Wall, Bill - Guest10348707
PlayChess.com, 2019
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 d6
It is fascinating how many ways Black can defend against the Jerome Gambit. Here, he doesn't bother choosing which attacked piece to save and which to give up, he simply opens a line for more development, and lets White decide. The Database has 32 games with this position; White scores 55%.
7.dxe5
The Database has 16 games, with this capture, with White scoring 53%.
Of course, Bill has tried the other capture as well: 7.dxc5 Bg4 (or 7...Nf6 8.cxd6 cxd6 (8...Qxd6 9.Qe2 (9.Qxd6 cxd6 10.Nc3 Re8 11.f3 d5 12.Nb5 Re7 13.f4 Nc6 14.e5 Ne4 15.Be3 Bf5 16.O-O a6 17.Nd4 Nxd4 18.Bxd4 Kg8 19.g3 Rc8 20.c3 Rf7 21.Kg2 b5 22.a3 a5 23.Rfd1 b4 24.axb4 axb4 25.Rac1 Rfc7 26.Kg1 g5 27.fxg5 Nxg5 28.Kf2 Be4 29.Ra1 bxc3 30.bxc3 Nf3 31.g4 Re7 32.Kg3 Nxe5 33.Rf1 Nc6 34.Bf6 Re6 35.Rf4 Ne5 36.Ra3 Bg6 37.Rf2 Nd3 38.Rf3 Ne1 39.Rf1 Re3+ 40.Kf2 Rce8 41.Bd4 Rf3+ 42.Kg1 Rd3 43.Bf2 Nf3+ 44.Kg2 d4 45.Rc1 Be4 White resigned, Wall,B - Guest8299674, PlayChess.com, 2016) 9...Re8 10.Nc3 Neg4 11.Bd2 Kg8 12.O-O-O Be6 13.f4 Qa6 14.Qxa6 bxa6 15.Rde1 Rab8 16.h3 Nh6 17.f5 Bf7 18.g4 Nxe4 19.Rxe4 Rxe4 20.Nxe4 Re8 21.Re1 Bd5 22.Nf6+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Amsamms, lichess.org, 2017) 9.O-O Rf8 10.Nc3 h6 (10...Be6 11.Nb5 Bg4 12.Qxd6 Qxd6 13.Nxd6+ Kg8 14.f3 Bd7 15.Rd1 Bc6 16.Be3 Nc4 17.Nxc4 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest3858723, PlayChess.com, 2013) 11.f4 Bg4 12.Qd2 Nc4 13.Qd3 Rc8 14.b3 Nb6 15.Bb2 Kg8 16.Nb5 d5 17.e5 Nh5 18.f5 Qg5 19.Nd6 Rcd8 20.h3 Bxh3 21.Qxh3 Nf4 22.Qf3 Rxd6 23.exd6 Rxf5 24.Rae1 Nd7 25.Re8+ Kh7 26.Re7 Black resigned,Wall,B - Guest2408457, PlayChess.com, 2018; or 7...a6 8.cxd6 Nf6 9.O-O Re8 10.f4 Neg4 11.h3 Nxe4 12.hxg4 Bd7 13.f5 Kg8 14.Bf4 cxd6 15.Nc3 Qb6+ 16.Kh2 Bc6 17.Nd5 Qxb2 18.Nc7 Rab8 19.Nxe8 Rxe8 20.g5 Nc3 21.Qg4 Qxc2 22.f6 Qe2 23.Qh3 Nb5 24.Rae1 Qxe1 25.Rxe1 Nc7 26.f7+ Kxf7 27.Qf5+ Kg8 28.Bxd6 h5 29.g6 Ne6 30.Rxe6 Rd8 31.Qxh5 Bxg2 32.Qh7 checkmate, Wall,B - Computer-level 8, Chess.com, 2017) 8.Qd5+ Be6 9.Qxb7 Nf6 10.Nc3 Rf8 11.f4 Nfg4 12.fxe5 dxe5 13.Nd5 Kg8 14.Bd2 Rb8 15.Qxc7 Bxd5 16.Qxd8 Rbxd8 17.exd5 Rxd5 18.h3 Rfd8 19.c6 Nf6 20.O-O-O Rc5 21.Rhe1 e4 22.Bc3 Rxd1+ 23.Kxd1 Rxc6 24.Bxf6 gxf6 25.Rxe4 Kf7 26.g4 Kg6 27.Ra4 a6 28.Ra5 Rd6+ 29.Ke2 Re6+ 30.Kf3 Rc6 31.c3 Rb6 32.b3 Rd6 33.h4 Rd3+ 34.Kf4 Rxc3 35.Rxa6 Rd3 36.h5+ Kf7 37.Ra7+ Kg8 38.Kf5 Rf3+ 39.Ke6 h6 40.b4 Rf4 41.b5 Rxg4 42.b6 Rb4 43.b7 f5 44.Ra8+ Kg7 45.b8=Q Rxb8 46.Rxb8 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest8860423, PlayChess.com, 2019.
7...Be6 8.O-O h6 9.Qh5+
Bill has also played the more sedate 9.Nc3 g6 10.Qf3+ Ke7 11.Bf4 g5 12.Bg3 Bd4 13.exd6+ cxd6 14.Rad1 Bc5 15.e5 d5 16.Nxd5+ Bxd5 17.Rxd5 Qb6 18.e6 Nf6 19.Rd7+ Nxd7 20.Qf7+ Kd8 21.Qxd7 checkmate, Wall,B -Guest3664337, PlayChess.com, 2018
9...Kf8 10.Qf3+ Ke7 11.Bf4 Qf8
An exchange of Queens would help Black.
12.exd6+ cxd6 13.Nc3 a6
It is not immediately clear what is wrong with this move, or, rather, how the alternative, 13...Rc8, would have been better. Upon examination, the Bishop at c5 will need more support, and the Rook will be less at risk at c8.
14.e5 dxe5 15.Qxb7+ Kf6 16.Ne4+ Kf5 17.Nxc5 Qxc5
18.Be3
There was also 18...Qxa8.
18...Qc8
Black protects his Rook and hopes for an exchange of Queens. Alas, the position is more complicated than that. His best was the alternative, 18...Qf8, covering the pawn at g7 as well, but then 19.f4!? would threaten to open the f-file and allow White's Rook to attack the enemy King and Queen. If, then, 19...Kg6 20.fxe5 Rb8 21.Qxa6 Qc8 (the Black Queen is working hard on defense), White refocuses his attentions on the King with 22.Qd3+. The initiative, plus 4 pawns for the sacrificed piece, give the first player the clear advantage. In fact, Stockfish 10 points out that White now has a checkmate in 32 moves!
19.Qxg7 Nf6 20.f4 Qg8
21.fxe5+ Kxe5 22.Qc7+ Kd5 23.Qc5+ Ke4 24.Rf4 checkmate
