Hung Over

I lose chess games every day, but I hate losing Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) style games.

perrypawnpusher - HRoark
blitz FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

The Semi-Italian Opening. We're on speaking terms – barely. Or should I say "bear-ly"?

4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4

8...Bxd4 9.Qxd4 d6

10.f4

I like this move, but a couple of games have gone differently: 10.0-0 c5 11.Qd1 b5 12.Nxb5 Ba6 13.a4 Nxe4 14.Qd5+ Ke7 15.Qxe4 Bxb5 16.axb5 Qb6 17.Be3 Qxb5 18.f4 Qxb2 19.fxe5 Qxe5 20.Qxe5+ dxe5 21.Bxc5+ Ke6 22.Rxa7 Rac8 23.Ra6+ Kd5 24.Bf2 Rxc2 25.Ra5+ Ke6 26.Re1 Rd8 27.Raxe5+ Kf6 28.Re6+ Kf7 29.h3 Rcd2 30.Re7+ Kg6 31.Bh4 Kh7 32.Bf6 Rg8 33.Bh4 Kh8 34.Re8 Rxe8 35.Rxe8+ Kh7 36.Kh2 Rd4 37.Bg3 h5 38.Re7 Kh6 39.Be5 Ra4 40.Bxg7+ Kg5 41.Bf8 Ra5 42.Rg7+ Kf6 43.Rg3 Black resigned, benaval - Castled, FICS 2006;

and 10.Nd5 Nxd5 11.Qxd5+ Be6 12.Qxb7 Re8 13.f4 Ng4 14.f5 Bd7 15.Qd5+ Kf8 16.f6 Nxf6 17.Qc4 Be6 18.Qb4 Kg8 19.Qc3 Nxe4 20.Qe3 Nf6 21.Qg3 g5 22.b3 Kh7 23.Bb2 Ne4 24.Qd3 d5 25.c4 c6 26.Qd4 Re7 27.Ba3 Rf7 28.Rxf7+ Bxf7 29.Bb2 Qg8 30.Rf1 Rf8 31.h4 dxc4 32.Qe5 Ng3 33.Rf6 cxb3 34.a3 Nh5 35.Qe4+ Bg6 36.Qe7+ Rf7 37.Qd6 Nxf6 38.Bxf6 Rxf6 39.Qxf6 Qg7 40.Qxc6 Qa1+ 41.Kh2 gxh4 42.Qb7+ Qg7 43.Qxb3 h3 44.Kxh3 Qe5 45.a4 Bf5+ 46.g4 Bxg4+ 47.Kxg4 Qg7+ 48.Kf3 Qg6 49.Ke3 Black resigned, yorgos - ambaradann, FICS, 2009.

10...Nc6 11.Qd3

In going over my game with HRoark afterward, I discovered the odd alternative move 11.Qd1 from the odd game ontocaustic - defjavid, FICS, 2009: 11...Bg4 12.Qd3 Nb4 13.Qc4+ Kf8 14.Qxb4 Qe7 15.e5 Nh5 16.f5 Qe6 17.fxe6+ Black resigned.

I was happy to have that game in mind the next time that I played the Semi-Italian Four Knights variation of the Jerome Gambit.

11...Be6 12.Bd2

Focusing upon development of my pieces, and avoiding 12.f5 – the move that Rybka, after the game, suggested that I should have made. Then White would be only a pawn and a quarter worse after 12...Bd7 13.Qc4+ Kf8.

analysis diagram







Rybka may be right, but Black's Knight easily hops to e5 to help blocade White's "Jerome pawns" and it will take a lot of good moves by the first player to keep from falling further behind.

12...Nb4

The computer preferred: 12...Re8 13.f5 Bd7 14.Nd5 b5 15.Rae1 Ne5 16.Qb3 Kf8 17.Nf4 Qe7 18.Ng6+ Nxg6, when Black's advantage would be clear.

analysis diagram







13.Qg3

The game is complex enough that inaccuracies by Black might keep him from speedily increasing his advantage, but his his King is safe, and White is not in a position to force concessions.

13...Nxc2 14.Rac1 Nd4 15.f5 Bd7 16.Qg6+

It would be nice if this led to something.

16...Kg8 17.Be3 Be8 18.Qg3 Nc6

19.Bf4 Nh5 20.Qe3 Nxf4 21.Rxf4 Qg5

22.Qf2 Ne5 23.h4

A hint of desperation by White.

23...Qh5 24.Rd1 a5 25.f6

Simply searching for something that will work. This won't. 

25...Ng4 26.Qg3 Qc5+ 27.Kh1 h5

The position remains complicated and clearly in Black's favor. HRoark continues to outplay me.

28.Rxg4

Another desperate move. This was a blitz game, so all sorts of strange things were possible...

28...hxg4 29.Qxg4

The White pawn on f6 still looks troublesome, but White was a Rook behind at this point.

29...Rh7 30.Rd5 Qf2 31.h5 Qf1+ 32.Kh2 Qxf6

It was time for the gentlemanly "Good game!"

I played on, looking for a miracle. My opponent was pretty much a step ahead of me the whole time.

33.Rf5 Qd4 34.Qf3 Bd7 35.Rd5 Qf6 36.Qxf6 gxf6 37.Kg3 Rg7+ 38.Kf3 Bg4+ 39.Kf4 Be6 40.Rd2 Rg5 White resigned

Hats off to HRoark, for a well-played game!

I could only hope that I had learned something... and it turned out that I had.