Jerome Gambit: The Anti-Bill Wall Gambit, Return to Discussion (Part 1)

Some lines of play in the Jeorme Gambit get me thinking, and researching, and looking up blog posts.

sub_nishanth - dzikasarna

3  blitz, lichess.org, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 Bf2+ 

The Anti-Bill Wall Gambit, also seen in "Jerome Gambit: A Cautionary Tale" and "Jerome Gambit: Another Reason".

8.Kxf2 

The Database does not have any games where White declines the Bishop.

8...Nf7 

8...g6 was seen in Wall,B - Buster, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 11); 

8...Ng6 was seen in Wall,B - Equa, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 14);  Wall,B - Kumar, SparkChess, 2024 (1-0, 22); and Wall,B - Kumar, SparkChess, 2024 (1-0, 12)  

9.Re1 Nf6 

10.Qh3+ Ke7 11.e5 Nd5 12.f5 d6 13.e6

The "Jerome pawns" are making a problem for the defender.

The question is, what should Black do now?

Stockfish 17.1 (35 ply) suggests 13...Ng5 14.Qg3 h6 15.Nc3 Nxc3 16.Qxc3 Qf8 17.Kg1 c6 when it evaluates White's position as almost 1 1/2 pawns better. If White tries the logical 18.h4, though, Black can sacrifice his Knight, and with 18...Nxe6 19.fxe6 Qf6 20.d4 Rf8 21.Be3 Bxe6 the position is a material-even mess.

13....Nh6 

Avoiding complications - and time may have been a factor, here - but settling for a worse position. 

14.d4 Rf8 15.Bg5+ 

15...Ke8 

Definitely looks like time trouble.

16.Bxd8 Kxd8 17.c4 Nf4 18.e7+ Black resigned

The loss of material will be too large.