Tactics Galore

The following game shows how often the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) can lead to tactical opportunites in club and blitz play. Truth be told, I missed many of them, and the resulting draw is a bit of an embarassment, but I can't blame that on the opening.


perrypawnpusher - SkypeFro
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

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

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6

We have a standard Jerome Gambit position, with Black up  a piece, and White having two pawns as compensation. The second player will have to invest a few moves to castle his King by hand.

10.f4 Kf7 11.f5

Sloppy and dangerous.

Rule #1 for White in this kind of position is to postpose f2-f4 until Black has played Ng8-f6 and is thus unable to play Qd8-h4+.

Rule #2 is for White to always be on the lookout for danger along the e-file: White Queen in front of White King, Black Rook on e8.

Here Black's 10...Kf7 suggested strong attention to Rule #2. (White should have castled instead.)

11...Ne5

A wasted opportunity. Better was 11...Bxf5 12.exf5 Re8 when 13.fxg6+ Kxg6 14.0-0 Rxe3 15.dxe3 gives White only a Bishop and a Rook for his Queen. Plus, Black's King is safe.

analysis diagram






12.d4 Neg4

This attack on the Queen can feel irresistible, but 12...Nc6 was better. With the right response, White can now reach an even game.

13.Qf3

The right idea was 13.Qb3+ d5 14.e5 Re8 15.0-0  when Black does best to return his extra piece and grab a handful of pawns in return with 15...Nxe5 16.dxe5 Rxe5 17.Bf4 Rxf5. Rybka says the game is even, despite the second player being a pawn up.

analysis diagram






13...Re8 14.Nc3

14...Bxf5

This looks like a visual slip. The straight-forward 14...Nxe4 15.Nxe4 Nf6 works well for Black. He tries a similar idea, but the text gives up a piece in the process.

15.Qxf5 g6 16.Qf4 Kg7 17.h3 Nxe4 18.Nxe4 Nf6

19.0-0 Rxe4 20.Qh6+ Kg8

The King needed to go to h8. It looks like a small slip, but Black would then be able to answer White's next move with 21...Ng8.

21.Bg5 Re6 22.Qh4

Stronger and more direct was the kick 22.d5.

22...Kf7

23.Bxf6

This is good, but 23.Qxh7+ was immediately crushing. 

23...Rxf6 24.Qxh7+ Ke6

25.Rae1+

Again, this is okay, but 25.c4, setting up a mating net, was a much sharper tactic. The problem with second-best moves is that they can eventually lead to a second-best outcome.

25...Kd5

26.Qg7

Pedestrian. White should have played 26.Rxf6 Qxf6 27.Qxc7 with serious threats. 

26...Rxf1+ 27.Rxf1 Qg5

Black is still in trouble. The text leaves the pawn on c7 unprotected, but 27...Kc6 would allow, among other moves, the simple 28.Qxg6.

28.Qf7+ Kxd4

This should be the end of things.

29.Rf4+

Much more to the point were 29.Rd1+ or 29.c3+.

29...Kc5 30.Qc4+

Instead 30.Qxc7+ leads to checkmate. 

30...Kb6

I could not believe that there wasn't a checkmate here, but I had squandered those possibilities earlier.

31.Qb3+ Kc6 32.Rc4+ Kd7 33.Qxb7

This looks like progress, but Black has a simple repetition of position now, for the draw. Ouch!

33...Qe3+ 34.Kh2 Qe5+ 35.Kh1 Qe1+ 36.Kh2 Qe5+ 37.Kh1 Qe1+ 38.Kh2 Qe5+ 39.Kh1 Game drawn by repetition