When my opponent did not go into a Jerome Gambit, I patiently waited for him to play "extra" moves until we transposed. It turned out that my "extra" moves "disappeared," while his actually helped him out a little bit.
perrypawnpusher - Octv
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 a6
This seems to rule out a Jerome Gambit, but maybe not. I've been able to turn things Jerome-ish before: see "Suddenly...Poof!", "Haunted by the Jerome Gambit", "Brawl" and "Long Lost Cousins & Perfect Strangers" for examples.
4.0-0
The updated New Year's Database has a couple of games by Bill Wall where he played 4.Nc3 instead, responding to 4...b5 with 5.Bxf7+: 5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Ke8 (6...Nxe5 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qxe5 Bg7 9.Qd5+ Ke8 10.Qxa8 Black resigned, Wall,B - Dinghy, 1998) 7.d4 d6 8.Nxc6 Qd7 9.d5 Ne7 10.Nd4 Bb7 11.Qf3 c5 12.dxc6 Nxc6 13.Nxc6 Bxc6 14.0-0 Be7 15.Rd1 Rf8 16.Qh5+ Rf7 17.Qxh7 b4 18.Nd5 Bg5 19.Bxg5, Black resigned, Wall,B - Gonzalez, Chess.com, 2010
4...b5 5.Bb3 Nf6 6.Nc3
I was still holding out for some kind of Jerome Gambit, or I would have played 6.d4.
6...Bc5 7.Bxf7+
Here we go...
7...Kxf7 8.Nxe5+ Nxe5 9.d4 d6
Playing along the lines of the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit. The addition of ...a6 and ...b5 probably helps Black a bit by comparison.
10.dxc5 dxc5 11.Qe2 Bb7 12.Bg5 h5
At first I thought this was a mouse-slip for 12...h6, but it turned out that Black was planning to put a Knight on g4 and look for "Fishing Pole" style options (h3 followed by hxg4 would be answered with ...hxg4, opening the Rook's file).
13.Rad1 Qe7 14.f4 Neg4
15.e5 Nd7
An oversight.
Afterwards Rybka suggested 15...c4 16.exf6 Qxe2 17.Nxe2 Nxf6 with about an even game.
16.Bxe7 Black resigned
Bill Wall's adventures with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and other Jerome-ish openings continue with two short games that probably left his opponents stunned.
Hi Rick,
Got the file [New Year's Database] and unzipped it. Looks great. Here is what I played this evening
Wall - Surr
Chess.com, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening.
I like to castle here, but Bill preferred developing another piece.
4.Nc3 Nd4
Uh-oh... Playing the Blackburne Shilling Gambit a move down? That's just asking for the Improved Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit!
5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Ke8
In all fairness, Rybka suggests that the game is equal after 6...Ke6 7.f4 Nf6 8.Ne2 Nxe2 9.Qxe2 Rg8 10.0-0 Ke7 11.d4 Qe8 12.Qc4 Kd8 13.f5 – but would you want to play Black?
analysis diagram
After the text move, Black doesn't have to either.
7.Qh5+ Ke7 8.Qf7+ Kd6 9.Nc4+ Kc5 10.b4+ Kxb4 11.Ba3 checkmate
A couple of days later Bill played this one.
Wall,B - GuestDLNJ
blitz 15 0, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 a6
4.Bxf7+
An earlier game saw Bill be a bit more patient – until he was provoked past his limit: 4.Nc3 b5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qxe5 Bg7 9.Qd5+ Ke8 10.Qxa8 Black resigned, Wall,B -Dinghy, Internet, 1998
4...Kxf7 5.0-0 h6
6.Nc3 Nd4
Again, I cannot see the attraction of this kind of move. Certainly simple development will keep Black's advantage. (For 6...Nf6 see perrypawnpusher - EAB, blitz FICS, 2010.)
7.Nxe5+ Ke8
If instead 7...Kf6 then 8.Qh5 and if 8...Nxc2 then 9.Qf5+ Ke7 10.Ng6+ Ke8 11.Qxf8 checkmate; or 7...Ke6 8.Ng6.
The text allows mate.
8.Qh5+ Ke7 9.Qf7+ Kd6 10.Nc4+ Kc6
Or 10...Kc5 11.Qd5+ Kb4 12.a3 checkmate
analysis diagram
11.Qd5 checkmate
