A-Maze-Ing

In the following game Bill Wall changes up his Jerome Gambit attack, playing 6.d4, the favorite move, at first, of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome. Can his opponent follow him through the maze?

Wall,B - Guest4060198 
PlayChess.com, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 

6...Qf6

The more straight-forward 6...Bxd4 was seen in Wall,B - berserkergang, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 21) and Wall,B - Guest903719, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 47), as well as the seminal Jerome,A - Shinkman,W, 1876, (½-½, 42).

The trickier 6...Bb4+ was seen in Wall,B - ChrSav, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 11);  Wall,B - Caynaboos, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 26); Wall,B - ChessFlower, PlayChess.com, 2012 (27);  and Wall,B - Boris, SparkChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 31).

The questionable 6...Nf3+ was seen in Wall,B - Guest151963, PlayChess.com, 2011 (1-0,17).

6...Qh4, probably Black's strongest reply, was seen in Wall,B - Rajiv, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 33); Wall,B - Gorodetsky,D, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 18); and Wall,B - felineMMXI, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0,18).

7.dxc5 Ne7 8.0-0 Rf8 9.Nc3 c6 

Black would do better to follow through on his plan to castle-by-hand: 9...Kg8 10.f4 Nf7. The problem seems to be that he is trying to do too many good things at once - play ...Qf6, safeguard his King, hit back in the center with ...d5.

10.f4 N5g6 11.Be3 d5? 12.cxd6 Ng8 

The "Jerome Pawns" are a scary sight.

13.d7 Rd8

A bit better (but not much) was 13...Bxd7 14.Qxd7+ N6e7.

14.dxc8/Q Raxc8 15.Qh5

Threatening 16.f5. White is up two pawns, with the initiative. 

15...Kf8 16.e5 Qf7 17.f5 Nxe5 18.Bc5+ Ne7 19.Qxh7 Qf6 20.Ne4 Qh6 21.Qxh6 gxh6 22.f6 Black resigned

No matter how he struggles, Black is going to lose a piece and a Rook. Amazing.

Running Into A Wall

Here's the latest Jerome Gambit game from Bill Wall, reminding us all that our opponents may often be unwilling or unable to understand what is happening and thus find preparing a defense to be too much of a challenge.

Wall,B - ChrSav
FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4

6...Bb4+

I was surprised to see over 100 examples of this move in The Database. Most adventurous is 6...Qh4.

7.c3 Be7 8.dxe5 Nh6

Fritz8 now happily informs me that White can force a draw by repetition with 9.Qh5+ Kg8 (or 9...Kf8) 10.Bxh6 gxh6 11.Qxh6 followed by a lot of Queen checks.

Not surprisingly, Bill wants more.

9.Qf3+ Ke6

Wow.

White pretty much has the same drawing chances after 9...Kg8 and 9...Ke8, but all other responses – including the text – lose for Black.

10.Bxh6 gxh6 11.Qf5 checkmate

It is fun to point out that Black's last chance at defense, 10...Qf8, is met with 11.Qd3 and the Bishop is still poison as 11...gxh6 allows the mirror mate 12.Qd5. Of course, after something rational like 11...d6 12.exd6 Bxd6 White retreats his Bishop with 13.Be3 and remains two pawns ahead with a much safer King.