Even though the Jerome Gambit is considered "objectively" a win for Black, it must be said that the second player does a good job in the following game of hanging in with a very strong member of the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde - until the very end.
Wall, Bill - HyperElastic
lichess.org, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 Qf6 8.Qc5
Avoiding the threat of ...Nf3+.
Bill has also played 8.Qe3 Ne7 9.O-O Rf8 10.Nc3 c6 11.f4 Ng4 12.Qd3 Kg8 13.h3 Nh6 14.Be3 Qf7 15.f5 b5 16.g4 Kh8 17.f6 Ng6 18.Bd4 gxf6 19.Rxf6 Qc4 20.Rxf8 checkmate, Wall,B - Tsyalex, PlayChess.com, 2015.
8...Qd6
Or 8...c6 9.f4 d6 10.fxe5 Qh4+ 11.Qf2+ Qxf2+ 12.Kxf2 dxe5 13.Nd2 Nf6 14.b3 Rf8 15.Ba3 Rd8 16.Ke3 Ng4+ 17.Ke2 Kg8 18.h3 Nf6 19.Bb2 Re8 20.Rhf1 b6 21.Ke3 Ba6 22.Rf5 Rad8 23.Rxe5 Rxe5 24.Bxe5 Re8 25.Bxf6 gxf6 26.Rd1 f5 27.c4 fxe4 28.Nxe4 c5 29.Kf4 Rf8+ 30.Kg5 Bc8 31.Nf6+ Kg7 32.Nh5+ Kg8 33.g4 Kh8 34.Re1 Rg8+ 35.Kh4 h6 36.Re7 Black resigned, Wall,B - Jatai, lichess.org, 2016.
9.Qc3
Previously:
9.Qb5 a6 10.Qb3+ Qe6 11.Qc3 Qd6 12.Qb3+ Qe6 13.Qc3 c6 14.O-O Nf6 15.Nd2 Rf8 16.f4 Neg4 17.h3 Nh6 18.g4 Nhxg4 19.f5 Qd6 20.hxg4 Nxg4 21.e5 Nxe5 22.Re1 Ng4 23.Qc4+ Qd5 24.Qxg4 d6 25.Nc4 Kg8 26.Re7 Rf7 27.Re8+ Rf8 28.Bh6 Qf7 29.Nxd6 Bxf5 30.Rxf8+ Kxf8 31.Rf1 Bxg4 32.Rxf7+ Kg8 33.Rxg7+ Kh8 34.Nf7 checkmate, Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016; and
9.Qxd6 cxd6 10.Bf4 (10.O-O Nf6 11.Nc3 a6 12.Rd1 Ke7 13.b3 b5 14.Ba3 Nf7 15.e5 Ne8 16.exd6+ Nexd6 17.Ne4 Bb7 18.Nxd6 Nxd6 19.Rxd6 Kd8 20.Rad1 Bc6 21.Rxc6 Black resigned, Wall,B - berserkergang, FICS, 2011) 10...Nf6 11.Nc3 b6 12.O-O-O Ke6 13.Nb5 Nxe4 14.Nc7+ Ke7 15.Nxa8 Nxf2 16.Bg5+ Kf7 17.Rhf1 Kg6 18.Rxf2 Kxg5 19.Nc7 Bb7 20.Nb5 a6 21.Nxd6 Be4 22.Nxe4+ Black resigned, Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016.
9...Nf6 10.Bf4 Re8
Or 10...Nxe4 11.Qxe5 Qxe5 12.Bxe5 d6 13.f3 Re8 14.fxe4 Rxe5 15.Nc3 c6 16.Rf1+ Kg8 17.O-O-O d5 18.exd5 Bd7 19.dxc6 Bxc6 20.g3 Rae8 21.Rd4 h6 22.Kd2 a6 23.a3 Bb5 24.Nxb5 axb5 25.Rf2 b6 26.Rd6 Kh7 27.Rxb6 Rd5+ 28.Kc3 Re3+ 29.Kb4 Re4+ 30.Kb3 Re3+ 31.c3 Rde5 32.Rb7 Re7 33.Rxb5 Re2 34.Rxe2 Rxe2 35.a4 Rxh2 36.a5 Rg2 37.a6 Rxg3 38.a7 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest3967134, PlayChess.com, 2015.
11.Nd2 Kg8 12.O-O b6 13.Nc4 Qc5 14.Nxe5 Qxc3 15.bxc3 Nxe4 16.Rfe1 Nxc3
Black's advantage is down to a pawn.
17.Bd2 Nb5 18.c4 Nd4 19.Ng4 Bb7 20.Ne3 Re7 21.Bc3 c5 22.Bxd4 cxd4 23.Nf5 Rxe1+ 24.Rxe1 d3 25.Nd6 Ba6 26.Rd1 Rf8 27.Rxd3 Rf6
Things look even.
28.g3 Re6 29.Ra3 Rxd6 30.Rxa6 Rc6 31.Rxa7 Rxc4 32.Rxd7 Ra4 33.Rb7 Rxa2 34.Rxb6 h6
Black should be able to hold. It is not clear how much time was left in the game.
35.Kg2 Kh7 36.h4 h5 37.Kf3 g6 38.Ke3 Kh6 39.Rd6 Ra3+ 40.Ke4 Ra1 41.f3 Re1+ 42.Kf4 Rc1 43.g4 Rc4+ 44.Kg3 Rc5 45.Re6 Rd5 46.Re7 Rd3 47.g5 checkmate
Truly an unfortunate turn of events for Black.
Black's response to the initial moves of the Jerome Gambit in the following game is interesting. It is only his followup that gets him in trouble. As we have seen with the Jerome, even after the "refutation" there is always the possibility of "trouble".
Wall, Bill - TenAndOnly10
lichess.org, 2016
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Nxe5 6. d4 Nf6
A reasonable line. We have seen TenAndOnly10 choose "A Reasonable Line" in this position before.
7.dxe5 Nxe4
Interesting: 7...Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 9.Kg1 d5 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.
8.Qd5+ Kf8
Alternately: 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
I don't think that Black has time for this. Is he preparing for ...Ba7?
12.Be3 Bb6
I guess not.
13.Rad1 d5
A slip. More to come.
14.Nxd5 Bxd5 15.Rxd5 Qe7 16.Bxb6 cxb6
I think my notes say that Stockfish 8 evaluated the position as: White now has a checkmate in 59 moves. Astonishing!
17.Rfd1 Qe6 18.Rd6 Qxa2 19.Qf5+ Qf7 20.Rd8+ Ke7 21.Qd7 checkmate
In the following game White's pieces swarm like mosquitoes.
Wall, Bill - LethoStark
lichess.org, 2016
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Ng4
A fascinating way of choosing which piece to lose.
7.dxc5
The only other two games with the 6...Ng4 move in The Database: 7.Qxg4 Bxd4 8.f4 (8.Qf5+ Nf6 9.Be3 Bxe3 10.fxe3 Rf8 11.O-O Kg8 12.Nc3 d5 13.Qe5 Re8 14.Qd4 dxe4 15.Qb4 Qd2 16.Rad1 Qxe3+ 17.Kh1 Qh6 18.Qc4+ Re6 19.Qxc7 Ng4 20.Qf7+ Black resigned, stretto - dadop, FICS, 2007) 8...d5 9.f5 Nf6 10.Qd1 Qe7 11.Qxd4 Bxf5 12.O-O Bxe4 13.Bg5 Bxc2 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Qxd5+ Kg7 16.Nc3 c6 17.Qd2 Bg6 18.Rae1 Qc5+ 19.Kh1 Rad8 20.Qf4 Rd6 21.Re7+ Bf7 22.Ne4 Qc4 23.Qxd6 White resigned, stretto-pasche, FICS, 2009
7...Qh4 8.Qe2 N8f6 9.Bf4 Re8 10.Nd2 d6 11.Bg3 Qg5 12.h3 Qxc5
13.hxg4 Qxc2 14.f3 Qxb2 15.O-O Qb6+ 16.Bf2 Qa5 17.Nb3 Qe5 18.Qc4+ Be6 19.Qxc7+ Re7 20.Qc1 Rc8 21.Qd2 Bc4 22.Bd4 Qg3
23.Rfc1 Be6 24.Rxc8 Bxc8 25.Bxa7 Rc7 26.Nd4 Nd7
Trouble now breaks loose.
27.Nf5 Qe5 28.Bd4 Qe6 29.Qg5 g6 30.Qd8 Rc2 31.Nh6 checkmate
In return for sacrificing one or two pieces in the Jerome Gambit, White gets some pawns. "Objectively" they are not enough compensation, but at times they can cause quite a number of problems for the defender. Witness the following game.
Wall, Bill - Chrisbow
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
And now for the pawns...
9.f4 Nc6 10.Qd3 d5 11.e5 Ne4 12.c4 Nc5
13.Qa3 b6 14.b4 Ne6 15.f5 Ned4 16.e6+ Kf6
Off to his doom! 16...Kf8 was necessary.
17.Qe3 h6 18.Bb2 dxc4 19.b5 Na5 20.Bxd4+ Ke7 21f6+ Ke8 22.fxg7 Rg8 23.Rf8+ Rxf8 24.gxf8=Q+ Kxf8 25.Qf4+ Ke8 26.Qf7 checkmate
In the following game - likely played at a fast time control - Black's aggressive move turns out to be a defensive slip, and White is able to first pressure the enemy King, then checkmate it.
Wall, Bill - Leonid
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 c5 9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Bg5+ Nf6 11.Nc3 h6 12.Bxf6+ gxf6 13.f4 Nc6 14.Rad1 Be6 15.Qd3 Qb6
Black attacks the enemy b-pawn and prepares a possible discovered check with ...c4. But he has left one of his own pawns open.
16.Qxd6+ Kf7 17.Nd5 Bxd5 18.Qxd5+ Kg7
The retreat to f8 was safer.
19.Qd7+ Kg6
Again, the safe square was f8. Running out into the open is deadly for the King.
20.f5+ Kh5 21.Qf7+ Kg4 22.Qg6+ Kh4 23.Rf4 checkmate
It helps to know the basics of the opening variations that you are playing. Here, Bill Wall has plenty of experience with the Jerome Gambit. But he also has plenty of experience in transitioning to an advantageous endgame, and then winning it.
Wall, Bill - Jamato
lichess.org, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb4+ 7.c3 Bxc3+
Or 7...Be7 as in Wall,B - ChrSav, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 11).
8.Nxc3 Ng6
Instead, 8...Nc6 was seen in Wall,B - Caynaboos, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 26) and Wall,B - ChessFlower, PlayChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 27)
9.O-O N8e7
Or 9...Nf6 as seen in Wall,B - Boris, SparkChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 31) and Wall,B - FJBS, FICS 2015 (1-0, 14).
10.f4 Re8
Bill has also faced 10...Rf8 in Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016 (1-0, 18)
11.Qb3+ d5 12.f5 Nf8 13.Bg5 c6 14.f6 gxf6 15.Bxf6 Kg8
Surprisingly enough, at this point Bill is ready to let the air out of the position and win the endgame. His opponent trys to tag along, but can not.
16.exd5 cxd5 17.Bxe7 Rxe7 18.Nxd5 Be6 19.Nxe7+ Qxe7 20.Rae1 Qd6
There were better chances to hold the game after 20...Bxb3 21.Rxe7 Bd5.
21.Rxf8+ Rxf8 22.Qxe6+ Qxe6 23.Rxe6 Rf7 24.d5 Rd7 25.d6 Kf7 26.Re7+ Rxe7 27.dxe7 Kxe7
The game is only half over, but it is over.
28.Kf2 b5 29.Ke3 a5 30.Kd4 Kd6 31.g4 h6 32.h4 b4 33.b3 Ke6 34.Kc5 Ke5 35.Kb5 Kf4 36.g5 hxg5 37.hxg5 Kxg5 38.Kxa5 Kf6 39.Kxb4 Ke6 40.Kb5 Kd6 41.Kb6 Kd7 42.a4 Kc8 43.a5 Kb8 44.b4 Ka8 45.Kc7 Ka7 46.b5 Ka8 47.a6 Ka7 48.Kc6 Ka8 49.b6 Kb8 50.a7+ Ka8 51.b7+ Kxa7 52.Kc7 Ka6 53.b8=Q Ka5 54.Qb3 Ka6 55.Qb6 checkmate.
Sometimes the Jerome Gambit looks so easy to play. I know that it's not - but, sometimes...
Wall, Bill - Minaevm
lichess.org, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb4+ 7.c3 Bxc3+ 8.Nxc3 Nc4
9.Qh5+ g6 10.Qd5+ Kf8 11.Qxc4 Ne7 12.Bh6+ Ke8 13.Nb5 c6
14.Nd6 checkmate
With attacks on both wings, the following game is an interesting example of who "gets there the firstest with the mostest".
The final position is very impressive, and bears close examination.
Wall, Bill - Facundo
lichess.org, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4
6...Bxd4 7.Qxd4
d6 8.Nc3 Nf6 9.f3 Re8
It looks like Bill wants to hold the center with f2-f3 and castle Queenside. He does - but that also leaves him open to start a pawn storm on the Kingside.
10.Bf4 Nc6 11.Qf2 Be6 12.O-O-O Qe7 13.h4 a5
Black likes the idea, too.
14.h5
h6 15.g4 a4 16.g5 hxg5 17.Bxg5 a3 18.b3 Bd7 19.h6 g6
Hoping to close things down on the Kingside, but the move overlooks play in the center. Stockfish 8 suggests 19...Qe5 20.Qd2 Rh8, although White can maintain play, it suggests, with 21.Rhe1 gxh6 22.f4 Nxe4 23.fxe5 Nxd2 24.Bxd2 Nxe5 and a drawn ending with Bishops-of-opposite-colors is one possibility.
20.Nd5 Qe5 21.Bxf6 Black resigned
A rather impressive position: Black's Queen is dominated by White's Knight and Bishop!
Her Majesty can escape attack with 21...Qe6, but then 22.h7!? follows. Black can offer the exchange with 22...Rh8, but White has no interest in the material, and can play 23.Qg3!? with the idea of Rh6, attacking the Black g-pawn, to follow. The defense of the pawn with 23...Ne7 simply drops a piece to 24.Bxe7, and the "counter-attack" 24...Qe5 25.Qh4 Qb2+ is an illusion, as after 26.Kd2 Qd4+ 27.Ke2 White's King is safe, and Black's will come under attack again.
Chessfriend Vlasta Fejfar of the Czech Republic has faced the "annoying defense" to the Jerome Gambit a number of times. In the following game, his most recent, he comes away with the whole point.
Vlastous - Idalgit
Internet, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 d6
This is also called the "silicon defense" because it is the choice of many computer chess programs. Black returns a piece and takes a lot of the action out of the position.
8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Qh3+ Kf7
The text is about equal to 9...Ke7 which was seen in Fejfar,V -Goc,P, 2015 (1/2 - 1/2, 70), Fejfar,V - Chvojka, correspondence, 2016 (0-1, 32) and Vlastous - irinat, Chessmaniac, 2016 (0-1, 38).
10.Qh5+ Ke6 11.Qe2
Stockfish 8 gives the practical suggestion 11.Qh3+ hoping for a draw by repetition.
11...Qd6
Instead, 11...Ke7 was successful for Black in Wall,B - Alfil engine, Palm Bay, FL 2015 (0-1, 23); while 11...Nf6 was seen in Shredder 8 - RevvedUp, blitz 2 12, 2006 (1-0, 25) and RevvedUp - Yace Paderborn, blitz2 12, 2006 (0-1, 14).
12.Nc3
c6 13.Na4 Nf6
A tactical slip that drops a piece. Black may have unconsciously decided that his opponent has finished moving his Queen.
14.Qc4+ Ke7 15.Nxc5 b6 16.Nd3 a5 17.Qc3 Ke6
18.Qb3+ Black resigned
Perhaps a bit soon, but Black sees he will lose the b-pawn, and White's Queen will escape any danger, so the game may have lost its interest.
I enjoyed looking at positions in the Jerome Gambit with the help of Stockfish 8 - to the depth of 30 ply - that I thought I would look at a few of the classical defenses and see what turns up.
My first surprise came in Blackburne's Defense.
dj222 - invincible1
GameKnot.com, 2003
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6
Blackburne's Defense. It is a complicated, tactical mess. Initially thought to favor Black, and then to favor White, the current assessment has been that it leads to a complicated draw that either player avoids at his own peril. But, maybe it favors White after all.
8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.d4
See "Traps and Zaps" for some background. The move was suggested in the notes to Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1885, but given scant attention afterward.
Far more often played is 9.0-0. Although White won in Chandler - Dimitrov, 2004, analysis supported a complicated drawn game.
9...Nf6
Black ignores the danger his Bishop is in. Only one game in The Database has this move, which is Stockfish 8's top choce.
It is hard for Black not to plump for 9...Qxe4+ 10.Be3 Qxg2 with complications, but the text is the second player's best option.
Check out "Opening Traps by GM Ferzbery" for a look.
10.Nd2
White does not go after the enemy Bishop, but keeps White's Queen away from e4.
10...Bxd4 11.Rf1
It was probably best to play 11.0-0 here, and ride out the storm after 11...Qxh2+ 12.Kxh2 Ng4+ 13.Kg3 Bxh8, coming out the exchange ahead.
11...Bh3
Recovering a pawn and offering a Rook while threatening White's Queen! Unfortunately, it is a mistake: Black had better in 11...b6 with the idea of 12...Ba6 and a very complicated, but balanced, game.
12.Qxa8 Bxg2 13.Qxb7 Bxf1 14.Qb3+ Ke7 15.Qg3
White's Queen returns in time to save the King.
15...Qxg3 16.hxg3 Bg2 17.f3 Bh3 Black resigned
My last comment about the Chess.com Giuoco Piano thematic tournament that I most recently played in (see "Unlinked") was a bit melancholy
And - I'm sitting on top of the standings in the Chess.com Giuoco Piano tournament, one point ahead of the field (thanks, in part, to the Jerome Gambit). However, IlToscano has two games left, so he can catch and pass me...
Surprisingly, once again (see "An Unexpected Success") the competition was fierce enough amongst other players that it turns out that nobody will be able to catch me after all (there are a couple of games not yet finished).
Another inexplicable first place finish, assisted by a 7-2 record with the Jerome Gambit.
