The Jerome Gambit: Jerome Gambit: The Defense Rests

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

Jerome Gambit: The Defense Rests

In the following Jerome Gambit game, the defender hangs in for a while, but, in the end, his army is over-run and he must tip his King.

Wall, Bill - Dasasary

sparkchess, 2026

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4

6...Bb4+ 7.c3 Bxc3+

Instead, Black had the calm withdrawal, 7...Be7, or the aggressive 7...Qh4, e.g.

7...Qh4 8.O-O Ng4 9.h3 Be7 (9...Bxc3? 10.Nxc3 N4f6 11.e5 Ne4 12.Qf3+ Ke8 13.Nxe4 Nh6 14.Bg5 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest11706903, PlayChess.com 2018) 10.hxg4 d6 11.Qb3+Ke8 12.f3 Nf6 13.Be3 b6 $6 14.e5 dxe5 15.dxe5 Nxg4? 16.fxg4 Qxg4 $4 17.Qf7+ Kd7 18.Qd5+ Ke8 19.Qc6+ Bd7 20.Qxa8+ Bd8 21.Nd2 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest436030, PlayChess.com 2018.

8.Nxc3 Ng6 9.O-O d6

White has only a pawn for his sacrificed piece, but he can make things difficult for the enemy monarch.

10.f4 N6e7

None of the other defenses that Bill has faced have fared any better -

10...Qf6 11.f5 Ne5 12.Nd5 Qh4 13.dxe5 dxe5 14.Nxc7 Rb8 15.Qd5+ Kf6 16.Ne8+ Ke7 17.Qxe5+ Kf8 18.f6 Nxf6 19.Nxf6 gxf6 20.Rxf6+ Kg8 21.Qe8+ Kg7 22.Qf7 checkmate, Wall,B - NN, internet, 2016;

10...Nh6 11.f5 Ne7 12.Qh5+ Kg8 13.f6 Ng6 14.Bxh6 gxh6 15.Qxh6 Kf7 16.Qg7+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Facundo, lichess.org 2017;

10...N8e7 11.f5 Nf8 12.Qh5+ Kg8 13.f6 g6 14.f7+ Kg7 15.Bh6 checkmate, Wall,B - Alta, internet, 2022; and

10...h6 11.e5 dxe5 12.fxe5+ Ke6 13.Qb3+ Kd7 14.Qd5+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Kahve, internet, 2022)

11.g4

Bold and risky, but there is no mistaking the intention.

11...Kf8 12.f5 h6 13.h4