The story of the following game is straight-forward: after a few chuckles in the opening, complications ensue. In complicated positions, stronger players are more likely to find their way, while more average players are more likely to get lost. And so it goes...
Wall, Bill - Guest2910393
PlayChess.com, 2019
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 Qf6
I always get a chuckle out of this move. Black simply threatens to play ...Nf3+, winning the - currently - unprotected White Queen. Maybe. The move is as old as Jerome - Norton, correspondence, 1876 (unfinished).
7...Qf6 is a good move, Stockfish 10's second choice, behind 7...d6.
Furthermore, The Database - a reasonably representative sample of online club chess play - has 180 games with 7...Qf6, with White scoring only 40%.
Interestingly enough, The Datbase has 21 games where White does not move or protect his Queen, and Black executes the King-and-Queen-fork. However, there are 40 games where White does not move or protect his Queen, and Black overlooks the King-and-Queen-fork. Ooooops.
This split is illustrated in the experience of a long-time Jerome Gambit player who has 187 games in The Database, and who has been forked 3 times from this position. However, 8 other times his opponent was presented with the opportunity, but missed the Knight check.
Chaos runs deep in the Jerome Gambit. Club play is not a simple thing.
8.Qc5
This move is Bill's favorite, although he has also tried 8.Nd2, 8.Be3, 8.Qc3, 8.Qd2 and 8.Qe3.
8...Ne7 9.Nc3
In an earlier game Bill grabbed a pawn, and then slowly ground down his opponent: 9.Qxc7 b6 10.Qc3 Ba6 11.Qa3 Qg6 12.Qxa6 Qxe4+ 13.Kf1 Qxc2 14.Nc3 Nd3 15.Be3 Rac8 16.Qa3 Qxb2 17.Qxb2 Nxb2 18.Bd2 Nf5 19.Re1 Nd6 20.Re2 Ndc4 21.Be1 Rce8 22.Nb5 Nd3 23.Bc3 a6 24.Nc7 Rc8 25.Nxa6 Nce5 26.Bd2 Rc4 27.g3 Ra8 28.Nb4 d6 29.Nxd3 Nxd3 30.Re3 Ne5 31.a3 Rd4 32.Bb4 Nc6 33.Kg2 Ra6 34.Rf3+ Ke6 35.Re1+ Kd5 36.Rf5+ Ne5 37.Bxd6 Kxd6 38.Rfxe5 Rxa3 39.Re6+ Kd7 40.Rxb6 Ra7 41.Rbe6 Rda4 42.h4 R4a5 43.f4 Ra1 44.Rxa1 Rxa1 45.Re5 Ra7 46.Kf3 Kd6 47.Kg4 Ra3 48.h5 Ra1 49.Re8 Rb1 50.f5 Rb7 51.Kg5 Rb4 52.Rg8 Rb7 53.g4 Rc7 54.Rh8 h6+ 55.Kg6 Ra7 56.Rg8 Ra4 57.Kh7 Ke5 58.Rxg7 Kf4 59.Kxh6 Black resigned, Wall,B - Computer-13, Chess.com, 2017.
9...Ng4
10.f3 Ne5 11.Qxc7
Grabbing the pawn, after all.
11...N7c6 12.O-O
A complicated position. Black has an extra piece for two pawns, and is slightly better developed, although he has the standard problem often facing those who defend against Jerome Gambit: his pawn blocks his Bishop which blocks his Rook... A significant factor is that White's Queen is a bit trapped in the enemy position, and Stockfish 10 suggests White work towards b2-b3, Ba3, and then Qd6, exchanging the Queen. If Black could then focus on untangling his pieces, he would maintain an edge.
12...Kg6
The first of two puzzling moves that end the game.
My guess is that Black was unpinning his d-pawn so that it could advance, but the King move is too risky.
13.Nd5
White now has the advantage in a tricky position, but Black is not finished with his surprises.
13...Qe6 14.Nf4+
Black resigned
For some players, a draw is equivalent to losing a half point. To others, it is the same as winning a half point. In the following game, Bill was probably slightly disappointed, but his opponent had every reason to be glad - unless, of course, you think that drawing against a "refuted" opening is underperforming.
Wall, Bill - NN
Florida, 2019
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8
Black is either happy with accepting only one sacrificed piece, or he is trying to throw White off of his game, by playing something "different". This latter strategy needs to be examined, as the main lines of the offbeat Jerome Gambit are often stronger for Black than the backroads.
The Database has 269 games with 5...Kf8; White scores 55%. More importantly, before the current game Bill was 15-0 against the move.
6.O-O
Bill has also played 6.Nxc6 in Wall,B - WMXW, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 31), and Wall,B - Guest709079, PlayChess.com, 2017 (1-0, 30).
He has tried the interesting 6.d4 in Wall,B - Tim93612, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 36), Wall, B. - Guest757851, PlayChess.com, 2014, (1-0, 42), and Wall,B - Guest6399506, PlayChess.com, 2015 (1-0, 24).
6...Nf6
Or 6...Nxe5 Wall,B - Mazanbaku, lichess.org, 2017, (1-0, 15); Wall,B - Guest1442, chesstempo.com, 2017, (1-0, 21); billwall - DeDrijver, Chess.com, 2012,
(1-0, 20); Wall,B - Guest423598, PlayChess.com, 2017, (1-0, 19); and Wall,B - Guest5244307, PlayChess.com, 2019 (1-0, 16).
Or 6...Qf6 as in Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016, (1-0, 13); Wall,B - Computer-level 6, chess.com 2017 (by transposition), (1-0, 47); and Wall,B -Guest4658155, PlayChess.com, 2019, (1-0, 29).
Or 6... d6 as in Wall,B - Anonymous, lichess, 2016, (1-0, 26) and Wall,B - Guest399227, PlayChess.com, 2016,(1-0, 17).
7.Nd3
This is a novelty, according to The Database.
7...Bb6 8.e5 Ne8
It is not immediately clear, but 8...Ng8 was stronger. The text move gives White chances that he is not particularly interested in.
9.Qf3+ Kg8 10.Nc3
Bill refrains from repeated checks that would leade to a draw, i.e. 10.Qd5+ Kf8 11.Qf3+ Kg8 12.Qd5+, etc. Black could respond, of course, by interposing the Knight - 11...Nf6 - but after 12.exf6 Qxf6 13.Qxf6+ gxf6 he would simply be a pawn down, with no compensation.
10...a6
This move gave me a chuckle. "Objectively", it is an error, as it allows White to pursue the draw, mentioned above, when clearly Black is still better. On the other hand, perhaps Black was okay with a draw, or sensed that his opponent would not be interested in splitting the point so early in the game.
11.Qd5+ Kf8
Just checking.
12.Na4
Avoiding the draw.
12...Ba7
See the earlier comments. He could have taken the draw off of the table with 12...Qe7
13.b3
ibid.
13...d6
op. cit.
14.Ba3 Qe7
There you have it: no draw. (For now.)
White is happy to continue his focus on the enemy King.
Black is happy to continue to do "a whole lot of nothing". Note the impact of his dark square Bishop.
15.exd6 cxd6 16.Rae1 Nf6 17.Qf3 Qd8 18.Nc3 h6
19.Nf4
An interesting, if complicated, alternative was 19.Ne4!? Kg8 20.Nxd6, although both 20...Bg4 and 20...Nd4 would keep the game in flux.
Instead, Bill goes with the concrete threat, and his opponent misses the idea that giving up the exchange might well be an effective sacrifice.
19...Kg8 20.Ng6 Rh7
Saving the Rook by burying it. There was something to be said for 20...Kh7!? 21.Nxh8 Kxh8, when White would have a Rook and two pawns for a couple of pieces - and Black might still have an edge.
21.Nd5
A move with poison. Of course, not now 21...Nxd5, as 22.Qxd5+ Be6 23.Qxd6 checkmate. Ouch. In the meantime, e7 seems to beckon to the Knights.
21...Bc5
22.Bxc5
Could be time pressure, otherwise Bill might have settled for simply stoking his attack with 22.Bb2. Stockfish 10 recommends 22.b4, which seems to over-complicate things. Instead, the attack seems to lag.
22...dxc5 23.c4 Qd6 24.Qd3 Nd4
Black's Rooks are still parked in their respective garages, but the advantage in material threatens to become a factor.
25.Nxf6+
Another way was 25.Nge7+ Kh8 26.Ng6+ Kg8 27.Nge7+, etc.
25...gxf6 26.Re8+ Kf7 27.Re7+ Kg8 28.Re8+ Kf7 29.Re7+ Kg8 Draw
Although one of the strikes against the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is the early and active deployment of White's Queen, the following game stands out in the amount of defensive activity by Black's Queen - alas, in a losing effort.
Wall, Bill - Guest10348707
PlayChess.com, 2019
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 d6
It is fascinating how many ways Black can defend against the Jerome Gambit. Here, he doesn't bother choosing which attacked piece to save and which to give up, he simply opens a line for more development, and lets White decide. The Database has 32 games with this position; White scores 55%.
7.dxe5
The Database has 16 games, with this capture, with White scoring 53%.
Of course, Bill has tried the other capture as well: 7.dxc5 Bg4 (or 7...Nf6 8.cxd6 cxd6 (8...Qxd6 9.Qe2 (9.Qxd6 cxd6 10.Nc3 Re8 11.f3 d5 12.Nb5 Re7 13.f4 Nc6 14.e5 Ne4 15.Be3 Bf5 16.O-O a6 17.Nd4 Nxd4 18.Bxd4 Kg8 19.g3 Rc8 20.c3 Rf7 21.Kg2 b5 22.a3 a5 23.Rfd1 b4 24.axb4 axb4 25.Rac1 Rfc7 26.Kg1 g5 27.fxg5 Nxg5 28.Kf2 Be4 29.Ra1 bxc3 30.bxc3 Nf3 31.g4 Re7 32.Kg3 Nxe5 33.Rf1 Nc6 34.Bf6 Re6 35.Rf4 Ne5 36.Ra3 Bg6 37.Rf2 Nd3 38.Rf3 Ne1 39.Rf1 Re3+ 40.Kf2 Rce8 41.Bd4 Rf3+ 42.Kg1 Rd3 43.Bf2 Nf3+ 44.Kg2 d4 45.Rc1 Be4 White resigned, Wall,B - Guest8299674, PlayChess.com, 2016) 9...Re8 10.Nc3 Neg4 11.Bd2 Kg8 12.O-O-O Be6 13.f4 Qa6 14.Qxa6 bxa6 15.Rde1 Rab8 16.h3 Nh6 17.f5 Bf7 18.g4 Nxe4 19.Rxe4 Rxe4 20.Nxe4 Re8 21.Re1 Bd5 22.Nf6+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Amsamms, lichess.org, 2017) 9.O-O Rf8 10.Nc3 h6 (10...Be6 11.Nb5 Bg4 12.Qxd6 Qxd6 13.Nxd6+ Kg8 14.f3 Bd7 15.Rd1 Bc6 16.Be3 Nc4 17.Nxc4 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest3858723, PlayChess.com, 2013) 11.f4 Bg4 12.Qd2 Nc4 13.Qd3 Rc8 14.b3 Nb6 15.Bb2 Kg8 16.Nb5 d5 17.e5 Nh5 18.f5 Qg5 19.Nd6 Rcd8 20.h3 Bxh3 21.Qxh3 Nf4 22.Qf3 Rxd6 23.exd6 Rxf5 24.Rae1 Nd7 25.Re8+ Kh7 26.Re7 Black resigned,Wall,B - Guest2408457, PlayChess.com, 2018; or 7...a6 8.cxd6 Nf6 9.O-O Re8 10.f4 Neg4 11.h3 Nxe4 12.hxg4 Bd7 13.f5 Kg8 14.Bf4 cxd6 15.Nc3 Qb6+ 16.Kh2 Bc6 17.Nd5 Qxb2 18.Nc7 Rab8 19.Nxe8 Rxe8 20.g5 Nc3 21.Qg4 Qxc2 22.f6 Qe2 23.Qh3 Nb5 24.Rae1 Qxe1 25.Rxe1 Nc7 26.f7+ Kxf7 27.Qf5+ Kg8 28.Bxd6 h5 29.g6 Ne6 30.Rxe6 Rd8 31.Qxh5 Bxg2 32.Qh7 checkmate, Wall,B - Computer-level 8, Chess.com, 2017) 8.Qd5+ Be6 9.Qxb7 Nf6 10.Nc3 Rf8 11.f4 Nfg4 12.fxe5 dxe5 13.Nd5 Kg8 14.Bd2 Rb8 15.Qxc7 Bxd5 16.Qxd8 Rbxd8 17.exd5 Rxd5 18.h3 Rfd8 19.c6 Nf6 20.O-O-O Rc5 21.Rhe1 e4 22.Bc3 Rxd1+ 23.Kxd1 Rxc6 24.Bxf6 gxf6 25.Rxe4 Kf7 26.g4 Kg6 27.Ra4 a6 28.Ra5 Rd6+ 29.Ke2 Re6+ 30.Kf3 Rc6 31.c3 Rb6 32.b3 Rd6 33.h4 Rd3+ 34.Kf4 Rxc3 35.Rxa6 Rd3 36.h5+ Kf7 37.Ra7+ Kg8 38.Kf5 Rf3+ 39.Ke6 h6 40.b4 Rf4 41.b5 Rxg4 42.b6 Rb4 43.b7 f5 44.Ra8+ Kg7 45.b8=Q Rxb8 46.Rxb8 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest8860423, PlayChess.com, 2019.
7...Be6 8.O-O h6 9.Qh5+
Bill has also played the more sedate 9.Nc3 g6 10.Qf3+ Ke7 11.Bf4 g5 12.Bg3 Bd4 13.exd6+ cxd6 14.Rad1 Bc5 15.e5 d5 16.Nxd5+ Bxd5 17.Rxd5 Qb6 18.e6 Nf6 19.Rd7+ Nxd7 20.Qf7+ Kd8 21.Qxd7 checkmate, Wall,B -Guest3664337, PlayChess.com, 2018
9...Kf8 10.Qf3+ Ke7 11.Bf4 Qf8
An exchange of Queens would help Black.
12.exd6+ cxd6 13.Nc3 a6
It is not immediately clear what is wrong with this move, or, rather, how the alternative, 13...Rc8, would have been better. Upon examination, the Bishop at c5 will need more support, and the Rook will be less at risk at c8.
14.e5 dxe5 15.Qxb7+ Kf6 16.Ne4+ Kf5 17.Nxc5 Qxc5
18.Be3
There was also 18...Qxa8.
18...Qc8
Black protects his Rook and hopes for an exchange of Queens. Alas, the position is more complicated than that. His best was the alternative, 18...Qf8, covering the pawn at g7 as well, but then 19.f4!? would threaten to open the f-file and allow White's Rook to attack the enemy King and Queen. If, then, 19...Kg6 20.fxe5 Rb8 21.Qxa6 Qc8 (the Black Queen is working hard on defense), White refocuses his attentions on the King with 22.Qd3+. The initiative, plus 4 pawns for the sacrificed piece, give the first player the clear advantage. In fact, Stockfish 10 points out that White now has a checkmate in 32 moves!
19.Qxg7 Nf6 20.f4 Qg8
21.fxe5+ Kxe5 22.Qc7+ Kd5 23.Qc5+ Ke4 24.Rf4 checkmate
The following Jerome Gambit game is rather "ordinary", with White slowly gaining control over the game - followed by a nice tactical shot to take the game toward the full point.
Wall, Bill - Guest4658155
PlayChess.com, 2019
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8
This move always gives me a smile. Black is happy with one piece, and so moves his King, leaving the White Knight hanging. The earliest analysis was by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, in 1874. "Objectively" best, now, is for the first player to exchange off the piece.
6.O-O
Bill insists on the piece offer, getting his King out of the way and putting his Rook on the useful f-file.
6...Qf6
Black still declines.
Bill has seen the tardy 6...Nxe5 (billwall - DeDrijver, Chess.com, 2012, [1-0, 20] ) as well as 6...d6 (Wall,B - Guest399227, PlayChess.com, 2016 [1-0, 17] and Wall,B - Anonymous, lichess.org, 2016 [1-0, 26])
7.Nxc6
Oh, very well...
7...dxc6
Or 7...Qxc6, as in Wall,B - computer level 6, Chess.com, 2017 (1-0, 44)
8.Nc3 Be6 9.d3 Rd8 10.Be3 Bd6
Black looks like he is doing just fine, but Stockfish 10 is suspicious, and awards White a slight edge. Can you see why? (The "Jerome pawns" can cause mischief.)
11.f4 Bb4 12.e5 Qg6 13.f5 Bxf5 14.g4 Ne7 15.Kh1 Ke8 16.gxf5 Nxf5
17.Qf3 Nxe3
Winning the "minor exchange" seems reasonable, but Black would have done better by following up on his 15th move by playing 17...Rf8.
18.Qxe3 b6 19.Ne4 Rf8 20.a3 Be7
The poor Bishop moves, once again.
21.Qh3 Rd5
It is not immediately clear that this is an error - but that is what chess is all about.
22.Nd6+
This move wins the exchange - 22...Rxd6 23.exd6 Qxd6 - if Black responds properly. Instead, he goes astray and allows checkmate.
22...Bxd6 23.Qc8+ Ke7 24.exd6+ Rxd6 25.Rae1+ Re6 26.Qxc7+ Ke8 27.Qc8+ Ke7 28.Qxf8+ Kd7 29.Rf7+ Black resigned
To follow: 29...Qxf7 30.Qxf7+ Kd6 31.Rxe6+ Kc6 32.Qf5+ Kd4 33.Re4 checkmate
With the proliferation of computer engines in the chess world, the notion of a "computer-like" move - not the kind of thing that a person might easily come up with - has become frequent in game discussion or analysis. There are some "computer-like" moves in the following game - but a better word might be "inscrutible".
Wall, Bill - Computer-level 8
Chess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 d6
A reasonable move, aiming to develop and allowing its opponent to choose which piece to recapture. White has scored 50% in the couple dozen games in The Database.
7. dxc5 a6
This is a bit odd, however, and a novelty according to The Database. More frequently seen is the consistent 7...Nf6.
8.cxd6 Nf6 9.O-O Re8
The pawn on d6 will hang for several more moves.
10.f4 Neg4 11.h3 Nxe4 12.hxg4 Bd7
The computer continues to go its own way. It has returned the extra piece. White has an edge.
13.f5 Kg8 14.Bf4 cxd6 15.Nc3
Qb6+ 16.Kh2 Bc6 17.Nd5
Bill is willing to mix it up tactically with the computer.
17...Qxb2 18.Nc7 Rab8
Stockfish 8 suggests, instead, the following well-balanced mess, with White for choice: 18...Nf2 19.Qd2 Nxg4+ 20.Kh1 Nf6 21.Nxa8 Rxa8 22.Rfb1 Qa3 23.Bxd6 Qh3+ 24.Kg1
Qg4 25.Be5 Ne4 26.Qf4 Qxf4 27.Bxf4 Rf8 28.Be3 Rxf5 29.Rb3 Ng3 30.Re1 Rh5
31.Bf4 Rh1+ 32.Kf2 Ne4+ 33.Ke2 Rh5 34.Kd1. I can understand the preference for the text.
19.Nxe8 Rxe8 20.g5
Nc3
The battle rages. Black's loss of the exchange will be considered either a blunder or a sacrifice depending on how the game turns out. In the meantime, White prefers to move the attention to the Kingside.
21. Qg4 Qxc2 22. f6 Qe2
Feeling the heat, Black offers the exchange of Queens.
23.Qh3 Nb5
Stockfish 8 now snarkily points out that White has a checkmate in 28 moves!
The game does not last that long.
24.Rae1 Qxe1 25.Rxe1 Nc7
Very strange. Why not 25...Rxe1?
White now relentlessly closes in on Black's King with computer-like precision.
26.f7+ Kxf7 27.Qf5+ Kg8 28.Bxd6 h5 29.g6 Ne6 30.Rxe6 Rd8 31.Qxh5 Bxg2 32.Qh7 checkmate
Here we have another human - computer battle, where the silicon beast can not make sense out of the Jerome Gambit, even as human observers might not be able to make sense out of some of the computer's moves.
Wall, Bill - Computer-level 6
Chess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 6.O-O
This move really got me thinking. Bill has played it before, but it is arguably not the "objectively best" move, so I have to wonder what he had in mind. He could have been avoiding "book" lines. He could have been forcing the computer to "think" on its own - and we will see that it doesn't do a masterly job of that.
6...Qf6
Instead, 6...Nxe5 was seen in billwall - DeDrijver, Chess.com, 2012 (1-0, 20) while 6...d6 was seen in Wall,B - Anonymous, lichess.org, 2016 (1-0, 26) and Wall,B - Guest399227, PlayChess.com, 2016 (1-0, 17)
7.Nxc6 Qxc6
Preserving the pawn structure, which did not happen (not that it mattered much) in Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016: 7...dxc6 8. Nc3 Bd6 9. d4 h6 10. e5 Bxe5 11. dxe5 Qxe5 12. Re1 Qg5 13. Bxg5 Black resigned.
8.d4 Bb6 9.Nc3 d6 10.Bg5
The Bishop often goes here to attack a Knight at f6. But why wait?
10...Qe8 11.f4 Qg6
Here we see an interesting reversal of roles: usually in the Jerome Gambit it is White's Queen that moves repeatedly.
12.h4
Bill suggests he could have advanced the other Rook pawn as well.
12...Qe8 13.f5 Ba5
14.f6 gxf6
Stockfish 8 suggests 14...Bxc3 first, leading to an even game.
15.Qf3 Qf7 16.Nd5 h5
This does not look like the strongest defense. It is hard to see what it accomplishes.
17.Bxf6 Nxf6 18.Nxf6 Be6 19.Qg3 Ke7
Escaping the deadly f-file, although material will be lost.
20.Nd5+ Bxd5 21.Rxf7+ Bxf7 22.Qg5+ Kd7 23.Qxa5 b6
White has a Queen and a pawn for a Rook and a Bishop.
24.Qb5+ c6 25.Qf5+ Be6 26.Qf6 Rh7
Shouldn't a Rook have gone to f8 instead?
27.d5 cxd5 28.exd5 Bg4 29.Re1 Rg8 30.Re3 Rc8 31.a4 Rc7 32.a5 bxa5 33.Re6 Rc5
Black's pieces cannot coordinate. Note, if 33...Bxe6 then 34.Qxe6+ Kd8 35.Qg8+ and a Rook will fall.
34.Rxd6+ Kc7 35.Rc6+ Rxc6 36.Qxc6+ Kd8 37.d6 a4
A human might resign here.
38.Qa8+ Bc8 39.c4 Rb7 40.c5 Rg7 41.Qf3 Rg6 42.Qf7 Re6 43.c6 Ba6 44.Qd7 checkmate
