Dropping A Half-Point (Part 2)

After a slug-fest with the Black pieces in my second game with JoeJox – for our first game, see "Dropping A Half-Point (Part 1)" – I was very glad to get the White pieces back for game three, and, of course, the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) was still on my mind...

perrypawnpusher - joejox
blitz 5 10, FICS, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5
Staying away from the Semi-Italian Game with 3...h6, because of the mess it got him into last time. I found that to be a bit ironic.

4.Bxf7+
The Jerome Gambit proper (if such a thing may be said).

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
A solid defense.
7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6
Black is better.

10.0-0 Kf7
Preparing to castle-by-hand. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to challenge Joejox twice with the Jerome.

11.Nc3 c6 12.f4 Rf8 13.f5
White has to use his center pawns to make mischief.
13...Ne5 14.d4 Nc4 15.Qd3 Nb6 16.Bg5 Kg8
An interesting position. Black has "castled," but play against his wayward Knight (Nc6-e5-g3-e5-b6) has given White extra tempos, and he is near equalizing – especially after the thematic 17.Rae1.
17.g4 Nbd7 18.Rae1
Black has a fairly good counter to this move now. Better was 18.Bf4 d5 19.e5 Ne8 20.Rae1 Qh4 and Black has an edge.

18...Qb6

19.Na4
Instead, White should offer the b-pawn and g-pawn with an unclear position to follow: 19.Kg2 Qxb2 20.e5 dxe5 21.dxe5 Nxg4 since after 22.Qc4+ Kh8 23.Nd1 Qb5 24.Qxg4 Nxe5 he has play.
19...Qb4 20.b3 Nxg4 The g-pawn was sitting just ready to be plucked; but the consistent move was not to be distracted and play 20...b5, allowing both Queensides to become untangled after 21.a3 Qa5 22.Nc3 Qb6. Black would still have the edge.
21.Bd2 Qa3
After 21...Qb5 White can re-activate his pawns with 22.Qg3 Ngf6 23.Qxd6 with about equal chances. The text allows a draw by repetition.
22.Bc3

Not this way, though! White should play 22.Bc1 and if 22...Qxa2 then 23.Bb2 when 23...b5 24.Ra1 Qxa1 25.Rxa1 bxa4 26.Ba3 gives him at least an equal game.
It looks like Joejox was ready to split the point, though.
22...b5
Too bad: 22...d5 gave Black chances, by playing sharp defense and by returning his piece for a couple of pawns – 23.Qd2 a5 24.Qg2 Ngf6 25.e5 Ne4 26.f6 Rf7 27.e6 Rxf6 28.exd7 Bxd7 29.Nb6 Rd8 30.Nxd7 Rxd7 31.Qf3 Nxc3 32.Qxc3 Rf7, with an extra pawn.
23.Bb2 Qb4 24.Bc3 Qa3 25.Bb2 Qb4 26.Bc3 Qa3 27.Bb2 Drawn