Ending in the Wilderness

I continue to be amazed at how much chess "education" can be found in my Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games, when I play them over afterwards. I guess the use of an oft-refuted opening does not negate interesting problems in the middle game and end game (if I survive that long, of course). 

perrypawnpusher - Xasquete
blitz FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.O-O Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ke6

This position is similar to one of the main lines in the Jerome Gambit, with 0-0 added for White and ...h7-h6 added for Black.

I think the King move might be a bit stronger than ...Ne5-g6, but it leads to some uncomfortable play for the defender.

Chess, well-known as a "thinking" game, is also a "feeling" game. Grandmasters may look at a particular move because their highly developed intuition suggests that it "feels" right. Club players are more likely to avoid certain lines because they "feel" dangerous or scary.

8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.d4

This move is most often played, although 9.Rd1 was tried in prettyhip1 - cubs0_0, GameKnot, 2007: 9.Rd1 Ne7 10.Qh5 g6 11.Qh3 Bd4 12.Qa3+ Bc5 13.b4 Bd4 14.c3 Bxf2+ 15.Kxf2 Rf8+ 16.Ke3 White resigned.

White's play can be improved, but 9...Ne7 is a good response to 9...Rd1.

9...Bxd4 10.Rd1 c5

Two pieces ahead, Black must be better. As is typical for the Jerome Gambit, however, White has targets: in this case, the Bishop on d4 and the King on d6.

11.c3 Ne7 12.Qf4

Alternate Queen placements were seen in

joev6225 - liverpool, GameKnot, 2006: 12.Qh3 Qb6 13.cxd4 cxd4 14.Qa3+ Ke6 15.f4 N5c6 16.f5+ Kf7 17.Nd2 Re8 18.Nc4 Qc7 19.Nd6+ Kf8 20.Nxe8 Kxe8 21.Qf3 Ne5 22.Qg3 Kf8 23.Bf4 d6 24.Rac1 Qa5 25.f6 N7g6 26.Bxe5 Qxe5 27.Qxg6 Be6 28.Qxg7+ Ke8 29.Qe7 checkmate

perrypawnpusher - Lakritzl, blitz FICS, 2009: 12.Qh5 Kc7 13.cxd4 cxd4 14.Qxe5+ d6 15.Qxd4 Nc6 16.Qxg7+ Bd7 17.Bf4 Rg8 18.Qxh6 Qe7 19.Bxd6+ Qxd6 20.Qxd6+ Black resigned

12...Qf8

This is a nifty defense that addresses both Black's strategic and emotional needs (even if 12...N7c6 is a bit stronger). With Queens off the board, how unsafe can the King be?

13.cxd4 Qxf4 14.Bxf4

Too routine. Better was 14.dxc5+ first, minimizing Black's advantage.

14...cxd4 15. Rxd4+ Kc5

With 15...Ke6, Xasquete could have made me pay for the above move-order error. Now I get a piece back and have a clear advantage (King safety, ease of development).

16.Bxe5 Nc6 17.Rd5+ Kb6 18.Na3 Nxe5 19.Rxe5 d6

20. Re7 Bg4 21. f3 Bh5 22. Rc1 Rhe8 23. Rcc7 Rxe7 24. Rxe7 Rc8

White's initiative persists.

25. Rxg7 Rc1+ 26. Kf2 Ra1 27. Rh7 Rxa2

I suppose if this were a game between two Grandmasters, the annotator would say "the rest is just a matter of technique." Neither Xasquete nor I are GMs, however.

28.Kg3 a5

Black plans to make the most of his Queenside advantage; the most practical choice.

29.Rxh6 Bf7 30.Rxd6+ Kc5 31.Rd2

Things are going to become interesting as Black works to get (and Queen) a passed pawn. But, certainly my 4 connected passed pawns should count for something?

31... b5 32.Kf2 

After the game, Fritz8 preferred 32.Rc2+ Kb6 33.f4 b4 34.Nb1 a4 35.f5 Ra1 36.Nd2 b3 37.Nxb3 Bxb3 38.Re2, when White has traded his Knight to settle things on the Queenside. The Kingside pawns will win the game.

analysis diagram





32...b4 33.Nb1 Ra1

Here, things get stranger. Fritz8 argues that after the stronger 33...Bb3, White can force a draw by repetition of position – after he sacrifices his Rook and Knight!

The line goes: 33... Bb3 34.Kg3 Ra1 35.Rd3 Kc4 36.Nd2+ Kxd3 37.Nxb3

analysis diagram






37...Rb1 38.e5 Rxb2 39.e6 Rc2 40.f4 a4 41.e7 Rc8 42.f5 axb3

analysis diagram





43.f6 b2 44.f7 b1Q 45.e8Q Qc2 46.Qd7+ etc.

analysis diagram






Wow! I didn't see any of that during the game. Instead, I kept wandering through the wilderness. 

34.Rc2+ Kd4

35. Nd2 Kc5

Here's another line that Fritz8 suggested led to equality: 35...Ke5 36.Rd1 Ba2 37.Nc3 bxc3 38.Rxa1 cxb2 39.Rxa2 b1Q 40.Rxa5+ Ke6 41.Rd5

analysis diagram







Uh, okay, if you say so...

 36. Rc2+ Kd4 37. Nd2 Kd3 38. Rc7

White's play is more active than in the analysis.

38...Kxd2 39. Rxf7 Kc2

The Fritz8 recommendation strangeness continues: "stronger" for Black (but still losing) was 39...Rb1 40.g4 (40.Ra7 Rxb2 41.Rxa5 b3 42.h4 Kc3+ 43.Kg3 Rb1 44.Rc5+ Kb4 45.Rc8 Rg1 46.Rb8+ Kc3 47.f4 b2 48.Rxb2 Kxb2 49.e5.

analysis diagram






40. e5 b3

This finally blows the game open, although I did not realize it at the time. 

41.e6 Kxb2 42.e7 Kc1

42.Rc1 is not much better.

43. e8=Q Ra2+ 44. Kg3 b2 45. Rc7+ Kb1 46.Qe1 checkmate