Jerome Gambit: Fall

A mis-step can quickly turn into a stumble, and a stumble into a fall.

Wall, Bill - Irineu

internet, 2024

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 

About 6 times more common, according to The Database, is 9.Qe3. 

9...Nf6 10.O-O 

Or 10.f3 d5 11.O-O as in Wall,B - Jaar,J, Chess.com 2010 (1-0, 19).

10...Rf8 

Bill has also faced 10...c6 as in Wall,B-Varitt, internet, 2020 (1-0, 48) and 10...Kf7 as in Wall,B-Attia,M, internet, 2021 (1-0, 32). 

11.f4 Kf7 

Black starts to castle-by-hand.

He had an interesting series of moves that led to an edge: 11...Nxe4 (the key) 12.Re1 Qe7 13.Qc4 Rxf4 14.d3 Be6 15.Qa4+ Bd7 16.Qb4 Rg4 17.Rxe4 Rxe4 18.Qxe4 Qxe4 19.dxe4 Bc6. 

12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Nc6 

14.Bg5 Qe8 

Black should have continued with 14...Kg8. 

15.Qc4+ Ke7 16.e5 

The troubling signs are there for Black: his King is not safe, and is on a file in front of his Queen; there is a dangerous pin on the Knight on f6; and the "Jerome pawns" are advancing.

16...dxe5 17.dxe5 Nxe5 18.Qxc7+

Now, after 18...Bd7, White can grab the Knight at e5.

18...Ned7 

Bill sees quickly the opportunity that this move presents.

19.Re1+ Kf7 20. Qc4+ Black resigned

There was no need to continue with 20...Ne5 21.Qxd5+ Qe6 22.Qxe6 checkmate.

Another game for Bill Wall's Jerome Gambit Miniatures book, should he ever publish one. (He has written many other books and articles.)