Nibbled to Death...

I recall reading somewhere the phrase "nibbled to death by ducks" as a way of describing a slow end. In the following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), Black is "nibbled to death" by a duck-billed platypus – on a motorcycle...



perrypawnpusher - dkahnd
blitz FICS, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6

This position shows up 66 times in the updated New Year's Database, with White scoring 68%.

10.f4 Ng4

Alternatives were seen in Fritz 8 - RevvedUp, 2006: 10...Kf7 11.0-0 Rf8 12.Qb3+ Be6 13.Qxb7 Ne7 14.f5 Bd7 15.Qb3+ Ke8 16.Nc3 c6 17.Kh1 Qb6 18.Qa3 c5 19.d3 Bc6 20.Bf4 Kd7 21.b3 Ng4 22.Qc1 Ne5 23.Bxe5 dxe5 24.Qg5 Rg8 25.a3 a5 26.Qg3 Qc7 27.Qh3 Rh8 28.f6+ Kd6 29.fxg7 Rhg8 30.Rf6 checkmate; and

perrypawnpusher - blackburne, JG3 thematic, Chessworld, 2008: 10...Rf8 11.0-0 Kd7 12.Nc3 b6 13.d4 c6 14.f5 Ne7 15.e5 dxe5 16.dxe5 Nfd5 17.e6+ Kc7 18.Qe5+ Kb7 19.Qxg7 Nf6 20.Bg5 Nfg8 21.f6 Qd4+ 22.Kh1 Rxf6 23.Bxf6 Nxf6 24.Qxe7+ Nd7 25.exd7 Qxd7 26.Qxd7+ Bxd7 27.Rf7 Kc7 28.Rd1 Rd8 29.Ne4 Kc8 30.Nf6 Be6 31.Rxd8+ Kxd8 32.Rxa7 Bf5 33.Nxh7 Bxc2 34.h4 Ke8 35.h5 Bxh7 36.Rxh7 Kf8 37.h6 Kg8 38.Rb7 Black resigned

11.Qg3

11...Rf8

Played as an attacking move along the f-file, not as part of castling-by-hand. An alternative was 11...Qh4.

12.0-0 Qf6 13.d3 Qd4+ 14.Kh1 N6e5

A cute move, based on the fact that White's f-pawn is pinned.

Best was a line that smartly exchanged down to a pawn plus endgame: 14...Nxf4 15.h3 Nxd3 16.Rxf8+ Kxf8 17.cxd3 Qf2 18.Qxf2+ Nxf2+ 19.Kg1 Nxd3 20.Nc3.

analysis diagram







15.h3 Nh6 16.Nc3

The Black pawn at g7 (and possibly the one at c7, after that) was available, but I wanted some development – and to connect my Rooks.

16...Ng6 17.Be3 Qb4

Looking for more, my opponent finds less. White's development has improved, and Black should not be pawn-hunting. Safer was 17...Qf6.

18.Nd5 Qa4

Compounding the error.

19.Nxc7+ Kd8 20.Nxa8 Qxc2

21.Qg5+

Good, but even sharper was 21.f5.

21...Ne7 22.Rad1

This is a safe move that keeps White's advantage.

Crushing, instead, was 22.Rac1.

22...Qxb2 23.Rd2 Qf6 24.Qa5+ Ke8 25.Nc7+ Kf7 26.Nd5 Nxd5 27.Qxd5+ Be6

White is nibbling away at Black's position – with sharp teeth (and up the exchange).

28.Qxb7+ Kg8 29.Qxa7 Qh4 30.Bd4 Bf7 31.Kg1 Rd8

It is Black's turn to shore up the defenses and look for an attack.

32.Rb2 Qh5 33.Rb8 Rxb8 34.Qxb8+ Be8 35.Qxd6

Ahead by 4 pawns, White is in no hurry.

Black slips.

35...Nf7 36.Qe6 Kh8 37.Qxe8 checkmate

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the Wizard of Draws