A Severe Challenge

My chess-play has been poor lately (for example see "Crushed") – a severe challenge to my pledge, as an advocate of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), to share all of my games, not just the "good" ones.

So, take what you can from the rather sad effort that follows. I'll quickly see if I can find a Bill Wall game...

perrypawnpusher - hklett

blitz, FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4

7...Bxd4 8.Qxd4 Re8 9.0-0

An alternative, with the plan of castling Queenside, was 9.Bg5 Kg8 10.0-0-0 b6 11.f4 Nc6 12.Qc4+ Kh8 13.e5 Na5 14.Qd3 c5 15.Nd5 c4 16.Qf3 Bb7 17.exf6 gxf6 18.Qc3 Qb8 19.Bxf6+ Kg8 20.Qg3+ Kf7 21.Qg7+ Ke6 22.Nc7+ Qxc7 23.Rhe1+ Kf5 24.Qg5 checkmate, Wall - PLMW, FICS, 2010.

9...Kg8 10.Bg5 d6 11.f4 c5

Black has been defending well, and White has been developing his forces and looking for his chances.

An alternate was 11...Nc6 12.Qd3 Nb4 13.Qc4+ Be6 14.Qxb4 b6 15.Rae1 c5 16.Qb5 d5 17.e5 d4 18.exf6 a6 19.Qc6 Bd7 20.Qd5+ Kh8 21.fxg7+ Kxg7 22.Bxd8 Black resigned, Wall - Foman, Chess.com, 2010.

12.Qe3 h6

This is the slip that White has been looking for. Instead, after the game Rybka suggested: 12...Nf7 13.Bh4 Bd7 14.Rfe1 Qe7 and Black remains clearly better. 

13.Bh4

A mistake, of course, although the correct 13.Bxf6 is not as simple as it appears at first glance. If Black replies 13...Qxf6 then 14.Nd5 Qd8 15.fxe5 Rxe8 is even enough, although White has 16.Qb3!? to look for an edge.

However, if Black answers 13.Bxf6 with 13...Ng4!? then after 14.Bxd8 Nxe3 15.Bc7 Nxf1 16.Kxf1 White will have two pawns for the exchange, which may or may not be equivalent.

I did not see any of this, however.

13...Ng6 14.Bxf6 Qxf6

15.Rad1 Bg4 16.Rd2 b5

Another opportunity presents itself (solid was 16...Rad8).

I suspect that my opponent was planning to meet 17.Nxb5 with 17...Rab8 (eyeing the pawn on b2) but 18.Nxd6 would have been a complet answer.

17.h3 Bd7 18.b3

There was a chance to grab a pawn with 18.e5 Qf7 19.Rxd6.

18...Bf5

The Bishop would be stronger placed at Bc6.

19.Nd5

Again overlooking Opportunity's knock: instead, 19.g4 Bd7 20.e5 gets the "Jerome pawns" moving, after either 20...Qf7 21.Rxd6 or 20...dxe5 21.Rxd6 (21.f5 first might be better).

19...Qh4

20.Re1 Rxe4 White resigned

White will lose his Queen.