Jerome Gambit: What to Do Next?

Defending against the Jerome Gambit is more than finding the right move or the right line, it is also finding the right path out of a maze of complications. It is a given that Black has a "won" game after 4 moves, but, as always, he has to go on and win that game.

In the following game the defender quickly overestimates his chances and embarks on Quixotic attack that only looks scary.

Wall, Bill - Guest842895
PlayChess.com, 2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 

The Semi-Italian opening. Black wants to play it safe by keeping White's Knight off of g5.

4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit, leading to 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nc3 h6, etc.

I was a bit surprised to see Stockfish 8 recommend 5.Na4, leading to an equal game.

5...Kxf7 

Bypassing the piece leads nowhere: 5...Kf8 6.Bb3 Nf6 7.Nxe5 Nxe5 8.d4 Bb4 9.dxe5 Nxe4 10.Qd5 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest2310139, PlayChess.com, 2014. 

6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 

It is always possible for Black to go weird in the line, but not necessarily successfully: 6...Ke6?! 7.Ng6 Rh7 8.d4 Nxd4 9.Nf4+ Kf7 10.Qh5+ Kf8 11.Ng6+ Kf7 12.Ne5+ Ke6 13.Qf7+ Kd6 14.Nc4+ Kc6 15.Qd5 checkmate, Wall,B - Guest638374, PlayChess.com, 2017. 

7.Qh5+ Kf8 

An improvement over 7...Ke6 8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.b4 Bd4 10.Nb5+ Kc6 11.Nxd4+ Kd6 12.Nb5+ Kc6 13.Qxe5 d6 14.Nd4+ Kd7 15.Qe6 checkmate, Wall,B - My10, PlayChess.com, 2017 and

7...Ng6 8.Qd5+ Ke8 9.Qxc5 Qe7 (9...d6 10.Qa3 N8e7 11.O-O Nh4 12.d4 Neg6 13.f4 Rf8 14.Be3 Bg4 15.Qb3 Rb8 16.f5 Ne7 17.Bf2 Nexf5 18.exf5 Nxf5 19.Rae1+ Kd7 20.Qe6+ Kc6 21.d5 checkmate, Wall,Bill - Mbgmx, Chess.com, 2010) 10.Qxc7 Nf6 11.O-O Kf7 12.Qc4+ Qe6 13.Qd4 Re8 14.f4 Qb6 15.Qxb6 axb6 16.e5 Nh5 17.g4 Nhxf4 18.d4 d6 19.exd6 Bxg4 20.Bxf4 Kg8 21.Bg3 Bh3 22.Rfe1 Rf8 23.Nd5 Rad8 24.Ne7+ Kh7 25.Nxg6 Kxg6 26.Re3 Rf6 27.Be5 Rfxd6 28.Bxd6 Rxd6 29.Rxh3 Rxd4 30.Rb3 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest6602130, PlayChess, 2014. 

8.Qxe5 Qe7 

Putting Black's Queen on e7 or f6 is a standard defensive setup. The question is always: what to do next?

9.Qxc7 Nf6 10.d3 Ng4 

Attack! More reasonable, if less exciting, was 10...d6 11.Qxe7+ Kxe7 when the second player might have an edge. But, who wants an "edge" against a refuted opening? I mean, White has to be busted, right?

11.Nd5 Bxf2+ 

According to plan, even though Black should bail with 11...Bd6 12.Nxe7 Bxc7 13.Ng6+ Kg8 14.Nxh8 Kxh8 when White would have the advantage of a Rook and 3 pawns against a Bishop and Knight.

Things begin to look scary for White's King, but he will find his way to safety.

12.Kd2 Qg5+ 

13.Kc3 Qe5+ 

I don't know if Black overlooked the fact that this allowed the exchange of Queens, but he had a better move in 13...Qg6, even if it still left him worse off. 

14.Qxe5 Nxe5 15.Rf1 Ng4 

 16.h3 Black resigned

Black will lose a piece after all.