Jerome Gambit: Check the Notes

Is Black's defense to the Jerome Gambit in the following game acceptable?

Of course. 

Does it give him practical chances? 

Of course. (Check the notes, and you will find a couple of draws against Bill Wall, and even a very rare win against him.)

Does Black win?

Of course not.

Once again, the defender is able to grasp loss from the jaws of victory - as so often happens in the Jerome Gambit.

Wall, Bill - Guest3172540
PlayChess.com, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qe7 

Black has many ways to return a piece. This one activates his Queen.

7.dxc5 Qxc5 8.O-O Nf6

Or 8...d6, as in Wall, Bill - Guest927010, PlayChess.com, 2017: 9.Be3 Qc6 10.f4 Ng4 11.Bd4 Qxe4 12.Re1 Qf5 13.Nc3 N8f6 14.h3 Nh6 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Nd5 Be6 17.Nxc7 Qc5+ 18.Kh2 Qxc7 19.Qh5+ Kg7 20.Rxe6 Qf7 21.Qxf7+ Nxf7 22.Rae1 Rac8 23.c3 Rc7 24.Re7 Rxe7 25.Rxe7 Rb8 26.g4 h6 27.h4 a6 28.Kg3 b5 29.a3 Kf8 30.Ra7 Rb6 31.Kf3 d5 32.Ke3 Nd6 33.Kd4 Nc4 34.Kc5 Re6 35.Kxd5 Re2 36.Rxa6 Ne3+ 37.Kc5 Nxg4 38.b4 Re3 39.Kxb5 Rxc3 40.a4 Rf3 41.a5 Rxf4 42.Rc6 Ne5 43.Rc8+ Kg7 44.a6 Rf5 45.a7 Nd7+ 46.Kc6 Ne5+ 47.Kc7 Black resigned

9.Be3 Qe7 

Or

9...Qb5 as in Wall - Guest3992982, PlayChess.com, 2015 (1-0, 23); or in Wall, Bill - Guest11373407, PlayChess.com, 2019: 10.Nc3 Qxb2 11.Bd4 Nc6 12.Rb1 Qa3 13.e5 Nxd4 14.Qxd4 Ne8 15.Nd5 c5 16.Qf4+ Ke6 17.Rfd1 Qxa2 18.Qg4+ Kf7 19.Qf5+ Nf6 20.exf6 g6 21.Qf4 Qxc2 22.Qh6 Rg8 23.Re1 drawn; or

9...Qc4 as in Wall, Bill - Guest8692633, PlayChess.com, 2018:
10.Nc3 Nfg4 11.h3 Nxe3 12.fxe3+ Ke8 13.Qh5+ Ng6 14.Nb5 d6 15.b3 Qc6 16.c4 a6 17.Nc3 Be6 18.Qg5 Kd7 19.h4 Rhg8 20.Rad1 Rae8 21.e5 Qc5 22.exd6 Qxg5 23.dxc7+ Kxc7 24.hxg5 Bg4 25.Rd4 Bc8 26.Rf7+ Kb8 27.e4 Ne5 28.Rf4 Nc6 29.Rd6 Nb4 30.Rf7 h6 31.gxh6 gxh6 32.Rxh6 Nd3 33.Rh4 Rg3 34.Rf3 Rxf3 35.gxf3 Rg8+ 36.Kf1 Ne5 37.Rf4 Bh3+ 38.Ke2 Rg2+ 39.Ke3 Rc2 40.Rf8+ Ka7 41.Nd5 Rxa2 42.f4 Nd7 43.Re8 drawn; or

9...Qd6 as in Wall, Bill - Youi, lichess.org, 2017 (1-0, 24); or

9...Qc6 as in Wall, Bill - NN, lichess.org, 2016 (0-1, 30)


10.Nc3 Re8 

Or 10...Rf8 as in Wall, Bill - Guest457006, PlayChess.com, 2018: 11.f4 Neg4 12.Bd4 d6 13.e5 dxe5 14.fxe5 Nxe5 15.Qh5+ Kg8 16.Qxe5 Qxe5 17.Bxe5 c6 18.Rae1 b6 19.Bxf6 Rxf6 20.Rxf6 gxf6 21.Re8+ Kf7 22.Rd8 a5 23.Ne4 Ke7 24.Rh8 Ke6 25.Re8+ Kf5 26.Nd6+ Kf4 27.Rxc8 Rxc8 28.Nxc8 b5 29.Na7 Ke3 30.Nxc6 Black resigned

11.Re1 d6 12.f4 Neg4 13.Bd4 Kg8 

Black has castled-by-hand. If he works on his development, he can make something of his piece-for-a-pawn advantage.

White's job is to disrupt Black's plans.

14.h3 Nh6 15.g4 c5 16.Bf2 Be6 

This is a funny oversight. Often, in the Jerome Gambit, Black has to be careful that when he plays his Bishop to e6, that it doesn't become a victim to a pawn fork. This move allows a fork - of the two Knights.

17.g5 Nf7 

Possibly 17...Nxe4 18.Nxe4 Ne5 was better.

18.gxf6 Qxf6 19.f5 

19...Qg5+

Energetic, and focused on the enemy King, but possibly the start of some "smites" that are too shallowly considered.

20.Kh2 Bc4 21.b3 Qf4+ 

White's answer is sufficient. 

Black's attack on the King is an illusion, as will be seen.

22.Bg3 Qh6 23.bxc4 Ng5 24.h4 Re7 25.Qg4 Nf7 26.Nd5 Ree8 27.Bf4 Black resigned

Black's Queen is in trouble. There is an immediate defense, but, in the long run, White's pressure on the Kingside will prevail, e.g. 27...g5 28.Bxg5 Qg7 29.Qh5 Nxg5 30.hxg5 Re5 (to avoid the Knight fork) 31.Nf6+ Kh8 32.g6.