Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (24)

Here we have another contest where the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) holds its own in the computer's hands, as Fritz 8 gives RevvedUp "Jerome Gambit odds" and RevvedUp again fights well enough – only to be ground down in the endgame.



Fritz 8 - RevvedUp
blitz 2 12, 2006
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke67.f4 d6 8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Rf1
A "computer-ish" move played five years ago by The Perfesser (see "Jerome Gambit and The Perfesser (Part II)") and a reasonable alternative to 9.Qh3+.

9...Nf6 10.Qe2 Ke7 11.d3 Qd4


Going after Fritz 8's King. Perhaps RevvedUp should have tended to his own, first, castling-by-hand with something like 11...Rf8 12.Bg5 Ke7 13.Bxf6 gxf6 14.Nd2 Kg8 15.0-0-0 Be6. Black's King is drafty, and the position looks somewhat passive, but he does have the extra piece as compensation.

Remember, though, this is a blitz game, and attack often rules the day.

12.c3 Qd6 13.Nd2 Bg4

Giving back some material, by choice or by accident.

14.Rxf6 Bxe2 15.Rxd6 Bh5

Better was15...Kxd6 16.Kxe2 when Black would have the exchange for a pawn. He is hoping instead to take advantage of the awkwardly-placed Rook.

16.Rd5 Bd6 17.Nc4 Bf7


18.Bg5+ Ke6 19.Rd1 h6 20.Bh4 Rhe8 21.Bg3 Kd7



22.Nxe5+ Rxe5 23.Rxe5 Bxe5 24.Bxe5 Bxa2


RevvedUp is playing for a Bishops-of-Opposite-Colors ending where he reasonably hopes to find a draw. It is not clear to me if he would have more chances for success if he had kept his Kingside pawns intact with 24...g6 here followed by a later ...h5.

25.Bxg7 Rg8 26.Bxh6 Rxg2 27.Rd2 Rxd2 28.Kxd2 Bf7


Not all Opposite-Color-Bishop endgames are drawn, and in this one White has the advantage of 2 extra pawns, both of them passed. Black will have to set up two blocades, but it still seems worth playing on.

29.d4 c6 30.Ke3 b5 31.b4 Ke6 32.h3 Kf6 33.Kf4 Bc4


Perhaps the Bishop needed to go to g6 instead, setting up a blocade of the light h5 square which only can be relieved by White's King. When that happens, Black's Bishop should retreat to f7 maintaining the blocade squares at d5 and e6, while his King takes over defensive duties on the Kingside. Would that have worked? It is also dependent upon White playing e5 at some point – which he does not do in the game.

34.Bf8 Be6 35.h4 a6 36.h5 Bc4 37.h6 Kg6 38.Ke5

RevvedUp has chosen h7 as his blocade square, but Fritz 8, having wisely not advanced his e-pawn, is able to advance his King instead.

38...Bd3 39.d5 cxd5 40.exd5 Kf7 41.Bc5 Bh7 42.d6 Ke8 43.Kf6 Bd3 44.Kg7 Kd7 45.h7 Black resigns

Wow. Who says computers can't play endgames??