Jerome Gambit: GPS

Bill Wall knows his way around the Jerome Gambit. The Database has him playing in 972 Jerome or Jerome-related games.

Yet, the following game seems to wander a bit, before Bill scores the full point. A good lesson about finding your way and using tactics to unsettle your opponent.

Wall, Bill - VQR

internet, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qc3 

Bill has played this Queen retreat before.

Littleplayerparis, playing at lichess.org, has over 100 games with this position in The Database.

9...Qf6 

Bill has faced 

9...Nf6 10.d3 (10.f3 d5 11.O-O dxe4 12.fxe4 Nxe4 13.Re1 Bf5 14.d3 Kf7 15.dxe4 Bg4 16.Qb3+ Ke8 17.Be3 Qf6 18.Qxb7 Kd7 19.Nc3 Black resigned, Wall,B - Jaar,J, Chesshess.com, 2010; 10.O-O c6 (10...Kf7 11.d3 Re8 12.Be3 Kg8 13.f4 c6 14.Nd2 Qe7 15.Rae1 Ng4 16.d4 Nxe3 17.Qxe3 Bd7 18.f5 Nf8 19.g4 h6 20.e5 dxe5 21.dxe5 Qg5 22.Qxg5 hxg5 23.Nf3 Rad8 24.Nxg5 Bc8 25.e6 Re7 26.h4 Rd4 27.Ne4 Nxe6 28.fxe6 Bxe6 29.c3 Ra4 30.a3 Bxg4 31.Nf6+ gxf6 32.Rxe7 Black resigned, Wall,B - Attia,M, internet, 2021) 11.Re1 Kf7 12.d3 Re8 13.Nd2 b5 14.Qxc6 Be6 15.Qxb5 Bg4 16.f3 Be6 17.a4 Qc7 18.Nc4 Bxc4 19.Qxc4+ Qxc4 20.dxc4 Ne5 21.b3 a5 22.Be3 Nfd7 23.Kf2 h6 24.Bd4 Ke6 25.Rad1 g5 26.Ke3 Ra6 27.h4 Nc6 28.Bc3 Nb4  29.Bxb4 axb4 30.hxg5 hxg5 31.Rd5 Ne5 32.Rh1 Kd7 33.Rh7+ Kc6 34.c5 Re6 35.cxd6 Ra8 36.Rc7+ Kb6 37.Rb5+ Ka6 38.Rcc5 Rae8 39.Rxe5 Rxe5 40.Rxe5 Rd8 41.Re6 Kb7 42.Re7+ Kc6 43.e5 Kd5 44.d7 Kc6 45.e6 Kd6 46.Re8 Kc7 47.Rxd8 Kxd8 48.a5 Black resigned, Wall,B - Varitt, FICS, 2020) 10...c6 11.O-O Kd7 12.f4 Qb6+ 13.Kh1 Kc7 14.Qe1 Re8 15.b3 Nd5 16.Qg3 Nb4 17.Na3 Bd7 18.c3 Nxa2 19.f5 Ne5 20.d4 Qxb3 21.dxe5 dxe5 22.Rb1 Qxc3 23.Be3 a6 24.Qxg7 b5 25.Rf3 Kc8 26.Rd1 Rd8 27.Bb6 Kb7 28.Bxd8 and wins Jerome,A - Brownson,O, Iowa 1875; 

9...Qh4 10.O-O Qe7 11.d3 Be6 12.f4 Nf8 13.f5 Bf7  14.Qxg7 Qf6 15.Qxf6 Nxf6 16.Bg5 Ke7 17.Nc3 Re8 18.d4 h6 19.Bh4 h5 20.e5 dxe5 21.dxe5 Bc4 22.Bxf6+ Kd7 23.Rf4 Kc8 24.Bxh8 Bf7 25.Bg7 Nd7 26.Re1 Bg8 27.e6 Nf8 28.Bxf8 Rxf8 29.Nd5 Rd8 30.Ne7+ Kb8 31.Nxg8 Rxg8 32.f6 h4 33.f7 Rc8 34.f8=Q a6 35.Qxc8+ Kxc8 36.Rf8 checkmate, billwall - NFTM, FICS, 2010. 

10.Qxc7 

A risky pawn grab, accepting Black's challenge.

10...Nf4 11.Rg1 Qg6 

White's position looks messy. It will get messier.

12.f3 Nh3 13.Rf1 Qxg2 14.d3 Qxh2 

15.Qxg7 Qe5 16.Qxe5+ dxe5 17.Bd2 

Beginning to pull things together.

17...Bd7 18.Bc3 Nf6 

19.Bxe5 Rf8 20.Nc3 Be6 

White has three pawns for his sacrificed piece, and is at least even. 

21.Nb5 

Attacking the dark squares. Black flinches.

21...Kf7 22.Nd6+ Ke7 23.Nxb7 

Another pawn - and a threat that his opponent overlooks.

23...Nd7 24.Bd6+ Kf6 25.Bxf8 Rxf8 26.f4 Black resigned

Once again: Beware the Jerome Gambit, but, especially, Beware the Jerome Gambit player.