Many games end with checkmating the King. The following entertaing Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) encounter ends with "checkmating" the Queen.
Wall, Bill - Gouba
sparkchess, 2025
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb4+
Not quite as good as ...Bxd4, but good enough
7.c3 Bxc3+
Black has to lose a piece, and this is how he chooses to do that. The Database has 338 games with this capture, with White scoring 55%.
Black might have considered, instead 7...Be7 (15 games in The Database, White scores 53%) or 7...Ng6 (26 games in The Database, White scores 52%).
The real counter attack comes from 7...Qh4. The Database has 29 games with this move, with White scoring a paltry 26%.
For a more balanced look, Stockfish 16.1 (33 ply) rates 7...Ng6, 7...Be7, and 7...Qh4 closely, with the first considered about 1/4 pawn better than the last. All, of course, maintain Black's advantage of 2+ pawns.
8.Nxc3 Ng6 9.O-O
The computer already gives White an edge here.
9...c6
Preparing ...d4-d5, but it could have been played directly.
10.f4 N6e7
Or 10...d6 11.f5 N6e7 12.Bg5 h6 13.Qh5+ Kf8 14.f6 g6 15.fxe7+ Ke8 16.exd8=Q checkmate, Wall,B - Guest2047860, PlayChess.com 2019
11.g4
The "Jerome pawns" look intimidating.
Although this position is unique in The Database, there are 173 games with the d4+e4+f4+g4 pawns.
11...Nf6
Evening the game. Either a center strike, with 11...d5, or a wing challenge, with 11...h5, was called for, instead.
12.f5 Rf8
Sang froid, but I prefer 12...d5. There was also, again, the chance to open the h-file for the Black Rook, with 12...h5.
13.h4
If a little is good, a lot has to be better.
13...Kg8
Seeking shelter from the (pawn) storm.
14.e5 Nfd5 15.Ne4
15...Nxf5
Giving back some material, to reduce the impact of the pawns.
Necessary, however, was to play 15...d6 first.
The analysis that follows is complex - thanks go to Stockfish 16.1.
Certainly, 16.Nxd6 seems reasonable, when 16...Nxf5 17.gxf5 Qxh4 18.Kg2, and White's naked King makes the first player struggle for an even game, according to Stockfish, e.g. 18...Be6 19.Bd2 Nc3!? 20.bxc3 Bd5+ 21.Rf3 Rad8 22.Qh1 Qg4+ 23.Kf2 Rxd6 24.Rg1 Qxf3+ 25.Qxf2 Bxf3 26.exd6 Bh5 27.Ke1 Re8+ 28.Kf2 Rf8 29.Ke1 Re8+ etc. draw
16.e6 does not fare better, and actually fares worse: 16...Qc7 17.h5 Bxe6 18.fxe6 Rxf1+ 19.Qxf1 Rf8 20.Qd3 h6 21.g5 Qc8 22.Qh3 Nf5 23.e7 Ndxe7 24.gxh6 gxh6 and Black is better.
Likewise 16.f6 dxe5 17.fxe7 Rxf1+ 18.Qxf1 Qxe7 and 16.exd6 Nxf5 17.Bg5 (17.gxf5 Qxh4 18.Qe1 Qg4+ 19.Ng3 Bxf5 20.Rxf5 Rxf5 21.Qe6+ Kh8 22.Qxf5 Qxg3+ 23.Kh1 Qxd6 and Black is better.
No wonder Black simply took the f-pawn.
16.gxf5 Qxh4 17.Qf3
Securing the Kingside.
17...b6
Hoping to add his Bishop to the fray.
18.Bg5 Black resigned
Black's Queen is trapped.
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