Jerome Gambit: Plenty of Ways to Go Wrong

One of the attractions of the 6.d4 line in the Jerome Gambit (a favorite of Bill Wall) is that Black has to figure out what to do with his dark squared Bishop. As the following game shows, there are plenty of ways to go wrong. White's mating attack is very attractive.

Wall, Bill - Holzkopp
PlayChess.com, 2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 

6...Bb4+ 7.c3 Bd6

Bill has faced a variety of alternatives:

7...Nc4 as in Wall,B - Anonymous, lichess.com, 2016 (1-0, 18);

7...Qe7 as in Wall,B - Guest3742987, PlayChess.com, 2015 (1-0, 50);

7...Bxc3+ as in Wall,B - Caynaboos, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 26); Wall,B -ChessFlower, PlayChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 27); Wall,B -Boris, Sparkchess.com,  2012 (1-0, 31); and Wall,B - FJBS, FICS, 2015 (1-0, 14); and

7...Be7 as in Wall,B - ChrSav, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 11).

Black's strongest response is 7...Qh4!?, which has been seen seen 10 times in The Database (with all wins for Black). See "Gloom and Doom",  "Beyond Gloom and Doom" and "Jerome Gambit: Unresolved".

8.dxe5 Bxe5 

Black would still retain an edge after 8...Be7.

9.Qd5+ 

9.Qh5+ has also been seen: there are 6 wins for White and one draw in The Database.

9...Kf8

Or 9...Kf6 10.f4 Kg6 11.O-O Bf6 12.f5+ Kh5 13.Qd1+ Kh4 14.Rf4+ Kg5 15.Rf3+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest6953174, PlayChess.com, 2016. 

10.Qxe5 d6 11.Qd5 Nf6 12.Qd3 Be6 

White has an extra pawn and the safer King. Black has the better development.

13.O-O c6 14.b3 Kf7 15.Ba3 c5 

The position is complicated. Stockfish 8 suggests, instead, 15...Re8 16.Nd2 d5 17.e5 Ng4 18.Nf3 Kg8. 

16.f4 Qb6 17.c4 Qa5 

Overlooking White's tactical play in the center. 

18.e5 Ng4 19.f5 Nxe5 20.fxe6+ Kxe6 21.Qd5+ Kd7 

22.Qxb7+ Ke6 23.Nc3 

A nice finish: Black cannot afford to capture either of the two offered pieces.

23...Qxc3 24.Qd5+ Ke7 25.Bxc5 Rad8 26.Rae1 Qa5 27.Qf7 checkmate