Sole Survivor

Although my involvement in a Chessworld welcoming Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Thematic Tournament was quickly reduced to one game, (see "Busy!" and "*Poof!*"), it turned out to be an interesting one, worth sharing.

perrypawnpusher - jamtaylo

ChessWorld Welcome JG Tournament, 2009

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

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

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6

I've also seen 8...Qe7 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.d3 d5 11.f3 dxe4 12.fxe4 Ng4 13.0-0+ Ke8 14.Qg3 Qc5+ 15.Kh1 Be6 16.Nc3 Kd7 17.h3 N4e5 18.d4 Qxd4 19.Rd1 Qxd1+ 20.Nxd1 Rad8 21.Bf4 Kc8 22.Bxe5 Nxe5 23.Qxe5 Bd7 24.Nc3 Rhe8 25.Qg3 g6 26.Nd5 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - marbleschess, FICS, 2009

9.Qe3 Be6

Or 9...Nf6 10.0-0 Kf7 (10...Bd7 11.f4 Qe7 12.d3 Kf7 13.Nc3 Rhf8 14.h3 Kg8 15.g4 Bxg4 16.hxg4 Nxg4 17.Qg3 Nf6 18.f5 Ne5 19.Bg5 Qd7 20.d4 Nc4 21.b3 Nb6 22.e5 dxe5 23.dxe5 Qd4+ 24.Qe3 Qg4 25.Kh2 Nfd5 26.Nxd5 Nxd5 27.Qg3 Qh5+ 28.Kg2 Qe2+ 29.Rf2 Qe4+ 30.Kh3 Rxf5 31.Rxf5 Qxf5+ 32.Kh4 Qg6 33.c4 Nb4 34.a3 Nc2 35.Rf1 Nd4 36.Qf4 Ne6 37.Qe3 h6 38.Be7 Black forfeited on time, perrypawnpusher - Mences, FICS, 2009; 10...b6 11.f4 Bb7 12.d3 Qe7 13.Nc3 Re8 14.Bd2 h6 15.h3 Qd7 16.Qg3 Ne7 17.e5 Nfg8 18.Rae1 Nf5 19.Qf2 Nge7 20.g4 g6 21.gxf5 gxf5 22.Re3 Rg8+ 23.Rg3 Kf7 24.Ne2 h5 25.Kh2 Rg6 26.Rfg1 Reg8 27.Nd4 dxe5 28.Rxg6 exd4 29.Rxg8 Nxg8 30.Qg3 Ne7 31.Qg7+ Ke6 32.Re1+ Kd6 33.Qe5+ Kc6 34.Qxe7 Qxe7 35.Rxe7 Kd6 36.Re5 Bc8 37.Kg3 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - hogmaster, JG3 thematic, Chessworld 2008) 11.f4 Re8 12.f5 Ne5 13.Nc3 Nc4 14.Qd4 Ne5 15.d3 Kg8 16.Bg5 h6 17.Bxf6 gxf6 18.Qd5+ Be6 19.fxe6 c6 20.e7+ Kg7 21.exd8Q Raxd8 22.Qd4 c5 23.Qf2 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - DysonLin, FICS, 2009.

10.f4 Bf7 TN

Also played: 10...N6e7 11.0-0 Nf6 ( 11...d5 12.d3 dxe4 13.dxe4 Nf6 14.Nc3 Ng4 15.Qd3 Qxd3 16.cxd3 Rd8 17.Rd1 c5 18.h3 Nf6 19.Be3 b6 20.g4 Nc6 21.Rac1 Ke7 22.a3 Bb3 23.Rd2 Rhf8 24.Kf2 Rd7 25.e5 Nxe5 26.fxe5 Ne4+ 27.Ke2 Ng3+ 28.Ke1 Rf1 checkmate, RevvedUp - Hiarcs 8, 2 12 2006) 12.f5 Bf7 13.b3 Nc6 14.Bb2 Ke7 15.d4 Re8 16.e5 dxe5 17.dxe5 Nd5 18.Qc5+ Kd7 19.e6+ Bxe6 20.fxe6+ Kxe6 21.Nc3 Nxc3 22.Bxc3 Qh4 23.Qf5+ Ke7 24.Rfe1+ Kd6 25.Rad1+ Nd4 26.Bb4+ Kc6 27.Qc5+ Kd7 28.Rxd4+ Black resigned, Hiarcs 8-RevvedUp, 2 12 2006.

11.f5 Ne5 12.d4 Nc6 13.0-0 Bc4

The Bishop is intent on being involved in play.

By transposition, is 13...Nge7 14.Nc3 Ke8 15.Bd2 Kd7 16.Rad1 Kc8 17.e5 Nd5 18.Nxd5 Bxd5 19.b3 Re8 20.c4 Bg8 21.Bc3 Qe7 22.e6 b6 23.d5 Nd8 24.f6 gxf6 25.Bxf6 Qf8 26.Bxd8 Qxf1+ 27.Rxf1 Kxd8 28.Qg5+ Kc8 29.Rf6 Kb7 30.Qg7 a5 31.a4 Rac8 32.g4 Ka6 33.g5 b5 34.cxb5+ Kb6 35.Qd7 Ka7 36.h4 Red8 37.Qc6 Re8 38.Qa6+ Kb8 39.Qxa5 Black resigned, guest673 - guest767, ICC 2 12 2003]

14.Rd1

Oddly enough, after the game Rybka 3 suggested instead 14.Rf4.

14...Nf6 15.Nc3 Ng4 16.Qg3 h5

17.b3 Ba6

After this, the Bishop is on the sidelines. It probably should have returned to f7 with about an equal game.

18.h3 Nf6 19.e5


The "Jerome Gambit pawns" are beginning to assert themselves.


19...dxe5


Too cooperative. Rybka 3 recommends: 19...h4 20.Qf2 Nd7 21.e6 Nf6 22.Bg5 Ne7 23.Bxh4 Qe8 24.Bxf6 gxf6 25.Ne4 Qh5 26.Nxf6 Qxf5 27.Qxf5 Nxf5 28.Nd5 c6 29.Nc7 Ke7 30.Nxa8 Rxa8 31.Rd2 d5 32.Re1 Rh8 which is about even.


20.dxe5 Qxd1+


A critical oversight.


21.Nxd1 Ne4


The Knight is not safe here.
22.Ba3+ Kg8 23.Qe3 Nd2 24.Qxd2 Rd8


25.Qg5 Rh6 26.f6 Rd7 27.e6 Black resigned