The fate of Black's b-pawn overshadows much of the following game. It never falls - but the defender's attention is distracted enough that White makes progress elsewhere and slowly overwhelms the position.
Wall, Bill - Guest173767
PlayChess.com, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5 d6 8.Qd5+
8...Ke8
Yes, Black can offer the b-pawn with 8...Be6. This was seen in Wall, Bill - CheckMe, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 23) and Wall,B - Guest249301, PlayChess.com 2013 (1-0, 30).
There are other ways to decline:
8...Ke7 as in Wall,B - Guest4395, Internet, 2001 (1-0, 18) and Wall,B - Guest3157671, PlayChess.com, 2014 (1-0, 28); and
8...Kf8, Wall,B - Chung,J., Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 25).
9.d3
Or 9.d4 as in Wall,B - Am53, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 14) and Wall,B - Guest7665109, PlayChess.com, 2019 (1-0, 22).
9...h6
Or 9...c6 in Wall,B - Seven11, Chess.com, 2008 (1-0, 51).
10.O-O c6 11.Qb3 Qf6
12.Nc3 b5
Still worrying about the b-pawn possibly falling to the enemy Queen.
13.a4 Rb8 14.axb5 cxb5 15.Rxa7 Be6
Can you feel it? The weather is changing...
16.Qb4 Bd7 17.Nd5 Qf8 18.Nc7+ Ke7 19.f4
Black resigned
Black is feeling the Rook's pressure along the 7th rank, and will soon face more uncomfortable line-opening with e4-e5, plus the annoying f4-f5. It is all too much.
In the following game, Black leaps upon what he considers an error by White, only to find that he has attacked thin air, while, on the other side of the board, he allows a deadly attack!
Wall,B - Guest1468045
PlayChess.com, 02.04.2015
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5 d6 8.Qc3
A similar position including the "nudge", after 7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qc3 was seen in Wall,B - Boris, SparkChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 32), Wall,B -Guest4149739, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 30) and Wall,B - Guest428245, PlayChess.com, 2014 (1-0, 20).
The alternative, 8.Qd5+, looking for mischief, was seen in Wall,B-Guest4395, Microsoft Internet Gaming Zone, 2001 (1-0, 18); Wall,B - Seven11, Chess.com, 2008 (1-0, 51); Wall,B - Chung,J, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 25); Wall, Bill - CheckMe, www.Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 23); and Wall, Bill - Guest249301, playchess.com, 2013 (1-0, 30).
8...Nf6 9.d3 Re8
10.0-0 h6 11.f4 Kg8 12.Nd2 c6
Houdini rates Black about a half point better here; while Stockfish sees Black as maybe nine-tenths of a pawn better. That's plenty for White to work with.
13.b4!?
Bill and I have exchanged emails about this move. I like it - a lot. It reminds me both of the comment attributed to Bobby Fischer - "I don't believe in psychology, I believe in strong moves" - and one by Nimzovich - that a particular move was strong, because it appeared weak...
Notice how Black jumps all over the move. Notice how Black loses.
13...Qb6+ 14.Kh1 Ng4 15.Bb2 Re7
As Bill points out, Black pauses for some defense: not 15...Nf2+? 16.Rxf2 Qxf2?? 17.Qxg7#
16.d4
Likewise, avoiding 16.Qc4+? Be6 17.Qd4 Ne3.
16...a5
Here we go again: attacking the White b-pawn.
17.Qg3
Which White abandons!
17...Qxb4
Black has the pawn in the bag, and forks two of White's pieces. What's not to like?
18.Bc3
Bill was aware of 18.f5? Qxb2 19.Qxg4 Qxd4 20.Qxg6 Qxd2.
18...Qb5 19.f5
We will come back to this position.
19...Bxf5
This looks like the beginning of panic. Black's Knights are at risk.
20.Rxf5 N4e5 21.dxe5 Nxe5 22.Raf1 Rae8
Collapse.
23.Bxe5 dxe5 24.Qg6 Qe2 25.Rf7 Rxf7 26.Rxf7 Qe1+ 27.Nf1 Re7 28.Qxg7 checkmate
Going back to the diagram after White's 19th move let's ask: What would have happened if Black had admitted that his "advantage" had evaporated, that his "right to attack" had therefore disappeared, and he had retreated with 19...Nf6?
As I had emailed Bill
Funny how 19...Nf6, admitting Black's mistake, would have mostly set things to rights.. : 20.Qxg6 Qxb4 21.e5 Nd5 22.Nb3 a4 23.f5! Bxf5 24.Rxf5 axb3 25.c3! Nxc3 26.exd6 Re2 27.d7! Nd5 28.Raf1 Re1! 29.axb3 Ne3 30.Bc3! Qxc3 31.Rf7 Rxf1+ 32.Rxf1 Nxf1 (what else?) 33.Qe8+ Rxe8 34.dxe8/Q+ Kh7 35.Qe4+ and it was a draw, after all... But even in this line White has almost all of the fun!
Many people play the Jerome Gambit for a very simple, straight-forward reason: it is fun. Imagine how much enjoyment Bill experienced in the following game, where he delivers wreckage and ruin upon the enemy King.
Wall, Bill - Guest3157671
PlayChess.com, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5
Of course, 7.Qd5+, "the nudge", is also played by Bill:
Wall,B - Quack, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 22)
Wall, B - Vijay, V, Chess.com, 2010, (1-0, 22)
Wall,B - LC, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 20)
Wall,B - guest154187, PlayChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 22)
Wall,B - Boris, SparkChess.com 2012 (1-0, 32)
Wall,B - Guest4149739, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 30)
Wall, B - guest3797656, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 40)
Wall, B - guest392045, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 33)
Wall,B - Guest198654, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 21)
Wall, B - Guest428245, PlayChess.com, 2014 (1-0,20)
7...d6 8.Qd5+
Ah, "Nudge 2.0", another Wall specialty.
8...Ke7
Or 8...Ke8 as in Wall,B - Seven11, Chess.com, 2008 (1-0, 51)
Or 8...Kf8 as in Wall,B - Chung,J, Chess.com 2010 (1-0, 25).
Or 8...Be6 as in Wall, B - CheckMe, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 23) and Wall,B - Guest249301,PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 30).
9.O-O
Or 9.d3 as in Wall,B - Guest4395, Internet, 2001 (1-0, 18).
9... Nf6
10.Qg5 Be6
Despite the awkward placement of his King, Black is feeling comfortable with his lead in development. All he has to do is take care of that pesky White Queen, and it will be smooth sailing, he reassures himself.
11.f4 Bf7 12.d4
Indeed, and how can White expect to prevail when he is only moving his Queen and his pawns? (Ah, the eternal Jerome Gambit question!)
12...h6 13.Qg3
Bill suggests 13.Qb5 and 13.Qf5 as alternate possibilities.
13...Re8
It looks risky for Black, but Bill's suggestion of 13...Nxe4 14.Qe1 d5 15.f5 Nf8 has merit.
14.f5 Nf8
This position reminds me of the kind of thing that my old "Chess Challenger 7" computer used to do - leave its King in the center of the board, surround it by pieces, and consider the position to be good. Often it would continue with the advance of a Rook pawn.
15.e5
Of course, Bill advances his "Jerome pawns" and plans to open up the center to get at the enemy King.
15...dxe5
Things are already dire for the defender, as Bill points out: 15...Nh5 16.Qh4+ Nf6 17.Bxh6 and 15...Nd5 16.Qxg7.
16.dxe5 Nd5
Or, fast and furious, any of the following: 16...Nh5 17.Qa3+ Kd7 18.Rd1+ or 16...Qd4+ 17.Be3 or 16...Ne4 17.Qh4+ Kd7 18.Qxe4.
17.Qxg7 Nd7 18.e6
18...N7f6 19.exf7 Rf8 20.Re1+ Kd6
21.c4 Nb6 22.Rd1+ Kc5 23.Rxd8 Raxd8 24.Be3+
As the loss of Black's Queen is not enough to cause him to strike his colors, Bill brings out some more pieces to enforce checkmate. Bill also notes that 24.Qxf6 leads to mate as well.
24...Kxc4 25.Na3+ Kd3 26.Bxh6 Ne4 27. Rd1+ Ke2 28. Qg4 checkmate
It is always a good idea to keep track of who is the predator, and who is the prey. Witness the following game.
Wall, Bill - Guest249301
PlayChess.com, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5
Passing on playing his usual 7.Qd5+, the "nudge".
7...d6 8.Qd5+ Be6 9.Qxb7 Ne5
With 8...Be6, Black showed his skepticism about White's Queen moves, investing a pawn to back up his belief that the first player shouldn't be wasting time moving Her Majesty. Now he plans to play cat-and-mouse with his Knight, as the text move is the start of a plan to evict White's Queen from Black's position. I am reminded for the umpteenth time of the comment, Don't try to out-think me, just play the refutation.
Better was 9...Nh4, as in Wall, Bill - CheckMe, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 23).
10.f4
10.d4 was also playable, e.g. 10...Ng6 11.f4 with a balanced game.
10...Nd7 11.O-O Nc5 12.Qb4
Bill notes that 12.Qc6? Bc4 13.Rf3 Ne7 would trap the Queen.
12...a5 13.Qd4 Nf6 14.f5
Or 14.e5 dxe5 15.Qxc5.
14...Bd7 15.e5 Nfe4 16.e6+
Instead, 16.d3 traps the knight.
16...Ke8 17. exd7+ Qxd7 18.d3 Nf6
White has won his piece back, and has a couple extra pawns - plus lines of attack to Black's King.
19.Nc3 Kd8 20.Bg5 Kc8 21.Rae1 Re8 22.Bxf6 gxf6 23.Rxe8+ Qxe8 24.Qxf6
Black's King will get to safety, but the cost in material is too much.
24...Qe3+ 25.Kh1 Kb7 26.Nd5 Qe2 27.Kg1 Qxc2 28.Qe7 Nxd3 29.Qe4
No 29.Qxh7? Qc5+! and Black will mate! Instead, White has a nice tactic to share with his opponent.
29...Qc5+ 30.Ne3+ Black resigned.
The Knight is lost.
The following game is a titanic struggle and monumental effort by both parties. White's early Queen moves prompt his opponent to try to punish them. Before a couple of dozen moves are past, an unbalanced (but balanced) endgame presents itself, and the game is not yet half over.
Bill Wall's endgame play is worth studying by any Jerome Gambiteer who suspects that he might not win all his games by first round knockout.
Wall,B (2000) - Seven11
Chess.com, 2008
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qxc5 d6 8.Qd5+
A different way to "put the question to the Bishop." Does Black want to play 8...Be6 and allow 9.Qxb7, ?
In three previous games, Bill's opponents have answered no, no, and yes with 8...Ke7 (Wall - Guest 4395, Microsoft Internet Gaming Zone, 2001 [1-0, 18]), 8...Kf8 (Wall - Chung, Chess.com, 2010 [1-0, 25]) and 8...Be6 (Wall - CheckMe, Chess.com, 2010 [1-0, 23]). - Rick
8...Ke8
9.d3 c6 10.Qb3 Nf6 11.0-0 Qe7 12.Nc3 Be6 13.Qa4 b5 14.Qa6 Qc7 15.Be3 Ke7 16.f4 Bc8 17.Qa3 c5
Black's play against White's Queen has been quite aggressive (13...b5!?, 15...Ke7!?, 16...Bc8!?) and although White may "objectively" have a whisper of an advantage in the diagrammed position (at least if it is Houdini 3 doing the whispering) the game is tense and complicated.
18.Nxb5
The natural move that White wants to make, and that Black wants him to make.
The un-natural (read: computer) move is 18.e5!? when 18...b4 19.exf6+ Kf7 20.Qb3+ Be6 21.Nd5 Qb7 22.c4 Bxd5 23.cxd5 gxf6 would be a mess, but, perhaps, a White-tinged mess.
18...Qc6 19.Nxa7 Qb7 20.Nxc8+ Rhxc8
White now has four pawns for his sacrificed piece, but Black's pressure on the Queenside is substantial.
Black's goal is to recover some material. Whit'es goal is to move into an endgame where he has the prospects of converting a pawn.
21.Qc3 Qb4 22.f5 Qxc3 23.bxc3 Ne5
24.Bf4 Kd7 25.Bxe5 dxe5 26.a4 Ra5 27.Rfb1 Rc7 28.Rb5 Rca7
Houdini 3 says that 28...Rxb5 29.axb5 c4 30.Ra3 Kd6 31.Ra6+ Kc5 32.Re6 cxd3 33.cxd3 Kxb5 34.Rxe5+ Ka4 would also be equal,
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| analysis diagram |
but wouldn't you rather have White?
29.c4
Bill suggests 29.Rxa5 Rxa5 30.h3 as an alternative.
29...Kc6
Likewise, Bill points out that 29...Rxa4 30.Rxa4 Rxa4 31.Rb7+ Ke8 32.Rxg7 Ra1+ 33.Kf2 Rc1 34.Kf3 Rxc2 would get rid of the annoying a-pawn and keep Black's remaining Rook active.
30.Rxa5 Rxa5 31.Kf2 Nh5?!
Getting active on the Kingside, and thus keeping White's King there. Bill prefers that Black shift his King over that way.
32.g4 Nf6 33.g5 Nh5
Not 33...Ng4+? 34.Kf3 Nxh2+ 35.Kg3 and the greedy Knight is trapped; while if 33...Nd7 then 34.h4.
34.Ke3 Nf4
White still has all of his pawns.
35.f6?!
Perhaps a bit precipitate. Bill prefers 35.h4 h5 36.gxh6 gxh6 37.c3.
35...g6?
Better: 35...gxf6 36.gxf6 Kd6 and still a game in balance.
36.c3?!
Better, too, to move the King to prepare to advance his h-pawn, 36.Kf3 Ne6 37.Kg4.
36...Nh3
Or 36...Ng2+ 37.Kf3 Nf4 38.d4 cxd4 39.cxd4 Nh3 40.dxe5 Nxg5+ 41.Kf4
37.d4
There is not much more in 37.Rf1 Ra8 38.a5 Nxg5 39.a6.
37...exd4+ 38.cxd4 cxd4+ 39.Kxd4 Nxg5
White now has four (!) passed pawns, and the easier game to play, but, to be fair to his opponent, the game is still even.
40.h4 Ne6+
There is no more in 40...Nf3+ 41.Kc3 Nxh4 42.f7 Ra8 43.a5 g5 44.a6 Ng6 45.a7 g4 46.Kc4 g3 47.Ke3 g2 48.Kf2 Ne5.
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| analysis diagram |
41.Kc3 Nc5
Bill points out that shifting defenders doesn't accomplish much: 41...Re5 42.a5 Rxe4 43.a6 Nc7 44.Rf1.
42.f7
Nothing more is available from 42.e5 Nd7 43.f7 Rxe5.
42...Ra8 43.Rf1
Or 43.e5 Kd7 44.Rf1 Rf8.
43...Nxe4+??
Black gobbles a poison pawn (with check). Who can blame him? He needed the patience to find 43...Rf8 44.e5 Kd7 45.Kd4 Ne6+ 46.Kd5 Ke7 47.c5 Rd8+ 48.Kc4 Rc8 49.Kb4 Kf8, when White's energy exhausts itself, e.g. 50.a5 Nxc5 51.Kb5 Ne6 52.Rd1 Kxf7 53.Rd7+ Kg8 54.Rd6 Re8 55.Kb6 Nd8 56.a6 Nf7 57.Rd5 Nxe5 58.a7 Re6+ and Black's checks will keep White's last dangerous pawn from Queening. Whew!
44.Kd4 Rf8
Bill gives this move a "?", but after the alternative 44...Ng3 45.f8Q Rxf8 46.Rxf8 Nf5+ 47.Kc3 Nxh4 48.a5 White is more than just the exchange ahead. His a-pawn will cost Black his Knight, and his Rook can feast on the remaining two Black pawns long before they become threats to Queen.
45.Kxe4 Kc5
46.a5 Kxc4 47.a6 Kb5 48.a7 Kb6 49.Ra1 Ra8 50.Rb1+ Kc6 51.Rb8 Black resigned
The other day Bill Wall told me that there were 5 Jerome Gambit games (out of over 4.8 million) in the new Big Database 2011 from ChessBase. It turns out that 2 of them were unknown to me. Here's one.
Kitzler,G - Schloeffel,C
Karl Mala Memorial FICS, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qxc5
Instead of this direct capture, I prefer the "nudge" 7.Qd5+ which usually pushes Black's King to the back rank, where it can interfere with the development of his King Rook. It costs me an extra tempo, but Black returns it with a later ...Kf7 or ...Ke7.
7...d6 8.Qd5+
I suppose that this move could be a "nudge 2.0" as it either moves Black's King, or the Queen's check is blocked by Black's light-squared Bishop, which in turn makes the b7 pawn available for capture.
How good is the move? Well, there are 127 games with it in The Database, and White scores only 37%. On the other hand, the move has been played by Jerome Gambit stalwarts blackburne, AAlekhine and Bill Wall, and was chosen by computers Crafty 19.19 and Yace Paderborn in their games against RevvedUp.
8...Be6 9.Qxb7
Black willingly gives up the pawn and White happily takes it. At least one of them apparently remembers what happens to one who takes the Queen's Knight pawn...
As in many Jerome Gambit positions, Black is "objectively" better, but if White can consolidate his position (he is behind in development and his King is not safe) then in casual or club games White's extra 3 pawns may be able to balance out Black's extra piece.
9...Nf4
Two other possibilities:
9...Nf6 10.d4 Re8 11.Nc3 Qc8 12.Qb5 Bd7 13.Qd3 Nxe4 14.0-0 Kg8 15.Bg5 Nxg5 16.Rae1 c6 17.Qc4+ d5 18.Qd3 Rxe1 19.Rxe1 Bf5 20.Qd2 Ne4 21.Nxe4 Bxe4 22.f3 Bf5 23.g4 Bxg4 24.fxg4 Qxg4+ 25.Kh1 Nh4 26.Qe2 Qxe2 27.Rxe2 Rf8 28.h3 Kf7 29.Re3 Re8 30.Rxe8 Kxe8 31.c3 Ke7 32.Kg1 Ke6 33.Kf2 Kf5 34.Kg3 g5 35.a4 h5 36.b3 Ke4 37.Kf2 Kd3 White resigned, blackburne - meliam, ChessWorld, 2004; and
9...Nh4 10.0-0 Qg5 11.Qxc7+ Ne7 12.g3 Nf3+ 13.Kh1 Qh6 14.h4 Bh3 15.Rd1 Qe6 16.Qa5 Bf1 17.Qh5+ Ng6 18.Qxf3+ Kg8 19.Rxf1 Qh3+ 20.Kg1 Ne5 21.Qb3+ d5 22.Qxd5+ Nf7 23.Qxa8+ Black resigned, Wall - CheckMe, Chess.com, 2010.
Players who return to this line also need be aware of the unplayed 9...Qg5!? Trust me, the Black Rook on a8 is poisoned. White has to try 10.g3.
10.0-0
This move seems prudent, but it actually opens up Pandora's box. White had to find 10.Rg1 and hold on, as Black has both quiet and wacky responses (try 10...Bd5!?) to try to increase his advantage.
10...Bh3
Okay, take a deep breath.
Black, as is the case in many Jerome Gambit games, has missed the killing stroke 10...Qg5, as 11.g3 causes horrible weaknesses on the white squares around White's King, i.e. 11...Ne2+ and 12...Qh5.
Instead, Black has gone in for flash (taking the Bishop now leads to a quick mate), and that means White has an extra chance. He should try 11.Qb3+, hoping for something like 11...d5 12.d4 Qg5 13.Qg3 Ne2+ 14.Kh1 Nxg3+ 15.fxg3+ Qf6 16.Rxf6+ Nxf6 17.gxh3 Nxe4 when White has two pawns for the exchange and Black will have to work for a win.
After 11.Qb3+ Ke8 12.Qb5+ White should probably exchange Queens if he has the opportunity and otherwise work on his development, again hoping that his 3 extra pawns will come to his rescue.
11.e5
Opening the route to g2 for his Queen, but now his game completely collapses. It is probably time to draw the curtain on this tragedy.
11...Bxg2 12.Qb3+ Bd5 13.e6+ Kf8 14.Re1 Bxb3 15.e7+ Nxe7 16.axb3 Nf5 17.Kh1 Nh3 18.d3 Qh4 19.Rf1 Nxf2+ 20.Kg2 Re8 21.Rxf2 Qg4+ 22.Kf1 Qh3+ 23.Rg2 Qf3+ White resigned
White's undeveloped Queenside tells the tale.
graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the WizardofDraws
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