The following game starts out with the wild Jerome Gambit, which is met by one of the wildest defenses available.
White does not deliver checkmate.
Black does not deliver checkmate.
The game becomes balanced and calm.
Then White checkmates.
Wall, Bill - Guest699499
PlayChess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4
This is Black's sharpest response to 6.d4. I have often called it a "pie-in-the-face variation".
7.O-O Ng4 8.h3 Bb6
Probably Black's best move. Bill has faced
8...N8f6 9.dxc5 Nxe4 10.Qd5+ Kf6 11.Qxe4 d5 12.cxd6 cxd6 13.f3 h5 14.fxg4+ Black resigned, Wall,B - PassCapture, lichess.org, 2016;
8...Bd6 9.e5 Nxe5 10.dxe5 Bxe5 11.Qd5+ Kf6 12.Re1 d6 13.Rxe5 dxe5 14.Qd8+ Ne7 15.Qxh8 (15...Qe4 16.Qf8+ Ke6 17.Bg5 Qb4 18.Qxg7 Bd7 19.Qf6+ Kd5 20.Nc3+ Kc4 21.b3+ Kxc3 22.Qxe5+ Qd4 23.Bd2+ Kxd2 24.Qxd4+ Kxc2 25.Rd1 Black resigned,Wall,B - Anonymous, lichess.org, 2016) Kf7 16.Nd2 Ng6 17.Nf3 Qxf2+ 18.Kxf2 Nxh8 19.Nxe5+ Kf6 20.Nf3 Bf5 21.Be3 Ng6 22.g4 Be4 23.Bd4+ Ke6 24.Re1 Rf8 25.Rxe4+ Kd5 26.Ke3 c5 27.Bxg7 Rf7 28.c4+ Kd6 29.Be5+ Nxe5 30.Nxe5 Rf1 31.Nd3 Rh1 32.Nf4 Rh2 33.Re6+ Kc7 34.Re7+ Kb6 35.Rxh7 Rxb2 36.g5 Rxa2 37.g6 Black resigned, Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016;
and 8...d6 9.dxc5 N4f6 10.cxd6 cxd6 11.Nd2 Nxe4 12.Nf3 Qh5 13.Ng5+ Qxg5 14.Bxg5 Nxg5 15.Qh5+ Kf6 16.f4 Ne4 17.Qe8 d5 18.Qe5+ Kf7 19.Qxd5+ Black resigned, Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016.
9.hxg4 Nf6
Black is not too upset at having lost his Knight, as he plans to move the other one into the attack.
Two other ideas:
9...h5 10.Qf3+ Ke8 11.g5 Bxd4 12.Qd3 Bb6 13.Nc3 Ne7 14.Na4 Ba5 15.a3 c6 16.f4 d6 17.Be3 Bc7 18.Bd4 b5 19.Nc3 Rf8 20.Ne2 Bg4 21.Nc3 Bd7 22.Ne2 Rf7 23.Rf3 c5 24.Bf2 Qg4 25.Rg3 Qe6 26.Re1 Ba5 27.b4 cxb4 28.axb4 Bxb4 29.c3 Bc5 30.Bxc5 dxc5 31.f5 Qe5 32.Qd2 b4 33.cxb4 Qxe4 34.g6 Rxf5 35.Re3 Qxb4 36.Qxb4 cxb4 37.Ng3 Rg5 38.Rxe7+ Kf8 39.Rf7+ Kg8 40.Nxh5 Rxh5 41.Rxd7 drawn, Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016; and
9...d6 10.f3 Be6 11.Be3 Bc4 12.Re1 Ne7 13.f4 Rhe8 14.Nd2 Ba6 15.Nf3 Qg3 16.a4 Ba5 17.c3 Kf8 18.b4 Ng6 19.f5 Nf4 20.Bxf4 Qxf4 21.Qc2 c5 22.bxa5 Qxg4 23.Rad1 cxd4 24.Rxd4 Qg3 25.Qb3 Qf4 26.Qb1 Qg3 27.e5 g6 28.Rxd6 Re7 29.f6 Ree8 30.Qb4 Bb5 31.Rd8+ Kf7 32.e6+ Kxf6 33.Qd4+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Rajiv, Chess.com, 2010.
10.g5 Ng4 11.Qf3+ Ke8 12.Qh3 Qxh3
Leading to a situation similar to what we recently saw in Wall, Bill - Guest709079, PlayChess.com, 2017 (1-0, 30) - Queens are exchanged, and Black's Knight is trapped. Quirky.
13.gxh3 Nxf2 14.Kxf2 Bxd4+ 15.Kg2 d6
The game has reached a balance. Should either player be pleased with this? Black started out after a few moves with a "won" position, so he may not be happy. White threw a whole lot into a wild attack, so he may wish for more than a split point.
16.c3 Be5 17.Nd2 Bd7 18.Nf3 Bc6 19.Bd2 Bxe4 20.Rae1 Bc6 21.Bf4 Rf8 22.Bxe5 dxe5 23.Rxe5+ Kf7
24.Kg3 Kg8 25.c4
Stockfish 8 slightly prefers 25.Rf2, keeping the game level. The Rook eventually gets there.
25...Rad8 26.Re3 Rf5 27.h4 Rdf8 28.Rf2 Rf4 29.b3 Bd7
30.Rfe2 Rg4+ 31.Kh2 Bc6 32.Ne5
Looking to squeeze something more out of the position.
32...Rxh4+ 33.Kg3 Rff4 34.Rd2 Re4
Looking to swap Rooks, and enjoy a guaranteed draw, while hoping to make something out of his extra Kingside pawn?
Black has overlooked something.
35.Rd8+ Black resigned
Here is another look at the 6...Qh4 defense in the Jerome Gambit, discussed in the previous blog post. Again, Bill Wall has the White pieces. This is pretty heavy going, and there is plenty to study in the notes, too. Or, you can just enjoy the main game, as, after a dozen moves, Bill decides enough is enough and goes after the enemy monarch.
Wall, Bill - IraHaru
lichess.org, 2016
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4
7.O-O Qxe4
The text can be contrasted with 7...Ng4 8.h3 Bb6 (8...Bd6 9.e5 Bxe5 10.dxe5 Nxe5 11.Qd5+ Kf6 12.f4 Ng6 13.Nc3 d6 14.Be3 Ke7 15.Rae1 Kd8 16.Nb5 Nf6 17.Qc4 Ne8 18.Bf2 Qf6 19.Bd4 Qh4 20.Rxe8+ Kxe8 21.Nxc7+ Kf8 22.f5 Ne5 23.f6 gxf6 24.Qd5 Kg7 25.Qxd6 Rg8 26.Rxf6 Qxf6 27.Bxe5, and White won, Sorensen,S - X, Denmark, 1888) 9.hxg4 (9.Qf3+ N4f6 10.e5 Bxd4 11.exf6 Nxf6 12.c3 Bb6 13.Nd2 Rf8 14.Ne4 Qxe4 15.Qd1 d5 16.Re1 Qf5 17.Be3 Bxe3 18.Rxe3 Bd7 19.Rf3 Qe5 20.Qd2 Rae8 21.Re3 Qd6 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.b3 Qe5 24.Rf1 Bc6 25.Kh1 Qe2 26.Qc1 d4 27.cxd4 Qe4 28.d5 Qxd5 29.f3 Kg8 30.Rd1 Qe6 31.Qf4 Nd5 32.Qd4 Ne3 33.Rc1 Bxf3 34.Kg1 Nxg2 35.Rxc7 Qe3+ 36.Qxe3 Nxe3 37.Kf2 Bc6 38.b4 Nd5 White resigned, Sir Osis of the Liver - perrypawnpusher, JG3 thematic, ChessWorld.net 2008) 9...d6 10.f3 Be6 11.Be3 Bc4 12.Re1 Ne7 13.f4 Rhe8 14.Nd2 Ba6 15.Nf3 Qg3 16.a4 Ba5 17.c3 Kf8 18.b4 Ng6 19.f5 Nf4 20.Bxf4 Qxf4 21.Qc2 c5 22.bxa5 Qxg4 23.Rad1 cxd4 24.Rxd4 Qg3 25.Qb3 Qf4 26.Qb1 Qg3 27.e5 g6 28.Rxd6 Re7 29.f6 Ree8 30.Qb4 Bb5 31.Rd8+ Kf7 32.e6+ Kxf6 33.Qd4+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Rajiv, Chess.com, 2010.
8.dxc5 Nf6
8...Qg6 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.Nd5 Nxd5 11.Qxd5+ Qe6 12.Qe4 d5 13.cxd6 cxd6 14.Bd2 Qg6 15.Qd5+ Qe6 16.Qe4 Rf8 17.Bc3 Kg8 18.Rae1 Qg6 19.Qd5+ Be6 20.Qxb7 Nf3+ 21.Kh1 Nxe1 22.Rxe1 Rab8 23.Qe4 Qxe4 24.Rxe4 Bd5 25.Rd4 Rxf2 26.Rd1 Rbf8 27.h3 Bxg2+ 28.Kg1 Bxh3 29.Rxd6 Rxc2 30.Ra6 Rf1 checkmate, Petasluk - ElFuriozo, FICS, 2011
9.Nc3
Bill likes this move. An alternative is 9.Re1 Qf5 10.Qd4 (10.f4 Nc6 11.Be3 Re8 12.Nc3 b6 13.Nb5 Nd5 14.Qd2 a6 15.Nd4 Nxd4 16.Bxd4 Rxe1+ 17.Rxe1 bxc5 18.Bxc5 d6 19.c4 Nxf4 20.Bxd6 cxd6 21.Rf1 g5 22.g3 Qc5+ 23.Kh1 Bb7+ White resigned, Proudfoot - JLeee, FICS, 2008; 10.Nd2 Rf8 11.Nf1 Nc6 12.Be3 b6 13.Ng3 Qd5 14.Qe2 Kg8 15.c4 Qf7 16.b3 Bb7 17.a4 Rae8 18.cxb6 axb6 19.f3 Nh5 20.Qc2 Ne5 21.Bd4 Nxf3+ 22.gxf3 Nxg3 23.hxg3 Qxf3 24.Qh2 Rxe1+ 25.Rxe1 Rf5 26.Qh3 c5 27.Rf1 Qxf1+ 28.Qxf1 Rxf1+ 29.Kxf1 cxd4 30.g4 g5 31.b4 h5 White resigned, 10 0, Gambit Fruit1 Beta4bx - Deep Fritz 8, 2006) 10...Re8 11.Kh1 Qxc2 12.Na3 Nf3 13.Qxf6+ gxf6 14.Nxc2 Nxe1 15.Nxe1 Rxe1 checkmate, wolfpack123 - blackscorpion, GameKnot.com, 2009
9...Qc4
Also seen: 9...Qc6 10.Qd4 (10.Re1 d6 11.cxd6 Qxd6 [11...cxd6 12.Bg5 Bg4 13.Qd2 Bh3 14.f3 Bxg2 15.Rxe5 dxe5 16.Kxg2 h6 17.Be3 Rhd8 18.Qe2 Rac8 19.Bxa7 b6 20.Qe3 Rd7 21.Bxb6 Rb7 22.Ba5 Rxb2 23.Rc1 Qc5 24.Nd1 Rxc2+ 25.Rxc2 Qxc2+ 26.Nf2 Qxa2 27.Qxe5 Re8 28.Qb5 Re2 29.Bb6 h5 30.Bd4 Qd2 31.h3 Kg6 32.Qb6 Kh7 33.Bxf6 gxf6 34.h4 Qe1 35.Qc5 Kg7 36.f4 Ra2 37.Qc7+ Kh6 38.Qc5 Qe8 39.Kf3 Qa8+ 40.Ne4 Ra3+ 41.Kf2 Rh3 42.Qd4 Qa2+ 43.Nd2 Rh2+ 44.Kg3 Rxd2 45.Qxf6+ Kh7 46.Qf5+ Kg8 47.Qg5+ Kf8 48.Qc5+ Ke8 49.Qe5+ Kd7 50.Qb5+ Kd6 51.Qb6+ Kd5 52.Qb5+ Kd4 53.Qe5+ Kc4 54.Qe4+ Kc3 55.Qe5+ Kc2 56.Qc5+ Kd1 57.Qxh5+ Ke1 58.Qe5+ Re2 59.Qc3+ Kf1 60.Qf3+ Kg1 61.Kh3 Rh2+ White resigned, Shredder Paderborn - Junior 7, Utrecht, 2002] 12.Bf4 Nf3+ 13.Qxf3 Qb6 14.Nd5 Nxd5 15.Bxc7+ Qf6 16.Qxd5+ Be6 17.Qxb7 Rhe8 18.Bd8+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Gorodetsky,D, Chess.com, 2010; or 10.Bg5 Qxc5 11.Bxf6 gxf6 12.Ne4 Qb6 13.a4 Qxb2 14.Rb1 Qa3 15.Rb3 Qe7 16.f4 Ng6 17.Re3 Kg7 18.Rfe1 d6 19.Ng3 Qd7 20.Nh5+ Kh6 21.Nxf6 Qd8 22.Qh5+ Kg7 23.Ne8+ Rxe8 24.Rxe8 Qf6 25.f5 Ne5 26.Re3 Bxf5 27.Rg3+ Ng6 28.Rxa8 Qd4+ 29.Kf1 Qf4+ 30.Ke1 Bxc2 31.Qd5 c6 32.Qg8+ Kh6 33.Rh3+ Kg5 34.Rg3+ Kh6 35.Rh3+ Kg5 36.Re8 Bf5 37.Rg3+ Bg4 38.Ree3 Kh6 39.h3 Bh5 40.Qb8 Qb4+ 41.Kf1 a5 42.Qd8 Qf4+ 43.Kg1 d5 44.Kh2 Bd1 45.Re6 Kg7 46.Re7+ Kh6 47.Rxb7 Bc2 48.Qg8 Nh4 49.Rxh7+ Bxh7 50.Qg7+ Kh5 51.Qxh7+ Qh6 52.Qe7 Qg6 53.Qe2+ Kh6 54.Qe3+ Kh5 55.Qe2+ Kh6 56.Qe3+ Kh5 57.Rxg6 Kxg6 58.Qg3+ Kf5 59.Qxh4 Ke5 60.Qe7+ Kf5 61.g4+ Kg6 62.Qe6+ Kg7 63.g5 c5 64.Qf6+ Kh7 65.Qf7+ Kh8 66.g6 d4 67.Qf8 checkmate, Deep Shredder 10 UCI-HIARCS 11.1 UCI, jeromegambit, 2008) 10...Ng6 (10...Re8 11.f4 Ng6 12.f5 Ne5 13.Bf4 d6 14.cxd6 cxd6 15.Bg5 Qc5 16.Qxc5 dxc5 17.Nb5 Re7 18.Rae1 a6 19.Nd6+ Kf8 20.Bf4 Nc6 21.Nxc8 Rxe1 22.Bd6+ Kf7 23.Rxe1 Rxc8 24.Bxc5 Re8 25.Rxe8 Nxe8 26.Kf2 Kf6 27.g4 Ne5 28.Kg3 Nf7 29.Kf4 Ned6 30.Bd4+ Ke7 31.Bxg7 Nc4 32.g5 Nfd6 33.g6 hxg6 34.fxg6 Ne8 35.Bc3 Ncd6 36.h4 Kf8 37.h5 Ng7 38.Kg5 Ne4+ 39.Kh6 Nxc3 40.bxc3 Black resigned, iconsisonline - IgorBohar, FICS, 2010) 11.f3 Re8 12.Be3 b6 13.b4 bxc5 14.bxc5 Nf8 15.a4 Ne6 16.Qc4 d6 17.Rfd1 dxc5 18.Bg5 Black forfeited by disconnection, Wall,B - felineMMXI, blitz FICS, 2011; and
9...Qb4 10.Be3 d6 11.Bd4 Re8 12.a3 Qc4 13.cxd6 cxd6 14.f4 Nc6 15.Bxf6 Qc5+ 16.Rf2 Black resigned, GazzaT - Yigor, Chess.com, 2011.
10.Be3
An improvement over 10.Re1 Qxc5 11.Be3 Qc6 12.Bxa7 d6 13.Bd4 Re8 14.Bxe5 Rxe5 15.Rxe5 dxe5 16.Qe2 a5 17.Re1 b6 18.Qd3 Bb7 19.Qg3 Nh5 20.Qg5 Nf4 21.f3 Qc5+ 22.Kh1 Qf2 23.Rd1 Bc8 24.Rc1 h6 25.Qg3 Qd2 26.Rf1 Qxc2 27.Qf2 Qxf2 28.Rxf2 Nd5 29.Nxd5 Rxd5 30.Kg1 Rd1+ 31.Rf1 Rxf1+ 32.Kxf1 g5 33.a3 Ke6 34.Ke2 e4 35.fxe4 Ke5 36.Kd3 Ba6+ 37.Ke3 Bb5 38.h3 Bc6 39.g3 h5 40.h4 gxh4 41.gxh4 Bxe4 42.b3 Bc2 43.b4 Ba4 44.Kf3 Kf5 45.Kg3 Bc6 46.Kf2 Kg4 White resigned, Deep Sjeng 1.5 -Junior 7, The Jeroen Experience, 2003.
10...b6
Or 10...Re8 11.Bd4 d6 12.b3 Qa6 13.cxd6 Qxd6 14.Nb5 Qc6 15.Nxa7 Rxa7 16.Bxa7 b6 17.Qd4 Ba6 18.c4 Nf3+ 19.gxf3 Qxf3 20.Qd1 Re2 21.Qd8 Qg4+ 22.Kh1 Bb7+ White resigned, Wall,B - Guest6296711, PlayChess.com, 2014.
Or 10...Rd8 11.Qd2 Qb4 12.b3 c6 13.a3 Qg4 14.Rae1 d5 15.Kh1 Bf5 16.Bf4 Ng6 17.Bd6 Ne4 18.Nxe4 Black forfeited on time, Bholashankar - HellDenied, FICS, 2014.
11.Bd4 Nc6 12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.Qh5+
It is time for White to start putting the pressure on.
Curiously, Stockfish 8 prefers 13.Nd5 and recommends that Black sacrifice the exchange to keep an edge in the game: 13...Rg8!? 14.Nxc7 Ne5 15.Nxa8 Bb7 16.f3 Qxc5+ 17.Kh1 Bxa8.
Going after the King makes more sense to me.
13...Ke7
Now it's time for the Knight to step in.
14.Nd5+ Kd8 15.cxb6 axb6 16 Qf7 Qd4
Centralizing the Queen, stepping out of the possible exposed attacks by White's Queen (after the Knight moves), and protecting the f6 pawn. Alas, it leads to disaster.
17.Rad1 Qxb2 18.Rfe1 Ne5 19.Qe7 checkmate
Speaking of "brighter lights" in the world of the Jerome Gambit (see previous post), here is Bill Wall's latest game. The ending should be rated "PG" for either "Parental Guidance advised" or simply "Plain Gory". The King hunt is brutal
Wall, Bill - Anonymous
lichess.org, 2016
(analysis by Bill Wall)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4
7.O-O Ng4
One of a number of moves that keeps Black's advantage.
8.h3 Bd6
Aggressive, but 8...Bb6 was probably better. It was the choice of several computers ( Deep Shredder 10, Deep Sjeng 1.5, Hiarcs 11.1, Shredder Paderborn) in computer vs computer tournaments in 2002, 2003 and 2008, for example. It also appeared in Sir Osis of the Liver - perrypawnpusher, JG3 thematic, Chessworld.net, 2008 (0-1, 38) and Wall,B - Rajiv, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 33).
9.e5 Nxe5
Giving the piece back is "scientific" but it leads to an equal game, according to Stockfish 7.
With 9...Bxe5 Black returned a Bishop, instead, in Sorensen,S - X, Denmark, 1888 (1-0, 27).
Another piece return was the wild 9...Nxf2 in Darthballz - Leftang, FICS, 2011, (1-0, 25).
Bill points out 9...Be7 10.hxg4 d6.
10.dxe5 Bxe5 11.Qd5+ Kf6 12.Re1 d6
Bill points out the tricky 12...Bd4 13.Nc3 Bxf2+ 14.Kh1 Bxe1 15.Bg5+, when Black will lose his Queen to either White's Bishop or Knight (when it comes to e4 with check).
13.Rxe5 dxe5 14.Qd8+ Ne7 15.Qxh8 Qe4
Abandoning his King to chaos.
Instead, Black had the prudent 15...Kf7, both protecting his pawn at g7 and the square at f8. If he wanted an exciting draw, he could try 15...Bxh3!? 16.Qxa8 Bxg2 17.Kxg2 Qg4+ and he could repeat the position with Queen checks.
16.Qf8+ Ke6
The bad news begins. The alternative: 16...Kg6 17.Qe8+ Kf6 (17...Kf5 18.Qf7#) 18.Nc3 Qxc2 19.Qf8+ Kg6 20.Qxe7.
17.Bg5 Qb4
Several other options, from Bill: 17...Ng6 18.Qg8+ Kd6 19.Qd8+ Kc6 20.Nc3 Qxc2 21.Qd5+ Kb6 22.Qb5# ; or 17...Qxc2 18.Qxe7+ Kf5 19.Qxg7; or 17...Nc6 18.Nc3 Qxc2 19.Qg8+ Kf5 20.Qxg7 Qxb2 21.Qf6#
18.Qxg7
Instead, 18.Nc3 Qxb2 leads to checkmate.
18...Bd7
The White b-pawn is still poisonous, and 18...Qxb2 would again lead to checkmate.
Best is probably 18...Nf5, but it still leads to misery, e.g. 19.Qg8+ Kd7 20.Nc3 Nd6 21.Rd1 Qd4 22.Rxd4 exd4 23.Qxh7+ Kc6 24.Ne2 Nf5 25.Bd8 as Bill notes.
19.Qf6+ Kd5 20.Nc3+ Kc4
Or 20...Kd4 21.Be3+ Kc4 22.Qf7+ Be6 23.Qxe6+ Nd5 24.Qxd5#; or 20...Kc5 21.Qxe7+ Kc4 22.b3+ Kxc3 23.Qxe5+ Qd4 24.Bd2+ Kxd2 25.Qxd4+ Kxc2 26.Rd1 Rd8 27.Qd2#. Black's King is not coming back from this journey.
21.b3+ Kxc3
Or 21...Kd4 22.Rd1+ Kc5 23.Be3+ Qd4 24.Rxd4 exd4 25.Qxd4+ Kc6 26.Qc5#; or 21...Kc5 22.Qxe7+ Kb6 23.Qxb4+ Ka6 24.Qa3+ Kb6 25.Be3+ c5 26.Nd5+ Kc6 27.Qxc5#.
22.Qxe5+ Qd4
If 22...Kxc2 then 23.Rc1+ Kd3 24.Qe3#
23.Bd2+ Kxd2
Or 23...Kb2 24.Qxd4+ Kxc2 25.Rc1# ; or 23...Kxc2 24.Qxd4 Rd8 25.Rc1#
24.Qxd4+ Kxc2
If 24...Ke2 25.Qe3#
25.Rd1
Threatening 26.Qd2 mate
Black Resigned
Concerning the following game, I have already written...
If you play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ ) long enough, you will eventually play the 6.d4 variation (4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4) and one day you will come face-to-face with the best in-your-face variation for Black since J.H. Blackburne offered his Rook...
Sometimes, when you play the Jerome Gambit, you encounter an opponent who knows one of the refutations and who plays very well against you. It happens.
Wall,B - Guest6296711
PlayChess.com, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4
This line doesn't have a name attached to it, but I have referred to it in earlier posts as "A Pie-in-the-Face Variation". The earliest example that I have of it in The Database is Sorensen - Anonymous, Denmark, 1888 (1-0, 27).
It is interesting to note that The Database has 1213 games reaching the position after 6.d4, with White scoring 50%. Of those games, only 17% of the time does Black continue with 6...Qh4 - but he scores 70% with it.
7.0-0 Qxe4
The weaker alternative, 7...Ng4, was seen in Sorensen,S - X, Denmark, 1888 (1-0, 27), Sir Osis of the Liver - perrypawnpusher, JG3 thematic, ChessWorld.net, 2008 (0-1, 38) and Wall,B - Rajiv, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 33).
8.dxc5 Nf6 9.Nc3 Qc4
Instead, Black played 9...Qc6 in Wall,B - Gorodetsky,D, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 18) and Wall,B - felineMMXI, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 18).
10.Be3
This is a small improvement over 10.Re1 Qxc5 11.Be3 Qc6 in Deep Sjeng 1.5 - Junior 7, The Jeroen Experience, 2003 (0-1, 46).
Black's extra piece outweighs White's two extra pawns.
10...Re8 11.Bd4 d6 12.b3 Qa6 13.cxd6 Qxd6 14.Nb5 Qc6 15.Nxa7 Rxa7 16.Bxa7 b6
17.Qd4 Ba6 18.c4 Nf3+
Black finishes off with sacrificial flair.
19.gxf3 Qxf3 20.Qd1 Re2 21.Qd8 Qg4+ 22.Kh1 Bb7+ White Resigned
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.
If you play the Jerome Gambit, some day you will be faced with one of its many refutations. The only thing you can do is gather up your resources, look at the defense or counter-attack, and start "Staring It Down"...
Yopsoe turns in a great game of fighting chess.
Yopsoe (2047) - lucylucy (1736)
standard, FICS, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4
Black's sharpest response, which I have referred to as "a pie-in-the-face variation".
7.0-0 Ng4
Black is going for the kill, but this is probably not his strongest move.
8.h3 Bb6
Instead, 8...Bd6 was seen in Sorensen,S - X, Denmark, 1888 (1-0, 27), the earliest example of 6...Qh4 in The Database.
9.hxg4
Not 9.Qf3+ as in Sir Osis of the Liver - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit thematic, ChessWorld, 2008 (0-1, 38)
9...d6 10.f3 h5
Sheer aggression.
Development with 10...Be6 was seen in Wall,B - Rajiv, Chess.com 2010 (1-0, 33).
11.g5 Ne7 12.Be3 Rf8 13.Nc3 Kg8
With the h-file closed to Black's Rook, he decides to castle-by-hand. Houdini gives Black a slight edge, but it must be annoying to the second player to have his counter-attack blunted.
14.Ne2 c5 15.c3 cxd4 16.cxd4 Bd8 17.Qc1
Black would like to target the White pawn on g5, while White wants to move the action to another part of the board.
17...Ng6 18.Qc4+ Rf7 19.Rac1 a5 20.Qd5 Nf8 21.Rf2 Be6 22.Qxd6 Be7
The game remains sharp, and Houdini gives White a slight edge, despite Black's active pieces.
23.Qb6 Bd8 24.Qb5 Bc8
A puzzling defensive idea: to kick out White's Queen, Black un-develops.
25.g3 Qh3 26.g6 Nxg6 27.Rh2 Qe6 28.Qxh5
Now White has the initiative, and his advantage grows, even as Black defends by exchanging pieces.
28...Rc7 29.Rxc7 Bxc7 30.Nf4 Nxf4 31.gxf4 Bd6 32.d5 Qe7
The "Jerome pawns" are going to show their worth.
33.e5 Bc5 34.Bxc5 Qxc5+ 35.Kg2 Bd7 36.Qh8+ Kf7 37.e6+ Bxe6 38.dxe6+ Kxe6 39.Qxg7
Taking Black's Rook at move 37 or 39 would have allowed a perpetual starting with ...Qc2+.
39...Qe7 40.Rh6+ Kd7 41.Qd4+ Kc8 42.Rh8+ Black forfeited on time
