Wild Horses

There seemed to be some "wild horses" in this Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game that kept trying to "drag me away." Or drag the game away from me.

Sorry, Podnah, good try, but not this time, either...

You can check out "Relax... Don't work so hard" for my first encounter with the creative TJPOT.

perrypawnpusher - TJPOT
blitz 3 12, FICS, 2009

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

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

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5

As old as Jerome - Brownson, USA, 1975, and as recent as perrypawnpusher - steelrfan44, Gameknot.com, 2009

8...Nf4



An idea similar to Fritz 8's seen in "Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (13)". It seems to beg for 9.Qe5+ Ne6, but I thought I'd let the horse run wild and instead focus on my development.

9.0-0 Nf6 10.d3 d6 11.Qe3 Ne6 12.f4 Ng4

The first horse having returned, the other one now gets loose.

13.Qg3 Nc5

Can all this horsing around be good for Black? Neigh!

14.f5 h5 15.h3 Nf6 Already White now has a pawn breakthrough that would allow him to rustle one of the Knights: 16.e5 dxe5 17.Qxe5+ Qe7 18.Re1 Qxe5 19.Rxe5+ Kd8 20.Rxc5.

The move that I chose instead targets Black's King.

16.Qxg7 Rg8 17.Qh6 d5

Breaking in the center, attacking the pawn chain – but letting the e-pawn advance. Correct seems to be 17...Qe7 with defensive prospects.

18.e5 Nfd7
Black's position is suddenly so dire that Rybka 3, analyzing after the game was over, suggested that he should offer the return of a piece with 18...Ncd7 – but that White's attack was so strong that the first player could continue to develop without capturing immediately: 19.Bf4 c6 20.Nd2 Qb6+ 21.Kh1 c5 22.Rae1 Kd8 23.Nf3.

19.Qxh5+ Ke7 20.Bg5+

Winning the exchange, while 20.Qh7+ led to the win of a Rook. Regardless, the Black King is in serious trouble.

20...Rxg5 21.Qxg5+ Ke8 22.Qg6+ Kf8 23.f6 Nxe5 24.Qg7+ Ke8 25.f7+ Nxf7 26.Qxf7 checkmate