Jerome Gambit games are often about tactics. Sometimes White develops an attack and tactics help bring him the point. Sometimes Black defends well, and White must look for the tactical chance to pull even, or take the advantage.
All that calculation can lead to tactic fatigue and miscalculation, as in the following game.
Wall, Bill - Guest3211185
PlayChess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6
A standard position for the variation. One plan for White is to develop his pieces, advance his f- and e-pawns, and take aim at the enemy King who is sitting on a half-open file.
8.O-O Nf6 9.Nc3
9.f3 a more conservative setup, was seen in Wall,B - Guest903719, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0,47).
9...Re8
This move seems more dynamic than 9...c6, as seein in Wall,B - Guest708676, PlayChess.com, 2016, (1-0, 32).
10.f4
Bill has played 10.Bg5, instead, in a number of past games - Wall,B - Foman, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 22); Wall,B - Guest4809124, PlayChess.com, 2013 (0-1, 41); Wall,B - Guest5111265, PlayChess.com, 2014 (1-0, 47) ; Wall,B - Guest1561957, PlayChess.com, 2014 (1-0,25); Wall,B - U80, PlayChess.com, 2016 (1-0, 29); Wall,B - Smith,J, lichess.org, 2017 (1-0, 20) - and one recent one:
10...Be6 11.f4 Nc6 12.Qd3 Kg8 13.a3 h6 14.Bh4 Qd7 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Rae1 Qf7 17.Rf3 Kh7 18.Rfe3 f5 19.Qe2 Rg8 20.g3 Rg7 21.Qd3 Rf8 22.Kh1 fxe4 23.Nxe4 Bf5 24.c4 Qh5 25.Qd5 Qg6 26.Nf2 Bd7 27.Qe4 Bf5 28.Qd5 Be6 29.Rxe6 Black resigned, Wall,B -Vertufizen, lichess.org, 2017.
10...Nc6 11.Qc4+
Or 11.Qd3 as in Wall,B - Ferreira,J, lichess.org, 2016.
11...Be6 12.Qd3 Kg8
Castling-by-hand, frequently a good defensive strategy for Black.
13.b3 Nb4
14.Qd2 d5
Possibly Black was looking toward 15.exd5 Bf5, doubly attacking c2. White's response doesn't rule out the Bishop move, but it makes it more complicated.
15.e5 Ng4
Moving the Knight away from the attack. Messy would have been 15...Bf5 16.exf6 Nxc2 17.g4 Nxa1 18.gxf5 Qxf6 19.Bb2 d4 20.Ne2 Nxb3 (desperado) 21.axb3 c5 although Black, with a Rook and 2 pawns (one passed and protected) for 2 pieces, would still have the advantage.
Black's "hovering" Knights can be useful for attack on either or both wings, but figuring out what exactly to do takes time and brain effort.
16.f5 d4
Black figures: why not hit the center, too? Things are getting pretty complicated, and the better calculator will prevail.
17.Nb5 Bf7
With two pieces hanging, Black's best move was to ignore them and play 17...Ne3!? To make that work, after White wins two (three?) pieces for a Rook with 18.Qxb4 Nxf1 19.fxe6 it was necessary to find 19...Qh4!? when White will discover (one way or the other) that the Black Knight cannot be taken due to checkmate.
White can defend with 20.h3, but after 20...Qg3 the Knight is still off limits. He does best with the piece swap 21.Bf4 Qxf4 22.Rxf1 (there!) When 22...Qe3+ 23.Kh1 Qe2!? will net the c-pawn for Black. Then White's counter-grab, 24.Nxd4 will be met with 24...c5!? 25.Nxc2 (forced) cxb4 will leave Black the exchange ahead, and White's center pawns (one will fall) are not adequate compensation.
All this makes my head hurt.
18.Qxb4 Rxe5 19.Qxd4 Qxd4+ 20.Nxd4 Rd8
Black and White have made their way through the excitement, and the position is about equal, with Black's piece activity blancing White's extra pawn.
21.Bb2 Red5 22.Rf4 Ne3 23.Re1 Rxd4
After all that brain work, this miscalculation is unfortunate.
24.Rxd4 Rxd4 25.Bxd4 Nxc2 26.Re4 Black resigned
Black is only down the exchange, but White's Rook will win at least one pawn. The defender will get ground down.
After all is said and done, in the Jerome Gambit White wants to attack and checkmate Black's King. Sometimes that is goal enough.
Wall, Bill - Smith, James
lichess.org, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 8.O-O Nf6
9.Nc3
There is also the historical Jerome, A - Shinkman, W, Iowa, 1876: 9.f4 c5 10.Qc3 Neg4 11.Nd2 b5 12.h3 h5 13.e5 b4 14.Qf3 Ba6 15.exf6 Bxf1 16.Qb7+ Kxf6 17.Ne4+ Kg6 18.f5+ Kxf5 19.hxg4+ Kg6 20.Qd5 Qd7 21.Qg5+ Kf7 22.gxh5 Bc4 23.b3 Be6 24.Bb2 Rag8 25.Rd1 d5 26.Be5 Rf8 27.Rf1+ Kg8 28.Nf6+ Rxf6 29.Bxf6 Rh6 30.Rf4 a5 31.Be5 c4 32.bxc4 dxc4 33.Bd4 a4 34.Re4 b3 35.cxb3 cxb3 36.a3 Qf7 37.g4 Qc7 38.Be5 b2 39.Bxb2
Qg3+ 40.Kf1 Qf3+ 41.Kg1 Qg3+ 42.Kf1 drawn.
9...Re8 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bh4 g5
Bill has also seen:
11...c5 12.Qd2 Be6 13.Rad1 Nc4 14.Qc1 Qb6 15.b3 Ne5 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.f4 Ng4 18.f5 c4+ 19.Kh1 Nf2+ 20.Rxf2 Qxf2 21.fxe6+ Rxe6 22.Rf1 Qd4 23.Qxh6 Qxc3 24.Qh7+ Ke8 25.Qg8+ Kd7 26.Qxa8 cxb3 27.Qxb7+ Qc7 28.Qxc7+ Kxc7 29.cxb3 Rxe4 30.Kg1 Re6 31.h4 d5 32.h5 Kd6 33.g4 Ke7 34.Kf2 Kf7 35.Rc1 Re7 36.Kf3 d4 37.Rc6 Rd7 38.Ke2 d3+ 39.Kd2 Rd4 40.Rc7+ Kg8 41.Rxa7 Rxg4 42.Kxd3 Rh4 43.a4 Rxh5 44.a5 Rb5 45.Kc4 Rb8 46.a6 f5 47.Rb7 Ra8 48.a7 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest5111265, PlayChess.com, 2014; and
11...Be6 12.f4 c5 13.Qa4 Ng6 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15. f5 b5 16.Qxb5 Bd7 17.fxg6+ Kxg6 18.Qd3 Kg7 19.Qxd6 Rc8 20.Rad1 Rc7 21.Qg3+ Kh7 22.Nd5 Rc6 23.Nxf6+ Rxf6 24.Rxf6 Qxf6 25.Rxd7+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest1561957, PlayChess.com, 2014.
12.Bg3 c5 13.Qd2 Be6 14.f4
14...Nc4 15.Qe2 gxf4 16.Rxf4 d5 17.Bh4 dxe4 18.Qh5+ Kg8 19.Qg6+ Kf8 20.Rxf6+ Black resigned
With almost 300 games in The Database, Bill Wall does two things very well: experiment and win. The following strange game has only 50% of that, however.
It contains enough excitement for a half-dozen games. It is well worth close examination.
Wall, Bill - Vilmos
PlayChess.com, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qf5+
So many of Bill's games include moves that prompt the response "He can't do that, can he?". Here Bill plays with the "nudge" in this line, which usually appears as 7.Qd5+ (or doesn't appear at all, as in 7.Qxc5).
Anyone wishing to follow in Bill's footsteps will need to study this game closely.
7...Qf6
Offering to exchange Queens is natural, but, as White's plans to move on, 7... Nf6 might be a bit stronger.
8.Qxc5 d6
Not surprisingly, Bill has been this way before:
8...Nf4 was seen in Wall,B - Tony7, PlayChess.com, 2011, (1-0, 48);
8...N8e7 was seen in Wall,B - Doantaung, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 18); and
8...c6 9.O-O Nh6 10.d4 d6 11.Qc4+ Be6 12.Qb4 Qe7 13.Bxh6 gxh6 14.f4 Nf8 15.f5 Bc8 16.Nd2 b5 17.Qb3+ Ke8 18.Qc3 Bb7 19.f6 Qf7 20.e5 dxe5 21.dxe5 Ne6 22.Ne4 Kd7 23.Nd6 Black resigned, Wall,B - Smith,R, Chess.com, 2010.
9.Qxc7+ N8e7 10.O-O Rd8
This offer of a Rook is a very, very strange move. I hope Bill appreciated it. (I hope it was not simply a "blunder" by Black.)
Previously Bill had met 10...Be6 in Wall,B - Guest2900292, PlayChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 24).
The move 10...Nf4!? leads to crazy complications, but is the way to go if Black wants to try to win. A sample: 11.d3 Nxg2 12.e5 (12.Kxg2 Bh3+ 13.Kg3 [13.Kxh3? Qf3+ mates] 13...Rhc8 14.Qa5 Rc5 15.Qxc5 dxc5 Black is winning) 12...dxe5 13.Nc3 Nh4 14.Ne4 Qc6 15.Qxc6 Nxc6 16.f4 Kg6 17.fxe5 Bg4 18.Bd2 Nxe5 when Black has a piece for a pawn, and White's compensation is lacking.
11. Qxd8 Nh4
Shades of Blackburne's double Rook sacrifice, Black also had 11...Bh3!? 12.Qxa8 Nh4 13.Qxb7 Nf3+ 14.Kh1 Bxg2+ 15.Kxg2 Nh4+ 16.Kg3 Qf3+ 17.Kxh4 Qf4+ 18.Kh3 Qf3+ although it only leads to a draw.
The move in the game should lead to the same result.
12.f3
Stockfish 6 recommends, instead, 12.f4, leading eventually to a draw, but the analysis can go on for a long time, and the position is tactically rich. Here is a sampling:
12.f4 Qg6 (12...Bh3 13.Qa5 [13.Qxa8? Qg6 mates] 13...Bxg2 14.Qh5+ g6 15.Qe2 Bxf1 16.Qxf1 Qd4+ 17.Qf2 d5 White has an edge) 13.Rf2 Nxg2 (13...Bh3 14.Qa5 [14.Qxa8? allows mate after 14...Nxg2] 14...Nf3+ 15.Kf1 Nxh2+ 16.Kg1 Nf3+ 17.Kf1 Nh2+ draw) 14.f5 Bxf5 15.Rxg2 (15.exf5 Qg4 16.h3 [16.Qxa8? Ne3+ mates] 16...Qg3 17.Qxe7+ [17.Qxa8 Ne3+ 18.Kh1 Qxh3+ mates] 17...Kxe7 18.Rxg2 Qe1+ 19.Kh2 Qxc1 20.Rxg7+ Kf8 21.Rg1 Qxc2 Black is better; or 15.Rxf5+ Ke6 16.Qxa8 Nh4+ 17.Kf1 Qg2+ 18.Ke1 Qxe4+ 19.Kd1 Qh1+ 20.Ke2 Nhxf5 21.c3 Nh4 22.Qf8 Qxc1 Black is better) 15...Qxg2+ 16.Kxg2 Bxe4+ 17.Kf2 Rxd8 18.d3 Bc6 even game.
12...Bh3 13.Qa5
The strongest move. White does not wish to be "Blackburned."
13...Bxg2
Black slips, or perhaps his heart has had enough excitement and he is looking for the draw. After 13...Qg6!? 14.g3 Bxf1 15. Kxf1 Nxf3 16.Kf2 Nd4 Black has enough threats to not only balance his 2-pawn deficit, he holds an advantage. Crazy!
14.Rf2 Qg6 15.d3 d5 16.Nd2 Bh3+ 17.Kh1 Bg2+ 18.Kg1 Bh3+ Draw
Another Bill Wall game, a win with the Jerome Gambit, which leaves observers fuming, "He can't do that, can he?"
Wall,B - Guest2900292
Playchess.com, 19.11.2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qf5+
A different kind of "nudge" than the usual 7.Qd5+. The reason will be apparent in a couple of moves.
7...Qf6 8.Qxc5 d6
or 8...Nf4, Wall, Bill - Tony7, Playchess.com, 2011 (1-0, 48);
or 8...c6, Wall, B - Smith, R., Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 23);
or 8...N8e7 Wall, B - Doantaung, Chess.com 2010 (1-0, 18)
9.Qxc7+ N8e7
10.0-0 Be6 11.Nc3 Rac8 12.Qxd6
Not only is White attacking with his Queen, he's gobbling pawns. He can't do that, can he?
12...Qe5 13.Qa3 Rhf8 14.Qxa7 Bc4 15.d3 Be6 16.f4 Qc5+
That's one way to stop White's Queen.
17.Qxc5 Rxc5 18.f5 Nxf5 19.exf5 Rxf5 20.Rxf5+ Bxf5
The smoke has cleared, and White is up three pawns.
21.Be3 Ne5 22.Rf1 Kg8 23.Bc5 Rf7 24.Re1 Black resigned
Spend any time at a book store looking at its selection of chess titles and you will probably run into at least one book offering Play X and Win! – with "X" being the particular opening that the author is enthusiastic about. Thumb through the volume and you will be convinced that you have to play X!
Wander down the book shelf, however, and you may well encounter Play X and Be Destroyed!, the effort of another author (or, perhaps, the same one) to convince you that playing X is the road to ruin!
If your book store has a very comprehensive chess section, even further down the book shelf will be Smashing the Destroyers of X!, and perhaps even the hot-off-the-presses response, Crushing the Smashers of the Destroyers of X!
As Ken Smith wrote in a series of pamphlets on the Blackmar Diemer Gambit
For every White initiative a better defense always seems to present itself for Black, and for every refutation the Black side recommends improvements are found for White.
How much easier it is with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+)! As early as the July 1874 Dubuque Chess Journal its editor put the opening in proper perspective
and White has a pawn ahead
Note: It should be understood that Mr. Jerome claims in this New Opening "only a pleasant variation of the Giuoco Piano, which may win or lose according to the skill of the players, but which is capable of affording many new positions and opportunities for heavy blows unexpectedly."
