Stinkin' up the Chessboard

As host of this blog, I am committed to showing all of my Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) adventures, not just the "good" games. The following embarassment has a few interesting points to it, but can easily be skipped over without losing much.

Two lessons: 1) don't play online blitz when the Olympics are on the TV; and 2) time pressure on the opponent is often the "secret weapon" when it comes to the Jerome Gambit.

perrypawnpusher - johnde
blitz 3 12, FICS 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6

I covered this rare move in "A Strange, But Intriguing, Path (Part 1)", "(Part 2)" and "(Part 3)".

6.Nxc6

Ooops! In playing this game I forgot that I had recommended the win of Black's Queen with 6.Qg4+ Kxe5 7.d4+ Bxd4 8.Bf4+ Kf6 9.Bg5+ Kf7 10.Bxd8.

6...dxc6 7.O-O Nf6 8.d3 Qd4

This keeps my dark-squared Bishop home temporarily, but more consistent would have been 8...Re8 and then ...Ke6-f7-g8, castling-by-hand.

9.c3 Qd7 10.d4 Be7

11.e5

This looks aggressive, but more to the point was 11.Qb3+, winning a piece.

11...Ne8 12.f4 Rf8

I suppose that it should be encouraging to all who play the Jerome Gambit that this position – arrived at even after White missed the "best" line – is better for White. 

13.Qh5

After 13.f5+ Rxf5 14.Rxf5 Kxf5 15.Qh5+ Ke6 White pretty much just develops his Queenside: Bc1-e3, c3-c4, Nb1-c3, Ra1-f8 with a better game. Amazing.

13...Kd5

This is way too bold.

14. c4+

Any reader with tactical skills probably sees the overwhelming power of 14.e6+ here. Too bad I didn't.

14...Kxc4 15.Na3+ Kd5

Better was 15...Bxa3 although after 16.Qe2+ White still has a smashing attack on the King.

16. Qxh7

Anyone for 16.e6+ instead?

16...Qg4 17.Be3

Turning the advantage over to Black.

We now both stumble along for a while.

17...Bf5 18.Qh3 Qe2 19.Qg3 Be4 20.Rfe1 Qxb2 21.Bf2

This is a complicated position, but Black is up a piece, and can soon be up two. His King's position does not offset this: Black is winning.

21...Nf6 

Well, Black was winning, but this move should drop a piece.

If I had noticed.

22. Qb3+ Qxb3 23.axb3 Ng4 24.Nc4 Rxf4 25.Rf1 Bb4 26.Rad1 Raf8

Black's position grows stonger and stronger.

Lucky for me, his time grows shorter and shorter.

27.Be3 Rxf1+ 28. Rxf1 Rxf1+ 29. Kxf1 Nxh2+ 30. Kg1 Ng4 31. g3 Nxe3 32.Nxe3+ Kxd4

White's position is hopeless.

33.Kf2 Be1+ 34.Ke2 Bxg3 35.e6 Kc3 36.e7 Bg6 37.Nf5 Be5 38.Nh4

38...Bd3+

Too little time? Too little patience?

Now Black is no longer winning.

39.Ke3

I was amazed to discover after the game that Rybka sees this move as inaccurate – in fact, as allowing Black to draw. It suggested that after 39...g5 40.e8=Q Bd4+ 41.Kf3 gxh4 42.Qe1+ Kc2 43.Qxh4 Bb6 44.Qb4 c5

analysis diagram





that White has nothing better than to repeat moves for a draw with 45.Qa3 a6 46.Kf4 a5 47.Qa2+ Kc3 48.Qa3 Kc2 49.Qa2+ Kc3 etc. Wow!

analysis diagram







39...g6 40. e8=Q

40...Bd4+ 41.Kf4 Black resigned

White's Knight is enough to overcome Black's two-Bishops-plus-pawns fortress for his King with threats of mate.