Jerome Gambit: It's Hard to Believe

The following game defies appearances. A glance suggests that Black is doing okay - although the game has begun to move against him. Another glance - and all looks fine, but definitely is not. A final glance - Black is being crushed.The whole battle reflects upon the skill of the Jerome Gambiteer - and highlights the strangeness the opening often brings.

Wall, Bill - Uli
PlayChess.com, 2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 

8.Nc3 Nf6 9.O-O Be6 10.b3 

Planning to put the dark-squared Bishop on the long diagonal. Bill has also played the straight-forward 10.f4 in Wall,B - Guest3746555, PlayChess.com, 2015 (1-0, 35). 

10...c5 

Or 10...Rf8 11.f4 Nc6 12.Qd3 Kg8 13.Bb2 Bg4 14.Rae1 Kh8 15.Nd5 Nxd5 16.exd5 Bf5 17.Qg3 Qd7 18.dxc6 bxc6 19.Qg5 Bxc2 20.Re7 Black resigned, Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016. 

11.Qd2 Qc7 

It is tempting for Black to kick the White Queen with the c-pawn, but this always risks making Black's d-pawn weak (backwards on an open file). In this particular position, the pawn loss would not be critical, and Black would still hold the advantage - but it makes a world of a difference if he is simply "letting go" of the pawn or "overlooking" its fate.

12.f4 Nc6 13.Nb5 Qb6 14.Nxd6+ 

14...Ke7

Interestingly enough, this is an error. Black would have kept things mostly even with 14...Kg8.

15.e5 Nd5 

Again, Black's extra piece and advantage in development would suggest that he is fine. Alas, he is losing.

16.c4 Ndb4 17.Bb2 Rad8 18.f5 Bg8 

In a curious mirror image, Black's light-squared Bishop is on its home rank, preventing the development of the other Rook. This bodes poorly for the defender.

19.Qg5+ Kf8 20.f6 

20...Rxd6 21.fxg7+ Ke8 22.exd6 Qd8 23.Rf8+ Black resigned

White has a checkmate in 3. Brutal.