When your opponent takes his time...

...it's OK for you to take time, too.

When your opponent falls behind on the clock, especially in a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), it is tempting to blitz out moves, to keep the pressure on.

Strong moves, not necessarily fast ones, provide the most challenge, though – and this can mean some thinking time for the Gambiteer as well.

perrypawnpusher - calexander
blitz 5 12, FICS, 2009

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

Oh, dear. Another one of those refutations...

On the other hand, my opponent had been taking quite a bit of time over his last few moves. This was good.

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Nf7

This move was new to me, and has been rarely played.

The strongest defense/counter-attack begins with 8...Qh4+.

9.Qd5+

After a little thought, I decided to take the Bishop, an understandable idea but not best.

Had I taken more time, I would have found 9.Qxf7, which is an interesting move. A pawn fork at e5 will follow if Black develops his Queen or Knight at f6. If Black plays for King safety with 9...c6, then Rybka suggests that 10.Qxg7 Nf6 11.Qxf6+ Qxf6 12.e5+ is possible, with an edge to White.

analysis diagram




9...Ke7 10.Qxc5+ Ke8

The only other example I have of this line continued 10...d6 11.Qd4 Nf6 12.Nc3 Re8 13.d3 Kf8 14.0-0 c5 15.Qf2 b6 16.Bd2 Bb7 17.Rae1 d5 18.e5 Nd7 19.e6 Re7 20.exf7 Rxf7 21.Re6 Nf6 22.Rfe1 d4 23.Ne4 Nxe4 24.dxe4 Bc8 25.Re5 Qd6 26.Rd5 Qh6 27.Qg3 Bb7 28.f5 Bxd5 29.Bxh6 gxh6 30.exd5 Rf6 31.Re6 Rxf5 32.Rxh6 Rf7 33.Qd6+ Kg8 34.Qe6 Raf8 35.Rf6 Kg7 36.Rxf7+ Rxf7 37.d6 Kf8 38.d7 Re7 39.Qf6+ Rf7 40.Qxf7+ Kxf7 41.d8Q Ke6 Black resigned, Superpippo - Sulu, FICS, 2002

11.0-0 b6 12.Qe3 d6 13.Nc3 Nf6

14.e5 dxe5 15.fxe5 Nd5

Black has an even position. If only he could castle, he'd have the better game. In the meantime, his time shortage was getting serious. 

16.Qf3

A cheap tactical trick: 16.Qg6 was better.

16...Qe7

Black could defend easily and economically with 16...Be6, for example 17.d4 Nxc3 18.Qc6+ Ke7 19.Qxc3 c6 looks okay for him. But that time shortage was hurting calexander and helping me.

17.Qxd5 Rb8 18.d4 Be6

19.Qb5+ Kd8 20.Nd5

More tactics.

I am also happy to exchange pieces and eventually cash in my "Jerome pawns".

Swapping pieces doesn't take much time, so my opponent went along with me.

20...Bxd5 21.Qxd5+ Qd7 22.Qxd7+ Kxd7 23.Rxf7+

Ooops.

23...Ke8 24.Rxc7 Rf8 25.Rxg7 Black lost on time

Of course, down a piece and four pawns, his eventual demise was only a matter of time, anyhow.