Stumbling Along

A new move in my not-so-favorite variation of the Jerome Gambit left me disoriented by the fact that I stood better after a half-dozen moves. Declining the gambit piece in the Jerome is usually done for psychological reasons, and this time it almost worked... But I stumbled along.

perrypawnpusher - Duquesne
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Game.

6.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

6...Kf8

Declined. I'd not seen this before.

7.Bb3 d6 8.h3

A pawn ahead and playing against an uncastled King, I decided to keep things simple.

8...Nd4 9.Nxd4 exd4 10.Nd5

This is a decent offer of a pawn, which should be declined with 10...Nxd5.

10...Nxe4 11.Qf3+ Nf6 12.d3

After the game Stockfish suggested 12.Re1 as more effective, since after 12...c6 White's Knight can head toward the fork at g6 with 13.Nf4.

12...Be6

This costs a piece, and with it, any chance of rescuing the game. Better was 12...c6 although Black would remain worse.

13.Nxf6 Qxf6 14.Bxe6

This is what I mean by "stumbling". It makes much more sense for White to exchange Queens first, giving Black the weaker pawns.

14...Qxf3 15.gxf3 Ke7

16.Re1 g5 17.f4 Bb4 18.Re2 gxf4 19.Bxf4 Raf8 20.Bg3 Rhg8

A slip that ends the game.

21.Bxg8+ Black resigned