Bleak Future

From "Jedi Mind Tricks"  to "Don't, Here" this blog has questioned the wisdom of declining the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit. So, when I came across a game by Bill Wall, there wasn't much to say, just share the game with Readers.

Wall, Bill -YNZP
FICS, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Ke7

Black not only declines the piece, he has his King step in the way of his Queen, preventing, at least for now, her standard BSG sally ...Qg4.

5.Bb3

White simply retires his Bishop. (5.Bxg8 works, too. 5.Nxe5 is needlessly complicating.) He can figure the rest out as the game progresses. Black's future is bleak.

5...Nf6 6.Nxd4 exd4 7. e5 Ne4

Stockfish 6 suggests instead 7...Qe8 8.exf6+ Kd8+ 9.Qe2 Qxe2+ 10.Kxe2 but that is hardly full of joy.

 8.d3 Nxf2

It turns out that the Knight has nowhere safe to go, and it would have to stay on e4 to protect g5 from Bg5+.

9.Qf3 Black resigned

White's threat of checkmate would prompt Black to play 9...d5, but after 10.exd6+ the defender would have the choice of losing his Queen after 10...Qxd6 11.Bg5+ Qf6 (everything else allows a quick mate) or 10...Kd7 11.Qf5+ Kc6 12.Ba4+ and the King will not survive very long.