The Jerome Gambit gives rise to many questions. A few are examined in the following game.
Wall, Bill - Guest4660121
PlayChess.com, 2018
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Nf6
Black has so many ways to return some of the sacrificed material. This cold-blooded focus on development has been looked at before, as it is quite playable, and White needs to keep his wits about himself.
What a great way to surprise the attacker (except, in this case, White has been there, seen that.)
7.dxe5 Bxf2+
What Jerome Gambit player hasn't been the recipient of one of the many return Bishop sacrifices? Sometimes the gift is chosen after analysis of the position, sometimes it is chosen after psycho-analysis of the player.
Instead of stretching for a surprise, however, the defender might simply work on playing a strong move. Indeed, 7...Qe8 or 7...Qe7 should be looked at, according to Stockfish. Neither can be found in The Database. (Hmmm... Are those moves included in the "Jerome Gambit Secrets" series?)
The thoughtful 7...Nxe4 was seen, for example, in Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016}(1-0, 16) and Wall, B - TenAndOnly10, lichess.org, 2016 (1-0, 21).
8.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 9.Kg1
Instead, 9.Ke1 Qh4+!? was seen in Wall,B - Guest371494, PlayChess.com, 2018, (1-0, 21) ("Interesting, but it doesn't work" says Bill.)
9...d5
Or 9...Rf8 as in Wall,B - Guest902091, PlayChess.com, 2017 (1-0, 17) and Wall,B -Guest7889049, PlayChess.com, 2018 (1-0, 12)
10.Qf3+ Ke8
The alternative, 10...Kg6, is about equally strong, although Black's King can hardly feel safe there, and there's always the lesson of Wall,B - Szachowski, playok.com, 2017 (1-0, 20)
11.Nc3 Nxc3 12.Qxc3 Be6
An "objective" analysis of the position would suggest an even game, but it is essential to remember the old Jerome Gambit warning: whenever White has equalized, he has the advantage. There are many practical reasons why this is so.
13.Be3 b6
Here is one: Black relaxes too soon.
He might have tried 13...c6, although that didn't turn out too well in Wall,B - MyDrunkAccount, lichess.org, 2016' (1-0, 20).
Perhaps: 13...Qd7.
14.Qc6+ Ke7
And here is another kind of reaction to Jerome Gambit equality: any old move will do. (Probably 14...Bd7, instead, was best.)
15.Bg5+ Black resigned
The Jerome Gambit leads to some strange games. However, some games are stranger than others.
The following game is the strangest one that I have seen in a while.
Wall, Bill - Guest371494
PlayChess.com, 2018
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Nf6
So far, pretty "normal" - for a Jerome. Black's choice to keep developing and let White "waste" time recovering one of two sacrificed pieces is reasonable, if not best.
7.dxe5 Bxf2+
Black decides to return another piece, as well. Suddenly White's King is exposed.
8.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 9.Ke1
The position is kind of strange - but not unknown. In fact, it is difficult to find a line that is totally unfamiliar to Bill. For example, previously he has played:
9.Kg1 Rf8 (9...d5 10.Nc3 (10.Qf3+ Kg6 11.Nc3 Rf8 12.Qd3 Bf5 13.Nxd5 c6 14.Nf4+ Kf7 15.Qc4+ Ke8 16.Be3 g5 17.Nh5 Bg6 18.Qe6+ Qe7 19.Ng7+ Kd8 20.Rd1+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Szachowski, playok.com, 2017) 10...Nxc3 11.Qf3+ Ke8 12.Qxc3 Be6 13.Be3 c6 14.Rd1 Rf8 15.h3 Qh4 16.Rd4 Qg3 17.Rd3 Qg6 18.Kh2 Kd7 19.Qb4 b5 20.Qd6+ Black resigned, Wall,B - MyDrunkAccount, lichess.org, 2016) 10.Qd5+ Ke8 11.Qxe4 Qe7 (11...Rf7 12.Nc3 d6 13.exd6+ Kf8 14.Qxh7 Qxd6 15.Qh8+ Ke7 16.Bg5+ Kd7 17.Rd1 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest902091, PlayChess.com, 2017) 12.Nc3 Black resigned,Wall,B - Guest7889049, PlayChess.com, 2018.
9...Qh4+
This is an interesting and consistent idea - not found elsewhere in The Database - but it doesn't work. The pedestrian 9...d5 was more likely to be of help.
10.g3 Nxg3 11.Qd5+
This is why Black's idea doesn't work, as White protects his Rook.
11...Ke7 12.hxg3 Qxg3+ 13.Ke2 Rf8 14.Be3 d6
The typical Jerome Gambit roles have been reversed: White has the extra piece, Black has two extra pawns.
15.exd6+ cxd6 16.Nc3 Rf5
Some things in the Jerome Gambit don't change, however. Once again, Black's Bishop is at home, blocking a Rook. White's active pieces are ready to make the difference.
17.Rag1 Qxg1 18.Rxg1 Rxd5 19.Nxd5+ Kf7 20.Rf1+ Ke6 21.Nc7+ Black resigned
After the upcoming Nxa8, even if Black recovers the cornered Knight (not likely, as the Bishop will help it escape) he will remain down a Rook.
Sometimes a computer chess engine will recommend a line of play which is "objectively" better than an alternative that a human might choose. Yet there might be good reasons to choose the "worse" line of play, if it is tricky and has some traps. See the note to Black's 7th move.
On the other hand, sometimes "human" moves fall short, as well. See the note to Black's 9th move.
Wall, Bill - Guest902091
PlayChess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Nf6
Black has so many ways to return some of the sacrificed material!
7.dxe5 Bxf2+
This move appears in 10 previous games appearing in The Database, with White scoring 70%. However, that is not the whole story.
Stockfish 8 recommends, instead 7...Qe7!?, which does not show up in any of the games in The Database. White does best to grab a second piece with 8.exf6, but then is faced with how to answer 8...Qxe4+.
Probably best is 9.Kf1 which we will come back to in a moment, after first examining the messy 9.Be3.
Black can respond to this latter move with 9...Bxe3 10.fxe3 Qxe3+ 11.Qe2 when the exchange of Queens would leave him a pawn up. Or he could go for 11...Qc1+ when 12.Kf2 is the offer of a Rook, i.e. 12...Qxh1, although it does not turn out well for the second player: 13.Qe7+ Kg6 14.Qxg7+ Kf5 15.Nc3 Qxh2 (taking the other Rook with 15...Qxa1 leads to mate) 16.Rf1 and Black's position is miserable as he has only 16...Qf4+ to help him extend the game, but 17.Kg1 Qxf1+ 18.Kxf1 still is hopeless. After visiting c1, Black's Queen should return to f4 with check, and eventually wind up a pawn ahead, again.
Going back to the computer-recommended 9.Kf1, Black responds with 9...Qf5 and after 10.Qf3 Qxf3 11.gxf3 d5!? he is a bit better (better pawn structure, two Bishops, equally insecure Kings) even if White finds 12.h4!? to prevent ...Bh3+, forcing his King into the center where the enemy Rooks can roam.
By the way, Bill dispatched 7...Nxe4 quickly in a couple of games: Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016 (1-0, 16) and Wall,B - TenAndOnly10, lichess.org, 2016 (1-0, 21)
8.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 9.Kg1 Rf8
Preparing to castle-by-hand, a standard defensive plan in the Jerome Gambit; but overlooking the Queen check at d5 - odd, in that his Bishop sacrifice seemed aimed against that same eventuality.
Instead, 9...d5 would be about even, although Bill has a couple of wins against the move: Wall,B - MyDrunkAccount, lichess.org, 2016 (1-0, 20) and Wall,B - Szachowski, playok.com, 2017 (1-0, 20).
10.Qd5+ Ke8 11.Qxe4 Rf7 12.Nc3 d6
This hurries Black's demise.
13.exd6+ Kf8 14.Qxh7 Qxd6 15.Qh8+ Ke7 16.Bg5+ Kd7 17.Rd1 Black resigned
Pushing a Rook pawn can be wise or unwise; you can't always tell. A lot depends upon the position. A quick look will not always let you know. You might just reject such a move, on principle, only to learn later that it was best.
Wall, Bill - Szachowski
playok.com, 2017
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Nf6
7.dxe5 Bxf2+
I referred to this move as "interesting" in a previous post.
An alternative is the straightforward 7...Nxe4 8.Qd5+ Kf8 (8...Ke8 9.Qxe4 Bxf2+ 10.Kxf2 Rf8+ 11.Kg1 d5 12.exd6+ Kd7 13.Nc3 Qf6 14.Bf4 g5 15.Rd1 cxd6 16.Rxd6+ Black resigned, Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016) 9.Qxe4 d6 10.O-O Be6 11.Nc3 a6 12.Be3 Bb6 13.Rad1 d5 14.Nxd5 Bxd5 15.Rxd5 Qe7 16.Bxb6 cxb6 17.Rfd1 Qe6 18.Rd6 Qxa2 19.Qf5+ Qf7 20.Rd8+ Ke7 21.Qd7 checkmate, Wall,B - TenAndOnly10, lichess.org, 2016
Stockfish 8 prefers 7...Qe7.
8.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 9.Kg1 d5 10.Qf3+
On par with the earlier 10.Nc3 Nxc3 11.Qf3+ Ke8 12.Qxc3 Be6 13.Be3 c6 14.Rd1 Rf8 15.h3 Qh4 16.Rd4 Qg3 17.Rd3 Qg6 18.Kh2 Kd7 19.Qb4 b5 20.Qd6+ Black resigned, Wall,B - MyDrunkAccount, lichess.org, 2016.
10...Kg6 11.Nc3 Rf8 12.Qd3 Bf5 13.Nxd5 c6
Stockfish 8 suggests that Black would maintain a slight edge with 13...h6, which is not the kind of move one usually chooses against a gambit.
14.Nf4+ Kf7 15.Qc4+ Ke8 16.Be3 g5 17.Nh5 Bg6
The reinforcement arrives - just in time to face a forced checkmate.
18.Qe6+ Qe7 19.Ng7+ Kd8 20.Rd1+ Black resigned
