Tuesday, April 20, 2010

I think I have a win, but it will take time...


When I play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) I realize that several of my "allies" during the game, which I hope afflict my opponent at every move, are: surprise, inattention, over-confidence, shallow analysis and a well-timed unfortunate blunder. 

It should not be surprising, then, that my opponent expects the same of me – after all, I am the one playing the Jerome Gambit!

perrypawnpusher - PravinMamania
blitz FICS, 2010

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


The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7


The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ g6


This is similar to the 6...g6 defense in the Jerome Gambit, leading to the Whistler and Blackburne variations.

8.Qxe5 Be7


In other games, twice my opponents have blocked my attack on the Rook, leaving me the Bishop to capture: 8...Nf6 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qe3 Ng4 (10...Qe8 11.Nc3 c6 12.d3 Be6 13.f4 Ke7 14.f5 gxf5 15.exf5 Kd7 16.Qxe6+ Qxe6 17.fxe6+ Kxe6 18.Bd2 Kd7 19.Rxf6 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - wadada, blitz FICS, 2009 ) 11.Qf4+ Kg7 12.d4 Rf8 13.Qg3 g5 14.Nc3 c5 15.f4 cxd4 16.Ne2 Ne3 17.Bxe3 dxe3 18.Qxe3 gxf4 19.Nxf4 Qg5 20.Nd5 Qxe3+ 21.Nxe3 Be6 22.Nf5+ Bxf5 23.exf5 Rae8 24.Rae1 Rxe1 25.Rxe1 Rxf5 26.Re7+ Kf6 27.Rxb7 Rc5 28.Rxa7 Rxc2 29.Rb7 Rc1+ 30.Kf2 Ke5 31.Rb3 Rc2+ 32.Kf3 d5 33.Re3+ Kf5 34.Re2 Rc4 35.g3 h5 36.b3 Rc5 37.Ke3 Rc3+ 38.Kd4 Rf3 39.Kxd5 Kg4 40.b4 h4 41.gxh4 Kxh4 42.b5 Rd3+ 43.Kc4 Rd7 44.b6 Rb7 45.Kc5 Rxb6 46.Kxb6 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - islanderchess, blitz FICS, 2008

It is probably useful for both Black and White to know that Rybka's recommended move is: 8...Bf8, which keeps Black's advantage.

In part this is because if White then takes the Rook with 9.Qxh8, Black traps it with (of course) 9...Bg7. If White wriggles with 10.Qh7, Black has the simple 10...Nf6. Either way, White will wind up with only a Rook and a couple of pawns for his Queen – not to mention a vanished attack.




analysis diagram







White does best after 8...Bf8, instead of capturing the Rook on h8, to retreat his Queen to Qg3 and then develop his "Jerome pawns" and pieces as in a regular Jerome Gambit game.

9.Qxh8


What difference does having the Bishop on e7 instead of f8 make? Can't black play the similar 9...Bf6?

Yes, he can, but after 10.Qh7+ Bg7 White's situation is different, because Black has taken 4 moves to get his piece to g7, instead of 3 moves in the case of 8...Bf8.




analysis diagram







As a result, Black's Knight is still at home on g8, and White can use his extra tempo to play 11.e5.

What follows then would be a back-and-forth battle to capture or free White's Queen, for example 11...d6 12.d4 Bf5 (new plan: support the Black Bishop with the Black Queen, then play ...g6-g5, discovering an attack on the White Queen)  13.Re1 Qd7 14.Na3 g5
15.e6+ Qxe6 16.Rxe6 Bxh7.

A very complicated situation!

Now, back to the game:

9...Nf6


In comparison to what we have just looked at, allowing White to exchange off his Queen produces a much simpler position, and one in which White is the exchange and two pawns ahead.

10.Qxd8 Bxd8 11.Nc3 d6 12.d3 Be6


I think I have a win, but it will take time.

13.Bxh6 Ng4 14.Bf4 Bh4 15.h3 Nf6 16.g3 Nh5 17.Be3 Bf6 18.g4 Ng7 19.f4 Rh8


Both of us have made progress. The two Bishops will help Black in defending.

20.Kg2 Bh4 21.f5 gxf5 22.exf5 Bd7


23.Bf2 Bc6+ 24.Ne4 d5 25.Ng3 Bg5 26.Rae1 Bd2 27.Re2 Bg5


28.Bd4 Rh7 29.Bxg7 Kxg7 30.Nh5+ Kf7 31.Kg3 Bd7


Slowly White's pawns creep up the board as the Rooks threaten invasion.

32.Rfe1 Kg8 33.h4 Bd8 34.d4


Locking up the light-squared Black Bishop, but there was a better move – which I played next.

34...c6

It was necessary for Black to play 34...Kf8 and keep the Rook out.

35.Re8+ Bxe8 36.Rxe8+ Kf7 37.Rxd8 b5


Resistance is futile.

38.Rd7+ Kg8 39.Rxh7 Kxh7 40.g5 b4 41.Kf4 a5


42.Nf6+ Kg7 43.h5 Kf7 44.h6 Ke7 45.h7 Kf7 46.h8Q


46...a4 47.Qe8+ Kg7 48.Nh5+ Kh7 49.Qg6+ Kh8 50.Qg7 checkmate

Readers who think (not me) that my opponent hung on too long and should have resigned earlier are asked to check out my post "If you want them to stop laughing...".

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