Bill Wall's latest Jerome Gambit is the stuff of nightmares - for his opponent. Toward the end of the game, checkmate threats abound. I have given in the notes some that Bill has mentioned, but you might want to test yourself and see what you can find. Take a look. Wall, Bill - Tsyalex PlayChess.com, 2015 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
So far, a routine Jerome Gambit position, appearing 221 times in The Database, starting with Charlick - Mann, corr, 1881 (1-0, 72). 9...Qf6 10.O-O An alternate is 10.d3, from Wall,B - G3LC, PlayChess.com, 2011, which I have mentioned before, but not given the moves to, so I will do so now:10...Nh6 11.Nc3 Ng4 12.Qg3 h5 13.h4 Rf8 14.Nd5 Qxf2+ 15.Qxf2 Nxf2 16.Rf1 Ng4 17.Nxc7+ Kd7 18.Nxa8 Rxf1+ 19.Kxf1 b6 20.Bg5 Bb7 21.Nxb6+ axb6 22.a4 Black resigned 10...Bd7 11.d4 N8e7 12.f4 Qh4 13.c4 Rf8
A (pawn) storm is coming, and Black begins to think about shelter for his King (by castling-by-hand). 14.f5 Nh8 15.b4 Nf7 More prudent might have been 15... Kf7. 16.a4
You have to know that this is going to end poorly for Black, even with his lead in development. It reminds me of "Gimme Shelter" by the Rolling Stones: Oh, a storm is threat'ning My very life today If I don't get some shelter Oh yeah, I'm gonna fade away 16...Rh8 17.Nc3 c6 18.c5 Kd8
Maybe the King will be safer on the Queenside?! I don't think so. Bill gives a couple of alternatives: 18...dxc5 19.bxc5; and 18...d5 19.Rf4 Qh6 20.exd5. 19. cxd6 Nxd6 20. Qd3 Kc721.Bf4 g5
Black works on his counter-attack, but it does not distract Bill. 22.Bxd6+ Kxd6 23.d5 cxd5 24.f6 Ng6 No 24...Nc6, as Bill points out: 25.Nb5+ Ke5 (25...Ke6 26.Qxd5#) 26.Qxd5 checkmate. 25. Nb5+ Bxb5 Avoiding Bill's 25...Kc6 26.Qxd5+ Kb6 27.Qc5+ Ka6 28.Nc7 checkmate. 26.Qxd5+ Kc7 27.axb5 Rad8
Despite what different masters are reported to have said, it is not true that "Chess Is Life". Sometimes it appears that "life" is what keeps us busy, and occasionally from playing chess, though... perrypawnpusher - mnoori blitz, FICS, 2014 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
In this kind of position, I usually see things differently during the game than Houdini sees afterwards. I think "tactics" and play f4-f5, "kicking" Black's Knight, hoping to chase him to e5 when I can "kick" it again with d2-d4. Houdini "thinks" "position" and chooses d2-d4 instead, suggesting that Black respond to a later f4-f5 by withdrawing his Knight to g8. 13.f5 Ne5
In all fairness, had my opponent played 13...Nf8 here instead, I would have followed up with 14.d4. 14.d4 Nc4
My opponent prefers to play actively, but14...N5c6 was probably better, with and edge to Black. 15.Qd3 b5
I was pretty sure during the game that Houdini would want me now to play 16.a4, but I couldn't figure out what would be wrong with Black simply defending with 16...c6. After the game Houdini showed me 17.e5 dxe5 18.Ne4!? with a sharp attack - good for you, Readers, who figured that out!
I was unhappy with the possibility of 16.a4 b4 as well, although, again, after the game Houdini said "no worries" after 17.Nb5 Bxb5 18.axb5 and White will eventually capture the pawn at b4. Well, okay... 16.b3 Nb6
After the game Houdini again pointed out that if 16...b4, White would have the familiar 17.e5 dxe5 18.Ne4!? I think I would have answered 16...b4 with 17.bxc4 bxc3 18.Qxc3 and been happy with my broad pawn center. 17.Nxb5
At this point my opponent seems to have disappeared, and Black forfeited on time. Quite likely, "life" intruded; I hope nothing bad.
Instead, after 17...Bxb5 18.Qxb5+ Nd7 19.Bb2 White would have a comfortable game, with three pawns for his sacrificed piece, and possibly a small edge.
It is said that "variety is the spice of life."
While a defender may know that Bill Wall is going to play the Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, he certainly will not know what variation Bill is going to spring upon him. Wall,B - Guest2360621 PlayChess.com, 2013 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qa3
This is the 6th different Queen move that Bill has played in this position. As he notes, "I try to make a new move every time when I can, to see what happens. The Queen can probably go anywhere as long as it is not taken or trapped." Previously, 9.Qe3 - Wall,B - Parsom, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 25); Wall,B - HeHe, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 19); Wall,B - Reza,A, Chess.com, 2011 (1-0, 43); Wall,B - G3LC, PlayChess.com, 2011 (1-0, 22); Wall,B - Guest3312852, PlayChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 26); 9.Qh5 - Wall,B - Guest1475978, Sofia, 2013(1-0, 28); 9.Qb5+ - Wall,B - Zhu,Y, Chess.com, 2011 (1-0, 19); Wall,B - Guest327668, PlayChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 22); 9.Qc4 - Wall,B - Royercordova, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0,18); 9.Qc3 - Wall,B - NFTM, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 22); Wall,B - Jaar,J, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 19).
For the record, Houdini 3, given 10 minutes "thought" for "infinite analysis", prefers 9.Qe3 (-.92), followed by 9.Qc3 (-1.17) and 9.Qb5+ (-1.29). 9...Nf6
The current game is the only one in The Database with this line. Bill suggests as an alternative 9...Qh4. 10.0-0 Be6
Not 10...Nxe4? because of 11.Qa4+. 11.f4 Bf7 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Nc6 14.d5
Bill suggests as well the alternative 14.Qd3 14...Ne5
Threatening 21.Bxf6+, winning the knight. Now Black could keep things in balance with 20...Nxd5, but the threatened discovered check is too uncomfortable. 20...Kd8 21.Bxf6+ Kc8 22.Bxg7
A little stronger might be Bill's suggestion 22.Re7 22...Rg8 23.f6
Threatening Re7 23...Nxd5 24.Qd4 Qd6 25.c4 bxc4 26.bxc4 Nb6
A bit better was 26...Nb4, threatening ...Nc2, winning the Rook, although White is still better after 27.Qxd6 cxd6 28.Nc3. 27.Qxd6 cxd6 28.Re7
28...Bxc4 29.f7 Bxf7 30.Rxf7 Nd7
The advanced "Jerome pawn" has cost Black a piece. 31.a4 Kc7 32.a5 Kc6 33.Na3 Nc5 34.Nc2 Rab8 35.Nd4+ Kd5
Black threatens 36...Rxg7 37.Rxg7 Kxd4 36.Nf5 Ne4 37.Rxa7
Threatening Ne7+, forking King and Rook, but Black had enough here and resigned.
