Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (17)

Here we have another difficult struggle between human and computer which looked for the longest time like a draw – success for both RevvedUp and the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) – but Shredder 8 was finally able to plot a breakthrough that led to a full point (that most humans would have split well before then).

RevvedUp - Shredder 8
blitz 2 12, 2006
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Qh4 TN

This thematic move almost always carries strong counterplay with it.
10.0-0 Nf6 11.d3
Or 11.f3 followed by d4.

11...Kf7 12.Qg5 Qxg5
RevvedUp is always willing to play the endgame, an area generally considered a weakness for computers.

13.Bxg5 Bd7 14.Nc3 Rhf8 15.h3 Nh5 16.Rae1 Nhf4 17.Kh2
Covering the possible sac at h3.
17...h6 18.Bxf4 Nxf4 19.Ne2 Ke7 20.Nxf4 Rxf4 21.f3 Raf8
RevvedUp has established a solid position that he quietly defends, waiting for Shredder 8 to either make a series of small errors that can be taken advantage of – or yield a draw by repetition.

22.Rf2 Ke6 23.Ree2 h5 24.Kg1 h4 25.Kf1 Ke5 26.Kg1 Ke6 27.Kf1 Ke5 28.Kg1 Be6 29.a3 Re8 30.Kf1 Ref8 31.Ke1 Bd7
32.Kd2 c5 33.c3 Ke6 34.Ke3 Bb5 35.Kd2 a5 36.Kc2 b6 37.Kd2 Ba4 38.Kc1 b5 39.Kd2 Bb3 40.Ke3 R8f6 41.Rd2 Rf8 42.Ke2 R8f7 43.Ke3 a4 44.Rfe2 R4f6 45.Rf2 Rf4 46.Rfe2 Rf8
White is still holding his fortress. Black decides to break in the center.

47.Rf2 d5 48.Rfe2 dxe4 49.dxe4 Ke7 50.Re1 Ke6 51.Rf1
You have to wonder what Shredder 8 would have done with 51.Ree2.
51...Ke7 52.Re1 Ke6 53.Rf1 Ke5 54.Re1 R4f7 55.Ree2 Be6 56.Rf2 Rf4 57.Rde2 Bd7 58.Rd2 Bc6 59.Rde2 R4f7 60.Rd2 Bb7
It's easy to get the feeling that if Shredder 8 continues to play, eventually it will stumble over the right lines. I think average club players would have split the point by now.

61.Rde2 Rd7 62.Rd2 Rfd8 63.Rxd7 Rxd7 64.Rd2
Understandably wanting to reduce the number of pieces further, but ultimately not a good idea: Black's King gets to infiltrate the Kingside. The tireless Shredder 8 has won down the valiant human.

64...Rxd2 65.Kxd2 Kf4 66.Ke2 Bc8 67.Kf2 Be6 68.Kf1 Kg3 69.Kg1 Bc4 70.Kh1 Bf1 71.Kg1 Bxg2 White resigns