One of the nice things about playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is that sometimes your opponent does not know how to respond. He can try this, or that, or something else, but it all turns out bad for him in the end. Bill Wall's latest game is a good example.
Wall, Bill - Arty
blitz 10 0, PlayChess.com, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6
A brave choice! Black wishes to hold on to his two extra pieces.
7.f4 Ng6
Choosing to let go of a piece, after all. Otherwise, the consistent move would be the counter-attacking 7...Qf6.
8.Qxc5
Improving on 8.f5+ from Wall,B - Guest1157782, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 20).
8... Qh4+
There are variations where this move is strong and leads to favorable complications. Unfortunately, this is not one of them.
Withdrawing the at-risk Knight with 8... N6e7 would lead to an even game.
9.g3 Qf6
Two alternative retreats appear in The Database: 9... Qg4 from Permanence - jgknight, FICS, 2008 (0-1, 38) and 9... Qe7 from Permanence - Pianisimo, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 17).
10.f5+ Kf7 11.fxg6+ Qxg6 12.O-O+ Nf6 13.e5
White has his two sacrificed pieces back, and aims to gather another one in, as interest. Black's defense collapses.
13...d6 14.Qxc7+ Bd7 15.Qxd7+ Black resigned
If Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, the creator of the Jerome Gambit, ever dreamed of an exciting game, it might very well have looked like the following one.
Wall,B - Guest1157782
playchess.com, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Ng6
The kind of move - withdrawing a piece from attack - that someone unfamiliar with the Jerome Gambit might make quickly. (Best was 7...Qf6).
My guess is that at this point Bill got out his psychic micrometer, measured the apparent depth of his opponent's experience with (or understanding of) the opening, and chose a line of play that was most efficacious against an unschooled or uneasy opponent.
8.f5+
Also seen:
8.Qf5+ as in Idealist - pvm, FICS, 2003 (1-0, 42), Petasluk - jackla, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 31), and Petasluk - popasile, FICS 2011 (0-1, 35);
8.Qxc5 as in Permanence - Pianisimo, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 17) and Permanence - jgknight, FICS, 2008 (0-1,38); and
8.Qd5+ as in Siggus - svetma, FICS, 2007 (1-0, 36).
All of these games can be found in The Database.
8...Kd6
Or 8...Ke5, which led to a quick win for White in Superpippo - HarryPaul, FICS 2001 (1-0, 15).
9.fxg6 Kc6
Instead, Black had to fight back with 9...Nf6.
10.Qd5+ Kb6 11.Qb3+ Kc6
Surprisingly enough, Black's King can escape with 11...Ka6 - if he keeps his wits about him. Sure, White can then win back a piece with 12.Qc4+ b5 13.Qxc5, but after the counter-attack 13...Qh4+!? Black can get his Queen over to protect His Majesty, e.g. 14.Kf1 Qxe4 (Black could also try 14...Ne7 with the idea of 15...Rf8+)15.d3 Qc6 when 16.Qxc6 dxc6 17.gxh7 gives White a small advantage, according to Houdini 3.
12.Nc3 hxg6
Now White finishes things off.
13.Qd5+ Kb6 14.Na4+ Ka5 15.b4+ Kxa4 16.Qb3+ Kb5 17.a4+ Kc6 18.Qd5+ Kb6 19.Qxc5+ Ka6 20.Qa5 checkmate
Having recently taken a look at the Blackburne Defense to the Jerome Gambit in AsceticKing9 - blackburne, ChessWorld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, 2011, I figured that I was ready when my opponent sprung it on me. At least, as it turns out, I was more ready than he was.
perrypawnpusher - Carville
blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6
Blackburne's Defense, returning a Rook. See "Nobody Expects the Jerome Gambit!"
8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.0-0 Be6
Instead, it is critical to trap the White Queen with 9...Nf6.
Other Bishop moves seen in this position are 9...Bh3 as in Fritz 8-RevvedUp, 2 12 2006 (1-0, 18) and 9...Bg4 as in perrypawnpusher - MrScrumps, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 11).
10.Qc3
Getting the Queen out of danger, even at the cost of a pawn. A little better was 10.d3, for example 10...Rf8 11.Qc3 Nf6 12.Nd2 Kg8 13.Nf3
Previously seen: 10.d4 Rf8 11.Bh6 (11.Bg5 Bxd4 12.Qxd4 Qxg5 13.f4) 11...Qxh6 12.dxc5 Nf6 13.Qxf8+ Qxf8 14.Nc3 Bc4 15.Rfe1 Ng4 16.cxd6 Qxd6 17.f3 Qxh2 checkmate, Permanence - footsoldier, FICS, 2008.
10...Qxe4 11.d3 Qg4 12.Nd2 Rf8 13.Ne4 Bd5 14.h3 Qf5 15.Nxc5 dxc5
I am up a pawn and the exchange, and if I can continue to develop my pieces (even though now 16.Qxc5 is playable), that should mean something.
16.Be3 b6 17.Rae1 Ne7 18.d4
Intending to open the position for my pieces.
After the game, Houdini pointed out Black's vulnerability on the dark squares could be attacked, starting with 18.Bh6, since protecting against mate at g6 with 18...Rg8 allows White to keep the initiative 19.Re5 Qd7 20.Bg5!? Nc6 21.Rxd5!? Qxd5 22.Qf6+ Ke8 23.c4 Qd6 24.Re1+ Kd7 25.Qf7+ Kc8 26.Qxg8+ with clear advantage.
analysis diagram
18...c4 19.Qd2 Kg8
Black has completed castling-by-hand, but trouble is ahead.
20.Bh6 Rf7 21.Re5 Qh5
An oversight, but 21...Qd7, retreating the Queen and protecting the Bishop, would allow White to highlight the awkward position of Black's Knight with 22.Rfe1. White will then triple on the e-file with 23.Qe3, and Black can neither protect nor move the poor piece (because of the threat of mate).
22.Rxh5 Black resigned
