Shoot Out

In the following game I broke my rule of keeping to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+)  "book" while letting my opponents do the creative inventing. Still, the game quickly became a shoot-out, and the risky position of Black's King soon proved to be his un-doing.


 perrypawnpusher - thinan
blitz FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

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

This is one of the better Jerome Gambit refutations. Black, however, has an interesting twist in mind.

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Ng6

More popular are 8...Qf6 and the adventurous 8...Qh4+.

A week and a half earlier, against the same opponent,  perrypawnpusher - thinan, blitz FICS, 2010 had continued: 8...Qh4+ 9.g3 Nf3+ 10.Kd1 Qe7 11.Qd5 checkmate.

9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ d6 11.Qe3

11.Qf2 and 11.Qg5+ have also been tried.

11...Nf6

In an earlier game I faced 11...Bd7 12.0-0 Qf8 13.e5 Kd8 14.exd6 Qxd6 15.Nc3 Nf6 16.d3 Re8 17.Qf2 Rf8 18.Be3 b6 19.Rae1 Nd5 20.Nxd5 Qxd5 21.Bd2 Qxa2 22.Bc3 Qd5 23.Bxg7 Re8 24.Rxe8+ Kxe8 25.f5 Ne7 26.f6 Ng6 27.f7+ Kd8 28.f8Q+ Nxf8 29.Qxf8+ Black resigned,  perrypawnpusher - GabrielChime, blitz FICS, 2009.

If Black had chosen to defend with 6...Ng6 instead of 6...Ke6, the game might have continued 7.Qd5+ Ke7 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 – reaching a position similar to the one in this game, only White wouldn't have already played f2-f4. In effect, thinan has given me an extra move.

12.d4

Trying to sneak in my "extra" move, but 12.f5 or 12.0-0 were correct. It is dangerous to leave the White Queen and King on the same file that Black's Rook can come to.

12...c5

Attacking the center, but losing a pawn. Stronger was 12...Re8, e.g. 13.0-0 Kf8 14.e5 dxe5 15.fxe5 Kg8 when Black will be able to work around White's "Jerome pawns".

13.dxc5 dxc5 14.Qxc5+ Kf7

15.Nc3 Bg4

This move looks like it just puts the Bishop in harm's way, but it has hidden resources that Black subesquently overlooks. 

After the game Rybka recommended instead 15...Qe7, but with three pawns for his sacrificed piece White should be close to even after the exchange of Queens.

16.f5

Moving quickly to trap a piece, although White has to be careful about the safety of his King. 

16...Nh4

Here is where Black could have shown his creativity: 16...Rc8 apparently returning the piece 17.fxg6+ hxg6 18.Qf2 Rxc3!

analysis diagram







White cannot capture the Rook, as that would allow checkmate. His best would be 19.0-0, which Black would meet by rescuing his Rook with 19...Rc4.

analysis diagram







Here it looks like White can recover his piece with advantage with 20.e5, but again Black is ready: 20...Qc7 pins the e-pawn (mate at h2 is threatened) and after 21.Qg3 (21.Bf4 Ne4 and 22...Kg8) Bf5 22.exf6 Qxg3 23.hxg3 gxf6 the game is about even – and Black's pieces are more active.

analysis diagram







17.0-0 Rc8

With White's King castled, this move loses its bite.

18.Qxa7 Rc7 19.Bg5

Going after the unsettled pieces on the Kingside.

19...b5 20.Qe3 b4 21.Nd5

Even stronger was 21.Nb5

21...Rxc2

Counter-attacking at g2, but Black's game begins to collapse. He should have defied the pin on his Knight and played: 21...Nxd5 when 22.exd5 Qxd5 23.Bxh4 Re8 24.Qb3 Qxb3 25.cxb3 leads to an ending where White has more pawns – but they are ugly pawns, and if the Rooks come off the board then the drawish Bishops-of-opposite-colors may lead to a draw.

22.Bxh4 Be2 23.Rf2 Rxb2 24.Rxe2 Rxe2 25.Qxe2 h6

White is a piece and two pawns ahead, and, more importantly, his attack is still strong.

26.Rd1 g5 27.fxg6+ Kxg6 28.Bxf6 Qa8 29.Qg4+ Kf7 30.Qg7+ Ke6 31.Nf4 checkmate