Jerome Gambit: Doors

The old saying, When a door closes, another one opens, has relevance to chess, too.

In the following game Bill Wall's opponent quickly puts an end to a piece and all its aggressive plans, in a way that allows another piece to be equally destructive.

Wall, Bill - Akela

internet, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qe7 

Bill has also faced

8...Qh4+ 9.g3 Qf6 (9...Nf3+ 10.Kd1 Qe7 11.Qd5#  Wall,B - Guest1692544, PlayChess.com, 2020) 10.Qh5 g6 11.Qe2 Ke7 12.fxe5 Qxe5 13.c3 Qe6 14.d4 Bb6 15.Bg5+ Ke8 16.O-O h6 17.Qf2 Ne7 18.Bxh6 d5 19.Nd2 dxe4 20.Nxe4 Qxe4 21.Qf7+ Kd7 22.Rae1 Qd5 23.Rxe7+ Kc6 24.Rf6+ Kb5 25.Qxd5+ Ka6 26.Qc4+ Ka5 27.Qb4+ Ka6 28.Qa4 checkmate, Wall,B - Marani,G, Chess.com, 2011; 

8...Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qf3 Nf6 (10...Qf6 11.Qg3+ Ke7 12.Nc3 c6 13.d4 Bb6 14.Bg5 Black resigned, Wall,B - RRGP, FICS, 2020) 11.d3 (11.Nc3 c6 12.d3 Ke7 13.Bf4 Qe6 14.O-O-O h6 15.d4 Bb4 16.d5 Qg4 17.e5 Bxc3 18.exf6+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Gordy, 2023) 11...Kc6 12.c3 Re8 13.b4 Bb6 14.Bf4 Qh5 15.a4 d5 16.Nd2 Bg4 17.Qg3 dxe4 18.d4 e3 19.Nc4 Qf5 20.O-O Nh5 21.Nxe3 Nxg3 22.Nxf5 Nxf5 23.b5+ Kd5 24.a5 Nxd4 25.axb6 Ne2+ 26.Kh1 Nxf4 27.Rxf4 axb6 28.Rb1 Be6 White resigned, Wall,B - Stoker,B, 15 0 rapid, FICS 2010;

8...Bd4 9.fxe5+ Bxe5 10.d4 Bf6 11.e5+ Ke7 12.exf6+ Nxf6 13.O-O d6 14.Qg5 Kf8 15.Nc3 Be6 16.Ne4 Bc4 17.Rf4 h6 18.Qh4 Bf7 19.Rxf6 gxf6 20.Bxh6+ Ke8 21.Nxf6+ Ke7 22.Re1+ Be6 23.Rxe6+ Kxe6 24.d5+ Kf7 25.Qh5+ Ke7 26.Qe2+ Kf7 27.Qe6+ Kg6 28.Ng8+ Kh5 29.Qf5+ Kh4 30.g3# Wall,B - ManiacComputer, Cocoa Beach, FL 2012; and 

8...Ng6 9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ d6 11.Qe3 Nf6 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Neg4 14.Qf3 Re8 15.h3 Nh6 16.Bxh6 gxh6 17.Nc3 Kf7 18.O-O-O Ng8 19.g4 a5 20.Nd5 c6 21.Nf4 Bd7 22.e5 dxe5 23.dxe5 Rxe5 24.Qb3+ Kf8 25.Ne6+ Rxe6 26.fxe6 Qg5+ 27.Kb1 Be8 28.Rhf1+ Nf6 29.Qxb7 Black resigned, Wall,B - Anonymous, lichess.org, 2020) 

9.Na3 

This move is a novelty, according to The Database.

The Knight dreams of 10.fxe5+ Qxe5 11.Nc4+.

The dreams are quicly dashed.

9...Bxa3 10.bxa3 Qf6 

Perhaps with the idea of challenging the enemy Queen, perhaps with the plan of ...Nf3+ winning the exchange.

Better was 10...Nf6, as now the a1-h8 diagonal comes to life.

11.fxe5+ Qxe5 12.Qxe5+ Kxe5 13.Bb2+ Kxe4 14.Bxg7 

Bill now finishes his opponent off.

14...d6 15.O-O Be6 16.Rae1+ Kd5 17.c4+ Kxc4 18.Rxe6 Black resigned