A Long Day's Journey Into Checkmate

Welton Vaz shows that if you can't win a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game quickly (see "Provoked!", "Moment of Truth" and "Another Miniature from Brazil") it's okay to once again win it slowly.

Ghandybh  - nosseir

Chess.com, 2010

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

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

6...Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.d3

This is an unusual alternative to the more frequently played 8.f4. Clearly White avoids the complexities associated with that move – 8...Qh4+ 9.g3 Nf3+, for starters – while preparing to put pressure on the Knight at e5 with Bc1-f4. On the other hand, he battles along lines where White remains two pieces down. 

8...Nh6

Black, in turn, takes immediate aim at the White Queen.

Two alternatives have been seen: 8...Qf6 9.Be3 Bxe3 10.fxe3 Ke7 11.d4 Nc4 12.Qc5+ Nd6 13.e5 Qh4+ 14.g3 Qe4 15.exd6+ Ke6 16.Qe5+ Qxe5 17.dxe5 cxd6 18.exd6 Kxd6 19.Nc3 Nf6 20.Nb5+ Ke7 21.0-0-0 b6 22.Rd4 Bb7 23.Rhd1 Bc6 24.Nc7 Rac8 25.Na6 Rhe8 26.Nb4 Kf8 27.Kd2 Re4 28.Re1 Rxd4+ 29.exd4 Re8 30.Rg1 Bb5 31.b3 Ne4+ 32.Kc1 Nc3 33.Kb2 Ne2 34.c4 Bc6 35.Rd1 Be4 36.d5 Kg8 37.Rd2 Ng1 38.Na6 Nf3 39.Rf2 Ne5 40.Kc3 Ng4 41.Rd2 Rf8 42.Rd4 Rf3+ 43.Kb4 Nf6 44.a4 Bc2 45.Nc5 bxc5+ 46.Kxc5 Ne4+ 47.Rxe4 Bxe4 48.b4 Rf6 49.a5 Kf8 50.Kd4 Bc2 51.b5 Ke7 52.c5 d6 53.c6 Kd8 54.b6 axb6 55.axb6 Bb3 56.Ke4 g6 57.h4 Rf5 White resigned, dott - dj-travis, GameKnot.com, 2004;

and 8...Nf6 9.Bf4 Qe7 10.0-0 g6 11.Bxe5+ Qxe5 12.Qxe5+ Kxe5 13.c3 Be7 14.Nd2 d6 15.g3 Bh3 16.Rfe1 Rhf8 17.d4+ Ke6 18.e5 dxe5 19.Rxe5+ Kd7 20.Rae1 Rae8 21.f3 Bd6 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.Rxe8 Kxe8 24.g4 h5 25.Nc4 Bf4 26.Ne5 Be3+ 27.Kh1 g5 28.Nc4 hxg4 29.Nxe3 gxf3 30.Kg1 g4 31.Kf2 Ne4+ 32.Ke1 Kd7 33.c4 c6 34.d5 c5 35.Nf5 b6 36.Ng3 Nxg3 37.hxg3 Kd6 38.Kf2 a6 39.b3 b5 40.a3 bxc4 41.bxc4 Ke5 42.Ke3 Bf1 White resigned, Nestor250168 - karmmark, thematic, Chessworld.net 2008.

9.Bxh6 gxh6

Rybka's assessment is that things have already entered the Twilight Zone, suggesting instead: 9...Rf8 10.Bg5 Rxf5 11.Bxd8 Rxf2 with a clear advantage to Black.

10.Nc3

Here 10.f4 would have led to the recover of a piece as well. 

10...Rf8 11.Nb5+ Kc6 12.Qxe5 d6

Capturing the White Knight with the King would have only led to an exchange of pieces (12...Kxb5 13.a4+ followed by 14.Qxc5), so Black protects his Bishop first.

He had sharper play in 12...Bxf2+ 13.Ke2 d5 14.a4 Bg4+ 15.Kd2 Qg5+ 16.Qxg5 hxg5 17.exd5+ Kb6 but it can be difficult to think of "attack" when your King needs "defense."

analysis diagram







13.Nd4+

Rybka points out the sneaky alternative 13.Qd5+, as 13...Kxb5 leads to checkmate, while 13...Kb6 and 13...Kd7 allow 14.d4.

The position has become complicated for both players, a situation that favors the one more familiar and comfortable with this kind of play.

13...Bxd4 14.Qd5+ Kd7 15.Qxd4

15...Qf6 16.Qxf6 Rxf6 17.f3

Black has managed to remove the immediate danger to his King, and he has the standard small advantage of a piece for two pawns, but this kind of position is like one's own back yard to a Jerome Gambit player. 

17...b6 18.Rf1 Bb7 19.Kd2 Rg8 20.g3 Kc8

21.f4 Rf7 22.f5 Rg5 23.Rae1 Rh5

Black has underestimated or overlooked his opponent's reply.

24.h4 Rg7 25.Rf3

25...d5

This only unleashes the "Jerome pawns".  

26.f6 Rf7 27.e5 d4 28.e6 Rf8 29.e7 Rh8

30.Rf4

Finally, Black catches a small break. White does not really need to worry about saving his Rook: after 30.f7 Bxf3 he can play 31.f8/Q+ Kb7 32.Qxf3+ Ka6 33.Qxh5 and be a Queen ahead, with another pawn ready to promote!

 30...Bd5 31.f7 Bxf7 32.Rxf7 Re8

Perhaps Black even chuckled here, and reminded himself of the old saying All Rook and pawn endings are drawn.

33.Re4 c5 34.Rf8 Kd7 35.Rf7

At this point, this Rook and pawn ending does look drawn.

But looks can be deceiving.

35...a5 36.a4 b5 37.axb5 Rd5 38.Rxh7 Rd6

White's pawns are beginning to look like ants at a picnic.

39.c3 dxc3+ 40.Kxc3 Re6

41.Rxe6 Kxe6 42.b6 Kd6

43.Rxh6+ Kd7 44.b7 Kc7 45.Re6 Kxb7 46.Kc4 Kc7

47.Kxc5 Kd7 48.Kd5 Rxe7 49.Rxe7+ Kxe7

Black keeps capturing pawns, and his position keeps getting worse.

50.h5 Kf6 51.g4 Kg5 52.Kd6 Kxg4 53.h6 Kg5 54.h7 Kf4

55.h8Q Ke3 56.Qe8+ Kxd3 57.Qg6+ Kd2 58.Qb1 Ke3 59.Qa2 Kf4 60.Qxa5 Ke3 61.Qd5 Black resigned