Why, I oughta...

When I started writing this blog (not quite a year and a half ago), I decided to post every one of my Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf4+) and Jerome-related games, win or lose, good or bad. Three good examples of my bad play are perrypawnpusher - thehunterjames, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 25), perrypawnpusher -james042665, Chess.com, 2008 (0-1, 18), and perrypawnpusher - drewbear, JG3 thematic, chessworld, 2008 (0-1, 10).

The following game is not a loss, but in light of my experience with the Blackburne Shilling Gambit – especially the recent "Gorilla Chess", but also, for example "Keep the shilling..." – I sure looked pretty comical.

perrypawnpusher - MNUNP

blitz FICS, 2009

1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 e5 3.Bc4 Nd4

4.Bxf7+

Of course.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6

6.c3 Kxe5 7.cxd4+ Kxe4

Here I felt a little foolish. I knew that capturing the e-pawn was bad for Black (7...Kxd4 was roughly even), but I couldn't remember why, or how to prove it. Black should have thought of King safety: 7...Ke6 8.Nc3 Kf7 9.0-0 c6 10.d3 g6 11.Be3 Kg7 and if anyone has an advantage, it is the second player.

8.Qg4+

Okay, I not only didn't remember the right path, I didn't figure it out over-the-board, either.

The correct move was 8.Qh5, boxing-in the King, which Black should answer with 8...g5. Then a King-hunt starting with 9.Qf3+ either succeeds or allows White's Queen to get to e5 with check, followed by the capture of the h8 Rook.

An alternative to 8.Qh5 g5 was quickly dealt with: 8...Kxd4 9.d3 Bb4+ 10.Nc3 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3+ Kxc3 12.Qc5+ Kxd3 13.Qd5+ Kc3 14.Bd2+ Kb2 15.Qb3+ Kxa1 16.0-0 checkmate, Melao Jr.,H - Danilo, Centro Cultural 1996;

Or 8.0-0 Qf6 9.Qc2+ Kxd4 10.b4 Kd5 11.Bb2 Qg6 12.Qb3+ Kd6 13.Re1 b6 14.Be5+ Kc6 15.Rc1+ Kb7 16.Rxc7+ Kb8 17.Rc6+ Black resigned was fidotopdog - Krait, FICS 2009

8...Kd5 9.Nc3+ Kd6

This is very dangerous. The King should, instead, go to c6 when the game is still in balance.

10.0-0

I admit that I played this move with a sense of resignation: I wasn't sure what to do next, and figured that castling couldn't go too far wrong: I would have three pieces developed to his none (or one, if you count his King). 

Next time I'll know to play 10.Qe4. White can build a good attack on the dark squares after 10...a6 11.d3 g5 12.Qe5+ Kc6 13.d5+ Kb6 14.Be3+ c5 15.dxc6+ Kxc6 16.Qd5+ Kc7 17.Qa5+ and Black loses his Queen.

analysis diagram

Another way to play the position was 10.b3 Qe7+ 11.Ne2 Kc6 12.d5+ Kb6 13.d3 c5 14.dxc6 bxc6 15.Be3+ Kb7 16.Rc1 Qb4+ 17.Qxb4+ Bxb4+ 18.Nc3 Nf6 19.Ke2 Bxc3 20.Rxc3 Nd5 21.Rc4 Nxe3 22.fxe3 d5 23.Rb4+ Kc7 Black resigned, ibenrooked - ironhorse1056, GameKnot, 2005.

10...Nf6 11.Qf4+

Again, I told myself "the win has to be there" – but I couldn't find it. I'm not sure that it was there, any more.

11...Ke6 12.Re1+ Kf7 13.Nd5

13...d6 14.d3

Now Black can play 14...c6 and 15...d5 and be assured that he has weathered the attack. Instead, he gets careless (and not a moment too soon, as far as I was concerned).

14...Be7 15.Rxe7+

15...Kg8

If Black wanted to fight on, he needed to surrender his Queen for a Knight and Rook with 15...Qxe7.

16.Nxf6+ gxf6 17.Qg3+ Kf8 18.Qg7 checkmate

Perhaps it is true that "fortune favors the bold"!