Slowing Things Down A Bit

I have slowly come to the conclusion that there is more to the play of the "Jerome pawns" that White gets for his sacrificed piece than simply racing them up the board, hoping to frighten my opponent into error. The game is not as wild, but it seems more solid, with more realistic winning chances.

perrypawnpusher - parlance
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

In an recent game against this opponent I faced a different defense, raced my pawns forward, and watched my game fall apart: 6...Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Ng6 9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ Ke8 11.0-0 d6 12.Qe3 N8e7 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Ng4 15.Qg3 h5 16.h3 Nf6 17.Qxg7 Rf8 18.e5 dxe5 19.Bh6 Qxd4+ 20.Kh1 Rf7 21.Qh8+ Neg8 22.Nc3 Rh7 White resigned, perrypawnpusher - parlance, blitz, FICS, 2011.

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.0-0 Qe7

I just saw this move a few days ago, against mikelars. Hmmm, I wonder if I have learned anything...?

11.Nc3 Kd7

Wow.

perrypawnpusher - mikelars, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 50) continued with the active 11...Ne5. 

Black's choice in the current game is even more provocative: apparently he plans to swing his King's Rook over to the e-file. Just the kind of move to stir me to over-reaction.

12.f4 Kd8

More psychological warfare?

This is all very interesting. White can now play 13.d4, and after 13...Re8 he can advance with 14.e5, although this is met with the too-familiar 14...Ng4 and it is not clear what the first player has accomplished.

13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Neg4

Who was it that said: I can resist anything but temptation ?

15.Qf3

This move is okay, but with Black's King on d8 I might have done better to try 15.Qd3.

15...Re8 16.h3 Nh6 17.Bg5

This has to be better than 17.e5 dxe5 18.dxe5 Qxe5 19.Re1+ Bd7 20.Qxb7 Qc5+ 21.Kh2 Ke7!? when things are unclear, but tilting Black's way.

On the other hand, an improvement probably is 17.Bxh6 gxh6 18.Rae1 Bd7 when it is almost time to advance the e-pawn, i.e. 19.Qf2 Bc6 20.e5.

17...Qf7

Black attends to two issues: the pin along the d8-h4 diagonal, and the pressure on f6. Still, he would have done better with 17...Nf7, which attacks the pinning Bishop and removes White's chance to double pawns on the h-file.

18.Nd5

I assure you, my e-pawn was screaming that it wanted to advance. Instead, I attended to the pin of the Knight at f6. I could have both prepared the advance and threatened the Knight at h6 with 18.Qf4.

18...Nhg8

Quick! He's reinforcing f6. Do something!

19.Rae1

Yawn...

19...h6 20.Bh4 g5

Just when it gets time to play e4-e5, my opponent distracts me. If he had played 20...c6 I would have calmed my "Jerome pawns" with 21.Nxf6 gxf6 22.e5 with compensation for my sacrificed piece, maybe even an edge.

With his move Black tries to break the pin along the diagonal, but by capturing en passant (maybe he overlooked this) I can add a pin along the f-file, too.

21.fxg6 Qxg6 22.Nxf6 Black resigned

It is not just that White has won back his piece. After 22...Nxf6 23.Qxf6+ Qxf6 24.Rxf6 Black will have to deal with the discovered check when White's Rook moves; 24...Kd7 25.d5 does not improve his situation.