Jerome Gambit: Cast A Giant Shadow

In the following game, Bill Wall keeps playing moves, Stockfish 16.1 (after the fact) keeps recommending other moves, the opponent keeps playing his own moves... Until White checkmates.

It is not clear if Black is more intimidated by Bill's moves, or by the Jerome Gambit.

Wall, Bill - Serbia

SparkChess.com, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 

The early choice of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, although later he preferred 6.Qh5+.

6...Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 8.f4 

There are about 220 examples of this move in The Database, but it appears that this is the first time that Bill has played it. He has played 8.Nc3, 8.O-O, and  8.Qd5+.

8...Nc6 

Certainly playable, but so was the aggressive 8...Qh4+. 

9.Qd3 Bg4 

Again, Black is still OK after this unclear move, but there was still 9...Qh4+ to consider.

10.O-O Nge7 

Avoiding the stronger 10...Nf6, possibly because he was not interested in seeing the reply 11.e5. 

11.f5 

With nefarious designs on the Bishop at g4.

11...Ne5 

Aha! An aggressive move.

12.Qb3+ Kf6 

Oh, no! From careful to careless.

13.Qe6 checkmate

One of the criticisms of the Jerome Gambit is that its games feature too many Queen moves.

This is not one of them.