Here is another (see "Jerome Gambit: Full-Bodied Defense") Jerome Gambit game which should be routine and boring. Black makes a mistake on move 7, turning his clear advantage into a clear disadvantage. In fact, this had happened twice before in Bill Wall games, and they showed "1-0" in 10 moves or less (in a third game, Black struggled on for 10 more moves).
So, Bill takes his advantage and moves on to the win. Things were not that simple, though. Watch.
Wall, Bill - Anonymous
lichess.org, 2019
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 g6
It is fun, kicking White's Queen. However, this move gives up the Knight at e5 and the Rook at h8. (If you worry about being greedy, you can substitute capturing the Bishop at c5.)
8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxh8
Here, Black resigned in Wall, Bill - DGTS, FICS, 2011.
9...Qh4+ 10.g3
Here, Black resigned, in Wall, Bill - Guest1681797, PlayChess.com, 2013,
10...Qh3
Or 10...Qf6 11.Qxh7+ Qg7 12.Qxg7+ Kxg7 13.Nc3 d6 14.Nd5 Bb6 15.b3 Bg4 16.Bb2+ Kh7 17.Nxb6 axb6 18.Kf2 Re8 19.h3 Be6 20.g4 Black resigned, Wall, Bill - Guest862403, Play.Chess.com 2014.
11.d3 d5
So, here we go. White is up the exchange and a couple of pawns. His Queen is a bit uncomfortable in the corner, at h8, however, and his King is not altogether safe. What to do?
12.Qe5
Perfectly reasonable. Anyone who has ever seen Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1884 (see "Nobody expects the Jerome Gambit!" and "Jerome Gambit: Dr. Harding Checks In") would not wait for ...Nf6, locking in White's Queen.
Now, White goes on to win in three dozen more moves.
But - wait. Stockfish 10, recommends, instead, 12.f5!?, with a whole lot of crazy tactics - 12...Bxf5 (not 12...gxf5 because of 13.Nd2 dxe4 14.Nxe4!? fxe4 15.Rf1+ and attack) 13.Qe5 and the f-file will be trouble for Black, especially after ...Qg2 is met by Rf1. Just one example of play is 13...dxe4 14.Qxc5 exd3 15.Qxc7+ Kf8 16.Qc5+ Kg7 17.Nc3 Qg2 18.Rf1 dxc2 19.Be3 Re8 20.g4 Qxg4 21.Kd2 - and you can see why Bill simply chose to remove his Queen!
12...c6
Black supports his d-pawn - but Stockfish 10 will have none of it. To keep only about a three-fourths of a pawn behind, Black should try 12...Qg2 13.Rf1 Bg4!? 14.Qxd5+ Kg7 15.Nc3 b6!? when 16.f5 Nf6!? 17.Qc4 (not 17.Qxa8? Bd4! with a forced mate) Qxh2 18.d4 Qxg3+ 19.Rf2 Qg1+ 20.Qf1 Qxf1+ 21.Rxf1 Bxd4 22.fxg6 hxg6 23.Nb5 Be5 24.Bf4 Bxf4 25.Rxf4 g5 26.Rf1 Nxe4 27.Rg1 Nf6 leaves Black with a pawn for the exchange...
So - Black's choice of a move is understandable, too.
13.f5 gxf5 14.Nd2 Nf6 15.Nf3 Qg2 16.Rf1 Qxc2
It is humorous to point out that Stockfish 10 sees White as being the equivalent of 4 pieces ahead. I am not sure that Bill's King felt that way!
17.Ng5+ Kg7 18.Bd2 Qxd3 19.exf5
This will support White's Knight when it comes to e6. For sheer madness, take a look at 19.Rf3 Qc4 20.Rf4
19...h6 20.Ne6+ Bxe6
21.fxe6
This is fine, altough Stockfish 10 recommends 21.O-O-O!? Qc4+
22.Bc3 Bd4 23.Qxd4 Qxd4 24.Rxd4 Bg8 when White would still be up the exchange.
21... Bd4 22.Qc7+ Kh8 23.O-O-O Qc4+ 24. Kb1 Ne4 25. Bc1 Qb4
26.e7
Cold blooded. Others might have returned the exchange with 26.Rxd4 to deal with one threat to b2, or tried 26.Ka1 to avoid the nasty 26...Nc3+ fork. Instead, Bill enlists the "Jerome pawn" in his checkmate threats.
26... Nc3+ 27.Ka1 Nxd1 28.Qd8+ Rxd8
Abject surrender, although 28...Kh7 29.Rxd1 Bg7 30.Qxa8 Qxe7 would also leave him a Rook down.
29.exd8=Q+ Kg7
30.Qd7+ Kh8 31.Qe8+ Kh7 32.Rf7+ Bg7 33.Qd7 Qd4
34.Qf5+ Kg8 35.Re7 Qf6 36.Re8+ Kf7 37.Qh5+ Qg6 38.Re7+ Black resigned
He will soon be down a Queen for a few pawns.
Jerome Gambit players are familiar with the "negative halo effect" -
When people notice a good trait in a person, they often assume other positives. With the Jerome Gambit often a negative "halo effect" occurs – if the early moves are bad, many of the other ones must be bad, too.
So - our opponents misjudge our play, and go down in flames.
In the following game, a superficial assessment of Black's chess skill - and, therefore, his prospects in the following game - can be made, based upon his 8th move. That would be a mistake, as, thereafter, Black presents a full-bodied defense and battles White all across the board.
In the end, Black loses, but only after a quite memorable game.
Wall, Bill - Maxx
chess24.com, 2019
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5 Qe8
This novelty is an odd move, one which looks like a mouse-slip for 7...Qe7. It is as if Black looked forward to ...Qxe4+, without acknowledging the fact that White, first, can capture, with check, as well.
8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qb4
White has his sacrificed pieces back, and is a couple of pawns up, something he could cement with the routine 9.Qe3. Instead, he opts to make the game interesting - and is rewarded, fully.
9...Qg6
If you give this game to a computer, it will claim an edge for White for most of the game. Black is not concerned about that, here - he wants to make things as uncomfortable as possible for his opponent.
10.Kf1 Nf6 11.Nc3 c5 12.Qc4 a6
13.f4
This is a thematic Jerome Gambit move, but the pawn is usually backed by a Rook at f1.
13...Qg4 14.Ne2 b5 15.Qb3 Nxe4
Whoa! White has a problem that usually plagues Black: his d-pawn blocks his Bishop, which, in turn entombs his Rook. Black has the freer development, as well - and he plans to sacrifice a piece, to keep things uncomfortable for his opponent.
16.Qd5 Bb7 17.Qxb7 Re8 18.Qd5 Qxe2+ 19.Kxe2 Nf6+ 20.Kf3 Nxd5
White is hanging in, and the computer still counts his pawn advantage (plus a small bonus for the Bishop vs the Knight), but, the question is: how does he continue?
He moves to open the a-file for his Rook.
21.a4
Komodo 10 doesn't like this move, opting for small pawn advances like c2-c3, g2-g3, d2-d3, with White eventually doubling Rooks on the e-file, for an edge.
21...b4
Black doesn't want to cede the a-file, but this move seems to help White. The computer's suggestion leads to an unbalanced Rook + pawns vs Rook + pawns endgame, and I am not sure that I am comfortable with its equal assessment: 21...Nb4 22.axb5 axb5 23.c3 Nd3 24.b4 Ke7 25.Ra5 Kd7 26.bxc5 dxc5 27.Ba3 Ra8 28.Rxa8 Rxa8 29.Ke3 c4 30.Bb4 Nxb4 31.cxb4 Kc6 32.g3 Kd5 33.Rb1 Ra3+ 34.Kf2 Rb3 35.Ra1 Rxb4 36.Ra7 Ra4 37.Rxg7 b4.
analysis diagram
22.b3 h5
To develop the other Rook.
23.Bb2 h4 24.Rad1 Rh6 25.Rhe1
White looks much more comfortable.
25...Rxe1 26.Rxe1 Rg6 27.d4 cxd4 28.Bxd4 Nc7
White now demonstrates that there are too many things loose in his opponent's position.
29. Bb6 Nd5 30.Bd8 Rh6 31.Bg5 Rh7 32.Re6 h3 33.g4 Nc3 34.Rxd6 a5 35.Bd8 Black resigned
A nice finish. Black's Queenside pawns will fall.
White starts off with an unusual opening (the Jerome Gambit) only to face an unusual defense (the Jerome Defense) - which he counters with an unsual line; which, for Bill Wall, brings about the usual result.
Wall, Bill -XYSL
FICS, 2019
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 6.Nd3
Sure. Why not? Unusual ideas, even in an unusual opening, can be upsetting for the opponent.
The Database has 273 games with the move 5...Kf8; White scores 55%. Only 7% of those games - 20 - have the interesting, and reasonable, 6.Nd3, with White scoring 78%. It is a favorite of Petasluk, who has scored 12 - 4 - 1.
It is to be noted that The Database has 102 games with the recommended 6.Nxc6, with White scoring 58%.
6...Be7
White's creativity pays benefits immediately. The stronger 6...Bb6, as in Wall,B - Tim93612, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 36), kept the Bishop more active.
7.Nc3 d6 8.Nf4 Bg5 9.d4 Bxf4
Black moves his Bishop 4 times, excchanging it off for the Knight that has moved 4 times.
10.Bxf4 Nge7
White has only 2 pawns for his sacrificed piece, but has probably equalized. His development is to be preferred.
11.O-O Ng6 12.Be3 Qf6
There are many games where Black's Queen comes to f6, with a positive impact - but I don't think many of them feature Black's King on the f-file, when White can get in f2-f4. Too, White is in position to harass the enemy Queen with Nd5. Storm clouds are gathering.
13.f4 Ke8 14.Nd5 Qf7 15.f5 Nge7
Too casual. Necessary was 15...Nf8.
16.Nxc7+ Kd7 17.Nxa8 b6
The plan is to get the Bishop to b7, and win the Knight at a8, but it is all too late.
18.d5 Ne5 19.Qd4 Bb7 20.Qa4+
20...Kc8 21.Qxa7 Nxd5 22.exd5 Bxd5 23.Nxb6+ Kd8 24.Bg5+ Ke8 25.Qb8 checkmate
Part of the humor of the following game is that it starts out in a line that White has plenty of experience with, but, in an eyeblink (at move 8) it moves into uncharted territory. The player who is more familiar with the opening is the one who survives.
Wall, Bill - Guevad
ChessTempo.com, 2019
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bd6
Bill is 23 - 0 from this position. This reflects his experience, of course, but also suggests that the game move is not best. The simple 6...Bxd4 was fine.
7.dxe5 Be7 8.Qf3+
Despite Bill's familiarity with this Jerome Gambit variation, the text is a novelty. Creativity, even in routine situations.
8...Ke8 9.O-O Bg5
Black wants to swap off his troubled Bishop, activating his Queen in the recapture. What could be wrong with that? What typical Jerome Gambit tactic has the defender overlooked?
10.Qh5+ g6 11.Qxg5 Qxg5 12.Bxg5 h6 13.Be3 b6 14.c4 Bb7 15.Nc3 Ne7 16.f4 Nc6
White has recovered his sacrificed piece, and is ahead 2 pawns. He is in no hurry, but eventually his "Jerome pawns" will become restless, after his pieces have moved into position.
17.b3 Nb4 18.Rf2 c5 19.Rd1 Rf8 20.Nb5 Kd8 21.f5 Bxe4 22.f6
g5 23.e6 Black resigned
Oh, dear. Stockfish 10 suggests here that the only move to avoid falling into checkmate would be 23...d5, which would, of course, lead to 24.cxd5, and White's 3, connected, passed "Jerome pawns" would be a nightmare. (As if the alternative, 24.e7+, would not be enough to cause Black to turn over his King.)
Sometimes the Jerome Gambit plays out like a "regular" (i.e. non-refuted) opening. Little mis-steps by Black can lead, in due course, to a painful ending. Bill demonstrates, in the following game.
Wall, Bill - Guest7665109
PlayChess.com, 2019
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qxc5 d6 8.Qd5+ Ke8
Black does not want to offer his b-pawn with 8...Be6. Perhaps he should have.
9.d4 N8e7 10.Qb3 Bd7
Now he is willing, but Bill declines.
11.O-O b6
Overly cautious; it is still not a good idea for White to grab the b-pawn. On the other hand, White gets time to work on his "Jerome pawn" center.
12.f4 Nc6 13.f5
13...Nh4
Perhaps the Knight needed to go to e7? It was possible to grab the pawn with 13...Nxd3, but after 14.Qd3 Ne6 15.exf6 gxf6 White would be a bit better.
14.Qg3 Qf6 15.Nc3 Qxd4+
How can grabbing a free pawn - with check - be an error? Watch, and see.
16.Be3 Qf6 17.Nd5
A Knight on d5 is one attacking theme in the Jerome Gambit. The Black Queen is attacked, but it protects the Knight. Ouch.
17...Qe5 18.Qxh4 Rc8 19.f6
19...gxf6 20.Nxf6+ Kd8 21.Ng4+ Qe7 22.Bg5 Black resigned
In the following game, Black is defending well - until. That can happen in a Jerome Gambit.
angelcamina - kamosik
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 N8e7
10.O-O Rf8 11.f4 Nc6 12.d4 Bd7 13.f5 Nge7
Black's pieces huddle around his King, providing protection. Suddenly, his Rook pawns undo all the work.
14.Nc3 h6 15.Qf3 a6
16.Qh5+ Rf7 17.f6 g6 18.Qxh6 Ng8 19.Qh8 Kf8 20.Bh6+ Black resigned
Checkmate is coming.
