Jerome Gambit: Countering the Counter

How to counter the counter-Jerome gambit?

Bill Wall has enough experience, he could do it with his eyes closed. Take a look.

Wall, Bill - Basiq

SparkChess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

Here we go again: "Jerome Gambit: What About the Rook?"

So, the warning is - be aware, defenders, that 6...g6 means you want to sacrifice your Rook. Play becomes awkward without this awareness.

7.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 

As mentioned in "Jerome Gambit: Still Waters Run Deep"

The "Counter-Jerome Defense" or the "Counter-Jerome Gambit". See "Jerome Gambit: How Bad Has It Gotten?", "Jerome Gambit: Tactical Awareness" and "Jerome Gambit: Be Careful, Look Both Ways".

For more recent examples, see "Nobody Expects the Jerome Gambit (Part 3)" and "Jerome Gambit: Psychology".

Black gives up a piece in a way that disturbs White's King. There are 560 games in The Database, with White scoring 72%.

The second player would do better with the more frequently played 7...d6, or possibly the strongest move, 7...Qe7; neither of which looks as scary as the text move.

8.Kxf2 Nf6 

In other games, Black has exchanged Queens with 8...Qf6+ 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 (or 9...Kxf6 as in Wall,B - Kumar, internet, 2024 [1-0, 22]):

Wall,S - Guest658246, PlayChess.com 2013 (1-0, 34); Wall,B - Guest4380606, PlayChess.com 2015 (1-0, 15); Wall,B - SCMJ, FICS 2020 (1-0, 24); and Wall,B - Naren, SparkChess 2024 (1-0, 19). 

Black can also throw in 8...Qh4+ first, as in Wall,B - Guest1443273 PlayChess.com 2012 (1-0, 36); Wall,B - Guest2115687, PlayChess.com, 2014 (1-0, 21); and Wall,B - Guest592370, PlayChess.com 2017 (1-0, 30).

9.Rf1 d6 10.Qg3 Nxe4+ 

This looks scary - for a second.

11.Kg1+ 

The check makes all the difference.

11...Kg7 12.Qf3 Bf5 13.g4 Qg5 14.d3 Qxg4+ 15.Qxg4 Bxg4

But, wait, there is one more move...

16.dxe4 Rae8 17.Nc3 a6 18.Nd5 Rxe4 19.b3 Bh3 20.Bb2+ Re5 21.Rfe1 Black resigned

Black will lose too much material.