Strike when the time is right!

In an unbalanced and tactical game – such as in a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) – opportunites for attack arrive and depart, often move-by-move. I want to share a snapshot of the following game from the almost-concluded Chessworld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, where stampyshortlegs, battling for top honors, made a sacrifice in an attack on the enemy King; but in not following it up, he saw the game swing back violently against him, whereupon Haroldlee123 presented stampyshortlegs with one of his few losses.

Haroldlee123 - stampyshortlegs
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.0-0 Nf6 6.Nc3 Rf8 7.d3 Kg8 8.a3 d6 9.Bg5 Bg4 10.Nd5 Qd7 11.Bxf6 gxf6

Here we have a typical "modern" Jerome Gambit: White has a pawn for his sacrificed piece, but he has been careful to create no further weaknesses. Black has castled-by-hand, only to have the pawns in front of him be disrupted by White.

Fritz8 considers Black to be winning, of course – because of the material superiority – but suggests another "safe" move for White, here, 12.h3, kicking the enemy Bishop back to e6.

12.h3 Bxh3

Instead of retreating, however, stampyshorlegs has a different idea in mind: he will return his extra piece to bust open White's King's position. He expects that his investment of his extra piece will pay off nicely. (For a similar idea, see "Like a bull in a china shop...")

13.Nh4

An unusual defense, but White was not interested in opening things up: after 13.gxh3 Qxh3 14.Nh2 f5 Black has the initiative, the attack – and an extra pawn






analysis diagram






13...Bg4 14.Qd2 Qg7

Black plans to use the g-file for attack.

15.g3

Understandable, but this will cause more problems.

15...Bh3 16.Rfe1 Qxg3+

Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.

17.Kh1


17...Bxf2

The question here is: was it reasonable to expect Black to see that the alternative, 17...Qxh4, led to mate? Look at the variations open to White: they all lose material and then allow mate.

After the text move, White has a tricky counter to try to turn the game around.

18.Rg1 Qxg1+ 19.Rxg1+ Bxg1 20.Kxg1

With two Rooks and two pawns for his Queen, Black is still winning, but he has to be bothered by the disappearance of his attack on the King. After a few less-than-best moves, he has a lost game to contend with.

20...Kf7

Making way for the Rook, but it was better to have the piece cross in front of him with 20...Rf7.

21.Qf2

Instead, 21.Qh6 and Black's King is in more danger than White's.

21...Rg8+

According to plan. Fritz8 suggests, instead: 21...Rad8 22.Qxf6+ Kg8 23.Qh6 Rd7 24.Nf6+ Rxf6 25.Qxf6 Rf7 which looks terribly unclear, but probably White has a small advantage.

22.Kh2


And White went on to win.

22...Bg4 23.Qxf6++- Ke8 24.Nxc7+ Kd7 25.Nxa8 Rxa8 26.Qg7+ Ne7 27.Qxg4+ Kc6 28.Qg7 Re8 29.Qxh7 Nc8 30.Nf5 Nb6 31.Ne7+ Kb5 32.c4+ Kc5 33.Qh4 Kd4 34.Nf5+ Kxd3 35.Nxd6 Nxc4 36.Nxe8 Nxb2 37.Nd6 b6 38.Qg3+ Kd4 39.Qb3 Nd3 40.Nf5+ Kxe4 41.Nd6+ Kd4 42.Qc4+ Ke3 43.Qe4+ Kd2 44.Nc8 b5 45.Nxa7 b4 46.axb4 Kc3 47.b5 Nc5 48.Qxe5+ Kb4 49.b6 Nb7 50.Qb5+ Kc3 51.Qc6+ Kd2 52.Qxb7 Ke2 53.Qe7+ Kd2 54.b7 Kc2 55.b8Q Kc3 56.Qec7+ Kd3 57.Qbd8+ Ke4 58.Qce7+ Kf4 59.Qdf8+ Kg4 60.Qeg7+ Kh5 61.Qfh8 checkmate