Jerome Gambit: Always Strangeness

One guiding principle in choosing a Jerome Gambit game to share is when it contains a dash of strangeness. The game below again shows the computer's interest in draws-by-repetition - and Bill Wall's interest in wins-by-checkmate.

Wall, Bill - Guest2616286
PlayChess.com, 2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb6 

We have recently seen examples of this reasonable line.

7.dxe5 Qh4 

7...Qe7 was seen in Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016 (1-0, 35). 

8.Qf3+ Ke8 

Better than 8...Ke7 as seen in Wall,B - Guest2293428, PlayChess.com, 2017 (1-0, 12) and Wall,B - Guest6766281, PlayChess.com, 2017 (1-0, 14).

9.O-O 

Or 9.Nc3 as in Wall,B - Itboss, lichess.org 2016, (1-0, 31) 

9...Ne7 

10.Nc3 Rf8 11.Qe2 g5 

Black sees opportunity on the Kingside. The risk is that old Jerome Gambit story: Black's light-squared Bishop is at home, blocking the development of a Rook. 

12.Be3 Ng6 13.Nd5 Kd8 14.Qd2 h6 

15.Bxb6 axb6 16.Nxc7 

White shows a sense of humor. First he sacrifices a Bishop on f7, then he sacrifices a Knight on c7. Of course, in the latter case, he has a tactic to allow the recovery of the piece.

16...Kxc7 17.Qd6+ Kd8 18.Qxg6 Re8 

Before this move, Stockfish 8 was not so comfortable with White's  position, recommending as best 18...Ra6 (to provide help along the 6th rank after ...b5) 19.g3 Qh3 20.Rfd1 Re8 21.Qf6+ Kc7 22.Qd6+ Kd8 23.Qf6+ and a draw by repetition. Again, I do not think that dropping a half point was in Bill's plans.

After the text, the issue of extra pawns vs extra piece becomes immaterial.  

19.Qxb6+ Ke7 20.Qf6 checkmate