You sit down to a game of chess, you are planing on using the Jerome Gambit - but your opponent opts to play the Two Knights Defense. What to do?
We have looked at this dilemma a number of times in the past (see, for example, "Jerome Gambit vs Two Knights Defense", parts 1, 2, 3 and 4).
The following game and its notes show that sometimes giving Black a "second chance" can return the game to desired channels. The focus is upon the games of a player who has dealt with this issue many times.
Wall, Bill - Guest165295
PlayChess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6
4.O-O Bc5
Well, that's more like it. Black's Bishop comes to the party after all.
5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+
Bill has also tried 6.d3: 6...Kg8 (6... Rf8 7. Nc3 Kg8 8. Bg5 h6 9. Bxf6 Qxf6 10. Nd5 Qg6 11. c3 d6 12. b4 Bb6 13. b5 Nd8 14. Ne7+ Kf7 15. Nxg6 Black resigned, Wall,B - Munoz,C, Chess.com, 2010) 7. c4 d6 8. Be3 Bxe3 9. fxe3 Be6 10. Qb3 Na5 11. Qa4 Nc6 12. Nc3 a5 13. Ng5 Bd7 14. c5 Nb4 15. Qb3+ d5 16. exd5 Kf8 17. d6 Qe8 18. Nce4 cxd6 19. cxd6 Qg6 20. Rac1 Ke8 21. Rc7 Nfd5 22. Rxd7 Kxd7 23. Qc4 Nxe3 24. Qc7+ Ke8 25. Qe7 checkmate, Wall,B - KRM, Chess.com, 2010.
6...Nxe5
For completeness sake we have to mention 6...Ke7 7.d4 Bb6 8.Be3 Re8 9.Nxc6+ dxc6 10.e5 Nd5 11.Bg5+ Nf6 12.exf6+ gxf6 13.Re1+ Kf8 14.Rxe8+ Kxe8 15.Qh5+ Kf8 16.Qh6+ Kg8 17.Bxf6 Qf8 18.Qg5+ Kf7 19.Nc3 Qg8 20.Qe5 Be6 21.Ne4 h6 22.Re1 Re8 23.Bh4 Qg6 24.Re3 Bd7 25.Rf3+ Kg8 26.Nf6+ Qxf6 27.Rg3+ Kh7 28.Bxf6 Bxd4 29.Rg7+ Kh8 30.Rxd7+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest371199, PlayChess.com, 2017
7.d4
The position is beginning to look like a "regular" Jerome Gambit position, if we go ahead and now add 7...Bxd4, transposing, i.e. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 Nf6 8.0-0
Sometimes Black did play 7...Bxd4, e.g. 8.Qxd4 Re8 (8...Qe7 9.Nc3 c6 10.f4 Ng6 11.e5 Ne8 12.Ne4 b6 13.f5 Nxe5 14.Bg5 c5 15.Qd5+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest850136, PlayChess.com, 2017 or 8...d6 9.Nc3 [9.Bf4 Be6 10.Nc3 Re8 11.Rad1 Nc6 12.Qd2 Bg4 13.f3 Bh5 14.Nd5 Nxd5 15.Qxd5+ Kf8 16.Qxh5 Kg8 17.Qd5+ Kh8 18.c4 Nb4 19.Qb5 a5 20.a3 Nc2 21.Rf2 Qf6 22.Bg5 Nd4 23.Qxe8+ Rxe8 24.Bxf6 Nxf3+ 25.Rxf3 gxf6 26.Rxf6 Rxe4 27.c5 Re2 28.Rf7 Rxb2 29.cxd6 Kg8 30.Rxc7 Kf8 31.d7 Black resigned, Wall,B -Guest3687203, PlayChess.com, 2015] 9...Be6 10.f4 Nc6 11.Qd3 Re8 12.f5 Ne5 13.fxe6+ Rxe6 14.Qh3 Ke7 15.Bg5 Qg8 16.Nd5+ Kd8 17.Bxf6+ gxf6 18.Nxf6 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest547388, PlayChess.com, 2017) 9.Nc3 d6 10.Bf4 Kg8 11.Rad1 Qe7 12.f3 c6 13.Qxd6 Qxd6 14.Rxd6 Nf7 15.Rd2 b6 16.Kf2 g5 17.Bg3 Nh5 18.Bd6 Ba6 19.Rfd1 Rac8 20.a4 Kg7 21.a5 Rcd8 22.axb6 axb6 23.Be5+ Rxe5 24.Rxd8 Nxd8 25.Rxd8 Nf6 26.Rb8 Nd7 27.Ra8 Bc4 28.Rc8 c5 29.Rc7 Re7 30.b3 Be6 31.Rb7 Kf6 32.Na4 c4 33.b4 Re8 34.Ke3 Ra8 35.Nxb6 Nxb6 36.Rxb6 Ra1 37.b5 Re1+ 38.Kd2 Rg1 39.g3 Rg2+ 40.Kc3 Rf2 41.Rb8 Rxf3+ 42.Kd4 Rf1 43.b6 Rb1 44.Kc5 Ke5 45.Re8 Rb2 46.c3 Rb3 47.g4 Kf6 48.h3 Ke5 49.Kc6 Rxc3 50.b7 Rb3 51.b8=Q+ Rxb8 52.Rxb8 c3 53.Rb1 Bxg4 54.hxg4 Kxe4 55.Kd6 c2 56.Rc1 Kd3 57.Ke7 Drawn, Wall,B - Guest128013, PlayChess.com, 2017.
7...Nxe4
Playable, as are several lines that Bill has faced (and one that is not):
7...d6 8.dxc5 dxc5 9.Qe2 Rf8 10.Bf4 Ng6 11.Bg3 Be6 12.Nc3 Kg8 13.h3 a6 14.a4 c6 15.a5 Qd4 16.Rfd1 Qb4 17.Qe3 c4 18.Bd6 Qxb2 19.Rab1 Qxc2 20.Bxf8 Rxf8 21.Rd2 Nd5 22.exd5 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest1193385, Play.Chess.com 2017;
7...Bd6 8.dxe5 Bxe5 9.f4 Bd4+ (9...Nxe4 10.fxe5+ Nf6 11.exf6 g6 12.Qd5+ Kf8 13.Bh6+ Ke8 14.f7+ Ke7 15.Qe5 checkmate, Wall,B - Marz, PlayChess.com 2014) 10.Qxd4 Re8 11.e5 Ng4 12.h3 Nh6 13.f5 Ng8 14.Nc3 c6 15.Ne4 Qb6 16.Ng5+ Kf8 17.Nxh7+ Ke7 18.f6+ gxf6 19.exf6+ Nxf6 20.Qxb6 axb6 21.Nxf6 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest293396, PlayChess.com, 2015;
7...Re8 8.dxc5 Kg8 (8...Nxe4 9.Qd5+ Kf8 10.Qxe4 d6 11.Qxh7 Be6 12.cxd6 Qxd6 13.Nc3 Bg8 14.Qf5+ Qf6 15.Qh5 Bf7 16.Qh8+ Ke7 17.Qh7 Kf8 18.Ne4 Qg6 19.Qh8+ Bg8 20.f3 Qb6+ 21.Kh1 Ng6 22.Qh5 Re5 23.Qg4 Bf7 24.b3 Kg8 25.Bb2 Re7 26.Ng5 Qc5 27.Nxf7 Kxf7 28.Bd4 Qc6 29.Qf5+ Kg8 30.Rad1 Rae8 31.c4 Re2 32.Bc3 b5 33.Rd7 R2e7 34.Rxe7 Rxe7 35.Qxb5 Qd6 36.Qb8+ Kh7 37.Qxa7 c5 38.Qa3 Re2 39.Qc1 Qd3 40.Qd1 Qxd1 41.Rxd1 Rc2 42.Bd2 Rxa2 43.Be3 Nh4 44.Bxc5 Nxg2 45.Bd4 Nh4 46.Rd3 Ng2 47.c5 Nf4 48.Rd1 Rc2 49.Be3 Ne6 50.Rd6 Nc7 51.b4 Nb5 52.Rd7 Rc3 53.Bg1 Rc1 54.Rb7 Nd4 55.Kg2 Ne6 56.b5 Nf4+ 57.Kg3 Ne2+ 58.Kf2 Nxg1 59.c6 Nh3+ 60.Kg3 Ng5 61.c7 Ne6 62.b6 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest6864060, PlayChess.com, 2016) 9.f4 Ng6 10.e5 Ne4 11.Qd5+ Kh8 12.Qxe4 Qh4 13.g3 Qh3 14.Nc3 Rb8 15.Nb5 b6 16.Nxc7 Bb7 17.Qe2 Rf8 18.Be3 Rbc8 19. Nb5 bxc5 20.Nd6 Rb8 21.Nxb7 Rxb7 22.Bxc5 Re8 23.b4 d6 24.Bxd6 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest7492034, PlayChess.com, 2014; and
7...Rf8 (too generous) 8.dxe5 Ne8 9.Qd5+ Kg6 10.Qxc5 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest848078, PlayChess.com, 2012
8.Qh5+ Ng6 9.Qd5+ Kf8 10.dxc5 Nf6 11.Qd4 Qe7
Black could also have tried 11...d5 12.Nc3 c6 13.Bg5 Kf7 14.Rae1 Rf8 15.Re2 Kg8 16.Rfe1 Bf5 17.f3 Qd7 18.g4 Nxg4 19.fxg4 Bxg4 20.Re7 Nxe7 21.Rxe7 Qf5 22.Qxg7 checkmate, Wall,B - Mydrik,M, PlayChess.com, 2015.
12.Nc3 c6 13.Be3
White develops and hopes to take advantage of Black's King's position. "Objectively" Black is still better, with a piece for a pawn; but the d-pawn blocking the Bishop which hems in the Rooks is always an ominous sign...
13...Ne5
Instead, 13...Qe5, looking to exchange Queens and reduce the danger of an attack on his King, might have been more prudent.
14.Rae1 Neg4
Black is spending too much time moving the Knight. Perhaps he can not find a plan of play. Stockfish 8 gives a subtle line that leads to an advantage (a pawn) for White, but which has plenty of play (Black has Bishop vs Knight and more central pawns): 14...b6 15.Bf4 Qxc5 16.Qxc5+ bxc5 17.Rxe5 Kf7 18.Rxc5 Re8 19.Be5 Bb7 20.Bxf6 Kxf6 21.f3 d6 22.Ne4+ Ke7 23.Rh5 h6 24.Rd1 Rad8 25.Ra5 a6 26.Kf2 c5 27.c3 g6 28.h3 Rf8 29.Nd2 Rf6 30.Nc4
15.Bf4
The benefit of pursuing development while the opponent dithers. White's Bishop not only exposes a Rook attack on the enemy Queen, it eyes the fantastic d6 square.
15...Nd5
The simplest response - 15...Qf7, withdrawing the Queen to a safe square - is the best, although then White would have the powerful 16.Bd6+ as a reply. In the excitement, Black seems to have forgotten about Her Majesty.
16.Nxd5 cxd5 17.Rxe7 Black resigned
Checkmate is coming.
Winning with the Jerome Gambit, as many posts here have shown, can be explosive and fun. It can, as we have also seen, be slow, difficult and demanding.
In the following game Bill Wall faces a prudent opponent who is in no hurry to self-destruct. This reticence works against the defender, however, when his best line requires boldly sacrificing material to initiate an attack. The moment passes - and Bill fights his way to victory.
Playing through this game and enjoy its lessons.
Wall,B - Albulus
PlayChess.com, 2015
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
White enters the Jerome Gambit via the Two Knights Game or a closed variation of the Giuoco Piano. In doing so, he transposes into a "modern" Jerome - one without 5.Nxe5.
5...Kxf7 6.0-0
If Black had tricked White, a proponent of the "classic" Jerome lines (with 5.Nxe5), into an unfamiliar area of chess theory, that might have been a plus. Ah, but Bill has been here, and near here, before. Alternatives include
6.Nc3 Ng4 7.Ng5+ Kg8 8.Qxg4 d6 9.Qf3 Nb4 10.Qf7 checkmate, Wall,B - Richard123, Chess.com, 2010; and
6.Be3 Bxe3 (6...Bb4+ see Wall,B - Westender, Chess.com, 2010 [1-0, 19] ) 7.fxe3 Rf8 8.0-0 Kg8 9.c4 d6 10.Nc3 Ng4 11.Qe2 Qe8 12.Nd5 Qd7 13.Nh4 Nf6 14.Rf2 Nxd5 15.Rxf8+ Kxf8 16.exd5 Ne7 17.Rf1+ Kg8 18.Qh5 b6 19.Qf7+ Kh8 20.Ng6+ hxg6 21.Qf8+ Kh7 22.Rf7 Bb7 23.Qxg7 checkmate, Wall,B - Hovo,D, Chess.com, 2010.
6...Re8
Alternatives Bill has faced include
6...h6 7.Nxe5+ (7.Be3 see Wall,B - Mukak, Chess.com, 2010 [1-0, 24] or 7.Nc3 Wall,B - Guest2622844, PlayChess.com, 2013 [1-0, 39]) 7...Nxe5 as in Wall,B - Lee,S, PlayChess.com, 2015, (1-0, 22);
6...Kg8 7.c4 as in Wall,B - KRM, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 25); and
6...Rf8 7.c3 Kg8 (7...d5 8.b4 Bb6 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.b5 Nce7 11.c4 Nf4 12.Bxf4 exf4 13.Nc3 Kg8 14.Qb3 Be6 15.Ne4 h6 16.Rae1 Bf7 17.Ne5 Ng6 18.Nxg6 Bxg6 19.c5+ Bf7 20.Qc3 Rc8 21.cxb6 cxb6 22.Qd2 Qd5 23.Qxf4 Qxa2 24.Nd6 Bb3 25.Qe4 Rcd8 26.Nf5 Bf7 27.Qe5 Qe6 28.Qxg7 checkmate, Wall,B - Mokdad,M, Chess.com, 2010) 8.b4 Bb6 9.a4 a6 10.Be3 d6 11.Qb3+ Kh8 12.Bxb6 cxb6 13.Nbd2 Ng4 14.h3 Nh6 15.d4 exd4 16.cxd4 Qf6 17.Qc3 Ne7 18.Qc7 a5 19.Qxb6 axb4 20.Qxb4 Nc6 21.Qc3 Bd7 22.Rfc1 Na5 23.Qc7 Bc8 24.d5 Rf7 25.Qb6 Qg6 26.Qd8+ Ng8 27.Rxc8 Rxc8 28.Qxc8 Black resigned, Wall,B - Bandera,M, Chess.com, 2010.
7.Nc3 Nd4
There is nothing wrong with the ordinary 7...d6.
8.Na4 Nxf3+ 9.Qxf3 Be7
Black continues to play ultra-safely. It is interesting to see how White proceeds against this.
10.d4 d6
Black can give a piece back with 10...exd4 11.e5 d6 12.exf6 Bxf6, but he prefers to make White do the work.
11.dxe5 dxe5 12.Rd1
Pressure along the d-file.
12...Bd6 13.h3
Bill points out the dangers of going after the b-pawn: 13.Qb3+ Be6 14.Qxb7 Rb8 15.Qxa7 (15.Qa6 Nxe4 16.Be3 Qh4) 15...Ra8 16.Qb7 Rxa4. White needs to be patient. He starts by keeping enemy pieces out of g4. Perhaps he will be able to launch his kingside pawns later.
13...Kg8 14.Bg5 Rf8
Lining the Rook up on the same file as the enemy Queen. Apparently Black did not want to "create a weakness" on his Kingside, as he had available 14...h6 15.Bxf6 (15.Bh4 g5 16.Bg3 Qe7) 15...Qxf6 16.Qxf6 gxf6, as pointed out by Bill; which looks okay for the second player.
15.Qb3+ Kh8 16.Nc3 c6
Bill's comment in an email about this game is enlightening: I was losing for a long time in the opening and middlegame...
"Objectively", White does have a "lost" game after 4.Bxf7+, despite the complications. He has to play on, however, hopefully - often towards success.
17.f4 Qe7 18.f5
The f-pawn may become the spearhead of a pawn advance. Currently, it limits the movement of Black's light-squared Bishop (which, in turn, limits the movement of Black's Rook), which is another small benefit.
18...h6 19.Be3 b5
Black's solution to the pressure on the b7 pawn (and the Queenside) is a pawn advance. This allows him to feel comfortable "doing something", and leads to the win of a pawn - which turns out to be poisoned, alas.
20.g4 a5 21.Ne2
The alternatives Bill gives do not look attractive: 21.a3 a4 22.Qa2 Bc5 23.Bxc5 Qxc5+ 24.Kg2 Nxe4 25.Nxe4 Qxc2+ 26.Nd2 Rd8; or 21.a4 Bc5 22.Bxc5 (22.Re1 Bxe3+ 23.Rxe3 Qc5 24.Nd1 b4) 22...Qxc5+ 23.Kh1 b4 24.Ne2 Nxe4.
The game move leads to a very complicated position.
21...Nxe4 22.Qd3
Black has grabbed the e-pawn, but now faces the possible loss of either his Knight or his dark-squared Bishop. He decides to continue building up his attack.
22...Bb7
The fact is that even after this move Stockfish 6 sees Black as better. However, the fact that the second player has to meekly give back a piece cannot feel good to the human competitor.
Did he have a better move? He did, as Bill pointed out: 22...Bxf5! 23.gxf5 Qh4 24.Kg2 (24.Kh2 Rxf5 25.Rf1 Raf8 26.Rxf5 Rxf5 27.Bg1 Rf6 28.Rd1 Nf2) 24...Rxf5 25.Rf1 Raf8 26.Rxf5 Rxf5 with an attack on the enemy King.
The sacrifice was hard to see. Worrying about losing Piece A or Piece B, Black misses the fact that he should give up the cramped and limited (until now!) Piece C...
23.Qxe4 c5 24.Qd3 Rfd8 25.Nc3
It certainly was not time for 25.Qxb5? Ba6 26.Qb3 Bxe2 as Bill points out.
25...c4 26.Qf1
26...b4 27.Nd5 Bxd5 28.Rxd5 Bc7
Black suddenly goes in for exchanges. Does he believe in his passed pawn that much?
29.Qxc4 Rxd5 30.Qxd5 Rd8 31.Qe4 Qh4 32.Kg2 Qe7
33.Rf1 Rd6 34.Bc5 Rd2+ 35.Rf2 Rxf2+ 36.Bxf2 Qd6
It is a good thing that White is not emotionally exhausted from his struggle from a "losing" position back to a "better" one. Converting his extra pawn will take a good bit of work, as long as the Queens and Bishops remain on the board. White decides to stir things up.
37.Qa8+ Kh7 38.Qb7 e4
Bill points out a couple of alternatives: 38...g6 39.fxg6+ Kxg6 40.Qe4+ Kf7 41.Qh7+ Ke8 42.Qg8+ Kd7 43.Qf7+ Kc6 44.Be3; or
38...Bd8 39.Qe4 Kh8 40.Qf3.
Black has miscalculated: unfortunately, he does not have a mating attack.
39.Qxe4 Qh2+ 40.Kf1 Qxh3+ 41.Ke2 Kh8
This is not Black's best defense, but it is now only a matter of choosing which way to lose.
42.Qe8+ Kh7 43.Qg6+ Kh8 44.f6 Black resigned
A "Jerome pawn" assists in the mating attack.
I just received the latest Jerome Gambit (delayed) game from Bill Wall. Before - or after - checking it out, you might want to visit "Bill Wall's Chess Page" which has been updated to have even more interesting chess stuff.
The graphic at the top of this post is from the animated series featuring "Scooby-Doo" and his human pals, who got into all sorts of mischief as they solved mysteries. Often the captured villain, at the end of the episode, would lament, "And I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids!"
Some players who defend against the Jerome Gambit have the same feeling about White's "Jerome pawns".
Wall,B - Lee,S
PlayChess.com, 2015
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
5...Kxf7 6.0-0
Bill has played this kind of delayed Jerome Gambit a little differently, before, for example: 6.Be3 Bb4+ 7.c3 Ba5 8.b4 Bb6 9.b5 Na5 10.Nxe5+ Kf8 11.0-0 d6 12.Nf3 Ke7 13.Qc2 Re8 14.d4 Kf8 15.e5 Nd5 16.Qxh7 Nxe3 17.fxe3 Nc4 18.Ng5+ Ke7 19.Qxg7 checkmate, Wall,B - Westender, Chess.com, 2010.
6...h6
An alternative that shows up in different Jerome Gambit game collections is 6...Re8 7.Bg5 d5 8.Nbd2 Bg4 9.c3 Qd6 10.Qb3 Rab8 11.Bxf6 gxf6 12.exd5 Na5 13.Qa4 Bxf3 14.Nxf3 Qb6 15.b4 Bxf2+ 16.Rxf2 e4 17.dxe4 Nc4 18.Qd7+ Kg6 19.Qf5+ Kg7 20.a4 Qe3 21.Nd4 Qxc3 22.Qxf6+ Kg8 23.Raf1 Qxb4 24.Ne6 Qe7 25.Qd4 Nb6 26.Rf3 Nd7 27.Rg3+ Black resigned, Brookshire,T - Cunningham,D, IECC ,1999 (1-0, 27); alternately, 6...Kg8 would allow transposition to Wall,B - KRM, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 25).
7.Nxe5+
Bill has also played this position without the second piece sacrifice:
7.Be3 would lead to Wall,B-Mukak, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 24); while 7.Nc3 was seen in Wall,B - Guest2622844, PlayChess.com, 2013: 7...Rf8 8.Nd5 Kg8 9.Be3 Bb6 10.c4 d6 11.Qb3 Na5 12.Qc3 Nxd5 13.cxd5 c5 14.Nd2 Bc7 15.a3 b5 16.b4 Nb7 17.Nb3 c4 18.dxc4 bxc4 19.Nd2 a5 20.Nxc4 axb4 21.axb4 Rxa1 22.Rxa1 Qh4 23.f3 Bd7? 24.Nxe5 dxe5 25.Qxc7 Bc8 26.Qxe5 Qf6 27.Qxf6 Rxf6 28.b5 Rf8 29.b6 Kf7 30.Rc1 Na5 31.Rc7+ Kg6 32.Bd4 Rg8 33.Kf2 Nb3 34.Bc3 Ba6 35.b7 Rb8 36.Rxg7+ Kh5 37.g4+ Kh4 38.Bf6+ Kh3 39.Rh7 Black resigned
7...Nxe5 8.d4
Bill has played a similar game, achieving d2-d4 in one move instead of two: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.0-0 h6 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Nf6 8.dxe5 Nh7 9.Qd5+ Kf8 10.Qxc5+ d6 11.Rd1 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest2170955, PlayChess.com, 2012.
8...d6 9.dxc5 dxc5 10.Qe1 Re8
Black has a piece for a pawn as well as better development. He is better, but he needs a plan.
In the mean time, White will develop and unleash his "Jerome pawns".
11.Nc3 Ng6 12.f3 Qd4+ 13.Be3 Qe5 14.f4 Qe7 15.e5 Nd7
Black's Queenside looks dangerously congested.
Bill points out that 15...Bf5 was possible, as 16.exf6? simply loses a piece to 16...Qxe3+ 17.Qxe3 Rxe3
16.Nd5 Qh4
Black's move feints at an attack on the Kingside, threatens to exchange Queens - and ignores the problems of his Queenside.
One fascinating possibility in this position is 16...Qd8 17.Rd1 c6 18.e6+ Kg8 when White simply snags the Knight on d7, with at least equality after 19.exd7 Bxd7 20.Nc3. The point is that Black cannot take the obnoxious White e-pawn with 18...Rxe6, as White can activate his other advanced "Jerome pawn" with 19.f5 Re5 20.fxg6+ Kg8 and the tactics, as Stockfish shows, are in the attacker's favor: 21.Nc7!? Qxc7 22.Qg3 Qa5 23.Rxd7 Bxd7 24.Qxe5 Re8 25.Bxc5 Qd8 26.Qf4 with an advantage to White.
17.f5 Qxe1 18.e6+ Kg8 19.Raxe1 Rf8 20.fxg6 Rxf1+ 21.Rxf1 Ne5
Perhaps Black breathed a sigh of relief here. True, he has had to return his extra piece, but he has traded Queens and one pair of Rooks, and he can look forward to the possibility of a Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame where White's extra pawn may make no difference.
22.Ne7+
Or not.
Here Black resigned, as 22...Kh8 23.Rf8 would be checkmate.
While I struggle to appreciate the "modern" variations of the Jerome Gambit (those without 5.Nxe5+), Bill Wall continues to play them effortlessly and with repeated success.
Wall,B - KRM
Chess.com, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.0-0
5...Nf6 6.d3
Or 6.Qe2 Rf8 7.Qc4+ d5 8.Qxc5 Nxe4 9.Qe3 Kg8 10.d3 Nf6 11.Nxe5 Re8 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.Qd4 Ng4 14.Nc3 Qd6 15.Bf4 Qg6 16.Bxc7 Qh5 17.Rae1 Bd7 18.Rxe8+ Rxe8 19.Qxa7 Qf7 20.Qc5 Rf8 21.b4 Rc8 22.Bg3 Re8 23.a4 Qe6 24.a5 Qf5 25.a6 Qh5 26.a7 Qg5 27.Bb8 Nf6 28.a8Q Bh3 29.g3 Qf5 30.Qaxc6 Qf3 31.Q5xd5+ Nxd5 32.Qxe8+ Qf8 33.Qxf8+ Kxf8 34.Nxd5 Black resigned, Wall,B - DirtyCat, Chess.com, 2010.
6...Kg8
Or 6...h6 7.Be3 Be7 8.c4 d6 9.Nc3 Bg4 10.h3 Bh5 11.g4 Bg6 12.Nh4 Rf8 13.Qb3 Nxg4 14.c5+ Kf6 15.Nd5+ Kf7 16.Nxe7+ Kxe7 17.Nxg6+ Kd7 18.Nxf8+ Qxf8 19.hxg4 Rb8 20.cxd6 cxd6 21.f4 exf4 22.Rxf4 Qd8 23.Rf7+ Kc8 24.Qe6+ Black resigned, billwall - mukak, Chess.com, 2010.
7.c4
White locks down Black's freeing move ...d7-d5, and prepares some mischief on the Queenside.
7...d6 8.Be3 Bxe3 9.fxe3 Be6 10.Qb3 Na5
Black is rightly suspicious of White's Queen sally: shouldn't all the action be taking place on the Kingside? Yet he allows himself to be distracted by opportunities to harass the Queen.
11.Qa4 Nc6 12.Nc3 a5 13.Ng5 Bd7
For safety's sake, the Bishop should have retreated along the a2-g8 diagonal, 13...Bf7. Black, however, still wants to embarass the White Queen.
14.c5 Nb4 15.Qb3+
Suddenly the Queen links up with the Kingside Knight and a King is in danger.
15...d5 16.exd5 Kf8
17.d6 Qe8 18.Nce4 cxd6 19.cxd6 Qg6 20.Rac1 Ke8
There are too many avenues along which to attack Black's King. A comparison of White's active Rooks versus Black's passive ones shows one of the games imbalances.
21.Rc7 Nfd5 22.Rxd7 Kxd7 23.Qc4 Nxe3 24.Qc7+ Ke8 25.Qe7 checkmate
