 12.Qb3 c6 13.f4 Nf7 14.Be3 Qe7 15.Rae1 Be6 16.Qb4 a5 17.Qd4 Ng4 18.Bc1 c5 19.Qd3 h5 20.h3 Ngh6 21.f5 Bd7 22.Nd5 Qd8 23.f6 g6 24.Ne7 Ne5 25.Qxd6 Nhf7 26.Qxc5 b6 27.Qd5 Be8 28.Bf4 Qxd5 29.exd5 Bb5 30.Rf2 Nd7 31.Nxg6+ Kg8 32.Nxh8 Kxh8 33.Re7 Kg8 34.Be3 Rc8 35.b3 Nde5 36.Bxb6 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest7503555, PlayChess.com, 2017;

8.Qd3 Nf6 9.Nc3 d6 10.O-O h6 11.f4 Re8 12.Bd2 Kg8 13.Rae1 a6 14.Nd5 Be6 15.Bc3 Bxd5 16.exd5 Nb8 17.Bxf6 gxf6 18.Qg6+ Kf8 19.Qxh6+ Kg8 20.Qg6+ Kf8 21.Re5 dxe5 22.fxe5 Nd7 23.exf6 Black resigned, Wall,B - Number555777, lichess.org, 2017; and

8.Qc4+ Ke8 (8...Kf8 9.O-O Qf6 10.Nc3 Qd4 11.Qe2 Nge7 12.Nb5 Qb6 13.Be3 Qa5 14.c4 a6 15.Bd2 Qb6 16.Qf3+ Kg8 17.Qb3 axb5 18.c5+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest526975, PlayChess.com, 2016) 9.O-O d6 10.Nc3 Qe7 11.Re1 Ne5 12.Qd4 c5 13.Qd2 Nf6 14.f4 Nc4 15.Qe2 Be6 16.e5 Bg4 17.Qxc4 Black resigned, Wall,B - Kas55, lichess.org, 2016

8...Nf6 9.Nc3 d6 10. O-O Re8 11.Bf4

Black is doing well, but he is tempted by the "free" e-pawn. The discovered attack on White's Queen that evolves turns out to be harmless.

11...Nxe4 12.Qd5+ 

On revient toujours a son premier amour.

12...Be6 13.Qxe4 g6 14.Rae1 Bxa2 15.Qxe8+ Qxe8 16.Rxe8 Rxe8 17.Nxa2

This was not what Black had envisioned. Now he is the one with a pawn for a piece.

17...Nd4 18.Be3 Nxc2 19.Rc1 Nxe3 20.Rxc7+ Re7 21.Rxe7+ Kxe7 22.fxe3 d5 23.Nc3 Kd6 24.Nb5+ Black resigned