The Fog of War (Part 2)

It's a strange thing, but playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) can have unusual effects upon those who play it or who play against it. The following game is as another example...

perrypawnpusher - Lark

blitz 2 12, FICS, 2009

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 The same foggy location as yesterday's post (see "The Fog of War (Part 1)"

7.Qxe5 Bd6 8.Qc3

Alternately: 8.Qh5 Nf6 9.Qf3 Kg8 10.d4 Kf7 11.e5 Black resigned, blackburne - Whiterose, ChessWorld, 2004.

White's Queen seems to be in the way at c3.

8...Nf6 9.d3 Qe7 10.Bg5
A truly impressive oversight!

10...h6


Anyone for "10...Bb4, White resigned", instead?

11.Bh4

Amazing. I have no idea what I was looking at, or what I was seeing.

11... Bc5
That goes for my opponent, too.

12.0-0 d6

Now we're back to a "normal" Jerome Gambit, where Black has his regular advantage of a piece for two pawns. That doesn't mean that the fog has fully cleared up, though.

13.d4 g5 14.dxc5 gxh4 15.cxd6 Qxd6Recapturing with the pawn was correct. Now White has the simple pawn fork, 16.e5.

16.Nd2

Or not.

16...Rg8 17.f4 Bh3 18.Qxh3 Qxd2 19.Rf2 Qd4

White hopes to feast on Black's Kingside pawns, and that he can keep active enough to keep his opponent from doing the same on the Queenside.

20.Qf5 Qxb2 21.Re1 Qb6 22.e5


Getting the piece back and evening up the game.

22...Rg7 23.exf6 Rf7 24.Re6 Qb1+ 25.Rf1 Qxa2 26.Rfe1

Lark has gobbled two pawns, but I clearly have the initiative and the advantage.

26...Qb2 27.Qg6

Missing 27.Re8+ Rxe8 28.Rxe8+ Kxe8 29.Qc8 checkmate

27...Qd4+ 28.Kh1 Qxf4 29.Re7

Missing the much stronger 29.Qd3, but this was a blitz game, and time was running short...

29...Rxe7 30.fxe7 checkmate


...for both of us.