Friday, February 24, 2017

Jerome Gambit: Over Before It's Over

It helps to know the basics of the opening variations that you are playing. Here, Bill Wall has plenty of experience with the Jerome Gambit. But he also has plenty of experience in transitioning to an advantageous endgame, and then winning it.

Wall, Bill - Jamato
lichess.org, 2017

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




4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb4+ 7.c3 Bxc3+


Or 7...Be7 as in Wall,B - ChrSav, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 11).

8.Nxc3 Ng6

Instead, 8...Nc6 was seen in Wall,B - Caynaboos, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 26) and Wall,B - ChessFlower, PlayChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 27)

9.O-O N8e7

Or 9...Nf6 as seen in Wall,B - Boris, SparkChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 31) and Wall,B - FJBS, FICS 2015 (1-0, 14).

10.f4 Re8


Bill has also faced 10...Rf8 in Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016 (1-0, 18)

11.Qb3+ d5 12.f5 Nf8 13.Bg5 c6 14.f6 gxf6 15.Bxf6 Kg8


Surprisingly enough, at this point Bill is ready to let the air out of the position and win the endgame. His opponent trys to tag along, but can not.

16.exd5 cxd5 17.Bxe7 Rxe7 18.Nxd5 Be6 19.Nxe7+ Qxe7 20.Rae1 Qd6

There were better chances to hold the game after 20...Bxb3 21.Rxe7 Bd5.

21.Rxf8+ Rxf8 22.Qxe6+ Qxe6 23.Rxe6 Rf7 24.d5 Rd7 25.d6 Kf7 26.Re7+ Rxe7 27.dxe7 Kxe7


The game is only half over, but it is over.

28.Kf2 b5 29.Ke3 a5 30.Kd4 Kd6 31.g4 h6 32.h4 b4 33.b3 Ke6 34.Kc5 Ke5 35.Kb5 Kf4 36.g5 hxg5 37.hxg5 Kxg5 38.Kxa5 Kf6 39.Kxb4 Ke6 40.Kb5 Kd6 41.Kb6 Kd7 42.a4 Kc8 43.a5 Kb8 44.b4 Ka8 45.Kc7 Ka7 46.b5 Ka8 47.a6 Ka7 48.Kc6 Ka8 49.b6 Kb8 50.a7+ Ka8 51.b7+ Kxa7 52.Kc7 Ka6 53.b8=Q Ka5 54.Qb3 Ka6 55.Qb6 checkmate.



Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Jerome Gambit: When It Looks So Easy

Sometimes the Jerome Gambit looks so easy to play. I know that it's not - but, sometimes...

Wall, Bill - Minaevm
lichess.org, 2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 


4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb4+ 7.c3 Bxc3+ 8.Nxc3 Nc4 


9.Qh5+ g6 10.Qd5+ Kf8 11.Qxc4 Ne7 12.Bh6+ Ke8 13.Nb5 c6
14.Nd6 checkmate

Monday, February 20, 2017

Jerome Gambit: Winging It

With attacks on both wings, the following game is an interesting example of who "gets there the firstest with the mostest".

The final position is very impressive, and bears close examination.

Wall, Bill - Facundo
lichess.org, 2017 

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 



4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 



6...Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 8.Nc3 Nf6 9.f3 Re8 



It looks like Bill wants to hold the center with f2-f3 and castle Queenside. He does - but that also leaves him open to start a pawn storm on the Kingside.

10.Bf4 Nc6 11.Qf2 Be6 12.O-O-O Qe7 13.h4 a5 



Black likes the idea, too.

14.h5 h6 15.g4 a4 16.g5 hxg5 17.Bxg5 a3 18.b3 Bd7 19.h6 g6 



Hoping to close things down on the Kingside, but the move overlooks play in the center. Stockfish 8 suggests 19...Qe5 20.Qd2 Rh8, although White can maintain play, it suggests, with 21.Rhe1 gxh6 22.f4 Nxe4 23.fxe5 Nxd2 24.Bxd2 Nxe5 and a drawn ending with Bishops-of-opposite-colors is one possibility.

20.Nd5 Qe5 21.Bxf6 Black resigned



A rather impressive position: Black's Queen is dominated by White's Knight and Bishop!

Her Majesty can escape attack with 21...Qe6, but then 22.h7!? follows. Black can offer the exchange with 22...Rh8, but White has no interest in the material, and can play 23.Qg3!? with the idea of Rh6, attacking the Black g-pawn, to follow. The defense of the pawn with 23...Ne7 simply drops a piece to 24.Bxe7, and the "counter-attack" 24...Qe5 25.Qh4 Qb2+ is an illusion, as after 26.Kd2 Qd4+ 27.Ke2 White's King is safe, and Black's will come under attack again.