Jerome Gambit: Countering the Counter

Bill Wall is familiar with the Counter-Jerome defense, and quickly counters it.

Wall, Bill - Onix

internet, 2026

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5

7...Bxf2+ 

The Counter-Jerome defense.

8.Kxf2 Nh6 

Also seen: 8...Qf6+ 9.Qxf6+ Kxf6 (9...Nxf6 10.Kf3 (10. Nc3 b6 (10...d6 11.d3 a6 12.Bg5 Kg7 13.Bxf6+ Kxf6 14.Nd5+ Kg7 15.Nxc7 Rb8 16.c3 Rf8+ 17.Ke3 b5 18.h4 Rf7 19.Ne8+ Kg8 20.Nxd6 Rf6 21.e5 Re6 22.d4 Bb7 23.Nxb7 Rxb7 24.Ke4 Black resigned, Wall,B - SCMJ, FICS, 2020) 11.Rf1 Ba6 12.d3 Kg7 13.Bg5 Rhf8 14.Ke2 Ng4 15.h3 Ne5 16.Nd5 c6 17.Nc7 Bb7 18.Nxa8 Rxa8 19.Bf6+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Naren, SparkChess, 2024) 10...d6 11.Nc3 Bg4+ 12.Kg3 Rhe8 13.Rf1 Kg7 14.Rxf6 Kxf6 15.Kxg4 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest4380606, PlayChess.com, 2015) 10.Nc3 c6 11.Rf1 Kg7 12.Kg3 Ne7 13.b3 d5 14.Nxd5 cxd5 15.Bb2+ Kg8 16.Bxh8 Kxh8 17.Rf7 Nc6 18.exd5 Ne5 19.Rc7 b6 20.Re1 Nd7 21.Re8+ Kg7 22. Rxd7+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Kumar, internet, 2023) 

As well as 8...Nf6 9.Rf1 d6 10.Qg3 Nxe4+ 11.Kg1+ Kg7 12.Qf3 Bf5 13.g4 Qg5 14.d3 Qxg4+ 15.Qxg4 Bxg4 16.dxe4 Rae8 17.Nc3 a6 18.Nd5 Rxe4 19.b3 Bh3 20.Bb2+ Re5 21.Rfe1 Black resigned, Wall,B - Basiq, SparkChess 2024; 

And 8...Qh4+ 9. Kf1 (9.g3 Qf6+ 10.Qxf6+ Nxf6 11.Nc3 d6 (11...Re8 12.d3 d6 13.Bg5 Ng4+ 14.Kg2 h6 15.Raf1+ Kg7 16.Bd2 Bd7 17.Nd5 Rac8 18.Bc3+ Kg8 19.h3 c6 20.hxg4 cxd5 21.Rxh6 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest2115687, PlayChess.com, 2014 dxe4 22.Rh8 checkmate) 12.d3 Bg4 13.h3 Be6 14.Bh6 Ke8 15.Ke3 Kd7 16.Bg7 Rhf8 17.Bxf8 Rxf8 18.g4 a6 19.g5 Nh5 20.Rhf1 Re8 21.h4 c6 22.b4 d5 23.exd5 Bh3+ 24.Kd4 Bxf1 25.Rxf1 cxd5 26.Nxd5 Kd6 27.c4 Ng3 28.c5+ Kc6 29.Rf6+ Kb5 30.Nc7+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest592370, PlayChess.com, 2017) 9...Qf6+ 10.Qxf6+Nxf6 11.Nc3 c6 12.e5 Nh5 13.Ne4 Ke6 14.Ng5+ Ke7 15.d4 Rf8+ 16.Ke1 h6 17.Ne4 g5 18.Bd2 b6 19.Bb4+ c5 20.Nxc5 bxc5 21.Bxc5+ Ke8 22.Bxf8 Kxf8 23.h4 g4 24.Rf1+ Kg7 25.c4 Ba6 26.b3 Rd8 27.d5 Re8 28.e6 dxe6 29.d6 Rd8 30.Rd1 Ng3 31.Rf4 h5 32.c5 Nf5 33.Ra4 Bb7 34.Rxa7 Rd7 35.Rxb7 Rxb7 36.c6 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest1443273, PlayChess.com. 2012 

9.Rf1 Ng4+ 10.Kg1+ 

The check makes a difference.

10...Kg8 

The threatening Black Knight needed to return.

Now, checkmate arrives.

11.Qd5+ Kg7 12.Rf7+ Kh6 13.d4+ g5 14.h4 d6 15.Bxg5+ Black resigned