Jerome Gambit: Thin Ice (Part 1)

There are dangers for both players in the Jerome Gambit.

In the following game, Bill Wall shows his experience in ice walking.

Wall, Bill - Guest564938

PlayChess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qe7 

Instead of moving either the Bishop or Knight, or protecting them with the d-pawn, Black uses his Queen. This defense was most recently looked at in the post "Jerome Gambit: Make Haste, Slowly".

Notice that Black's Knight is between his Queen and White's e-pawn, making things different than in Whistler's defense.

7.dxc5 

Stockfish 16.1 (30 ply) considers this move about 1/4 of a pawn better than castling, but White is still walking on thin ice.

7...Qxc5 8.O-O 

8.Be3 is about an equivalent choice, and Bill has tried it a few times - followed quickly by castling, i.e.: 8...Qe7 9.O-O as in Wall,B - Guest457006, PlayChess.com, 2018 (1-0, 30);  Wall,B - Guest3172540, PlayChess.com, 2019 (1-0, 27); and Wall,B - Ahmad, SparkChess, 2026 (1-0, 32). 

8...Nf6 

Or 8...d6 9.Be3 Qc6 as in Wall,B - Guest927010, PlayChess.com 2017 (1-0, 47) 

9.Be3 

Again, similarly, 9.Nc3 Rf8 10.Be3 as in Wall,B - Pachuco, internet, 2023 (1-0, 19).

9...Qc6 

Black still has choices as to where to place his Queen:

9...Qb5 as in Wall,B - Guest3992982, PlayChess.com, 2015 (1-0, 23) and Wall,B - Guest11373407, PlayChess.com, 2019 (1/2-1/2, 23); or

9...Qd6 as in Wall,B - Youi, lichess.org, 2017 (1-0, 24); or

9...Qc4 as in Wall,B - Guest8692633, PlayChess.com, 2018 (1/2-1/2, 43). 

10.Bd4 d6 

11.f3 

The pawn could also take two steps, 11.Nc3 Re8 12.f4 as in Wall,B - NN, lichess.org 2016 (0-1, 30) 

11...Re8 12.Nc3 Kg8 

Black has castled-by-hand. He is still better - but the game is only half over.

[to be continued]