The Invisible Knight

I have played my opponent three times before, scoring a win and two draws. The Jerome Gambit is neither new nor scary for him. Yet this game was strange...

perrypawnpusher - frencheng
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

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

Earlier games: 6...Kf8 7.Qxe5 Qe7 (7...d6 8.Qg3 Qe7 9.d3 d5 10.0-0 dxe4 11.Re1 Qd6 12.Bf4 Qd4 13.Be5 Qd7 14.Rxe4 Qf5 15.Qxg7+ Ke8 16.Bg3+ Qxe4 17.dxe4 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - frencheng, blitz, FICS, San Jose, California US 2010) 8.Qf4+ Nf6 9.d3 d6 10.0-0 Kf7 11.Nc3 Rf8 12.Nd5 Qd8 13.Bd2 Kg8 14.Qg3 Nxd5 15.exd5 Qf6 16.Bc3 Bd4 17.Rae1 Bxc3 18.bxc3 b6 19.c4 Bb7 20.Re6 Qc3 21.Re7 Rac8 22.Rfe1 Qf6 23.R1e6 Qd4 24.Re4 Qf6 25.R4e6 Qd4 26.Re4 Qf6 27.R4e6 Qd4 28.Re4 Qf6 29.R4e6 Qd4 30.Re4 Qf6 31.R4e6 Qd4, Game drawn by repetition, perrypawnpusher - frencheng, blitz, FICS, 2010) ;

6...Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 Qe7 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.Nc3 Kf7 11.0-0 Rf8 12.f4 d5 13.e5 Nh5 14.h3 Nxe5 15.fxe5+ Kg8 16.g4 Rxf1+ 17.Kxf1 Bxg4 18.hxg4 Rf8+ 19.Kg2 Qd7 20.gxh5 d4 21.Qg5 Qc6+ 22.Kg1 dxc3 23.bxc3 Qf3 24.Qg2 Qxh5 25.d4 Qd1+ 26.Kh2 Qh5+ 27.Kg1 Qd1+ 28.Kh2 Qh5+ 29.Kg3 Qg6+ 30.Kh2 Qh5+ 31.Kg1 Qd1+ 32.Kh2 Qh5+ 33.Kg1 Qd1+ 34.Kh2 Game drawn by repetition, perrypawnpusher - frencheng, blitz, FICS, 2010.

7.Qxe5 Qf6

This doesn't work, though. Black had 7...d6, the Blackburne Defense, or 7...Qe7, the Whistler Defense, as his alternatives.

8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3

After the game Rybka pointed out 9.Qxc7+ Qe7 10.Qxe7+ Nxe7.

9...Ne7 10.0-0 Re8 11.Nc3 Nd5

This is strange, as if my opponent were simply relying on my e4 pawn being "pinned". This kind of stuff happens in blitz.

12.Nxd5 Qd8 13.f4 c6 14.Nc3 d5 15.Qd4 Rxe4

Here it is again. Either frencheng is having a tough game – or my Knight is invisible!?

16.Nxe4 Bf5 17.Ng5+ Kg8 18.Qe5 Qe8 19.d3 Rd8 20.Bd2 b5 21.Bc3 Qxe5 22.Bxe5 h6 23.Nf3 Black resigned