Tuff

When some of my opponents see the Jerome Gambit for a second time, they are just as surprised as the first. Others are much more prepared.

perrypawnpusher  - tuffmom
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ke6

This is Black's strongest reply, although I do not see it as often as 7...Ng6.

My opponent and I had played this line before. I had embarassed myself by leaving my Queen en prise, and my opponent had done likewise by failing to capture it.

I was interested to learn that over the years tuffmom had also played several games with White that included the Bishop sacrifice at f7, coming out of the move order 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 Nf6 5.Bxf7+.

8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.d4 Bxd4 10.Rd1 c5 11.c3 Ne7

tuffmom was playing moves quickly, and once again I suspected that my opponent was neither surprised nor unprepared.

12.Qh3

Our first game continued 12.Qh5 Qe8 13.cxd4?? cxd4?? 14.Rxd4+ Kc7 15.Qxe5+ Kd8 16.Nc3 Nc6 17.Qxe8+ Rxe8 18.Rd6 b6 19.Bf4 Bb7 20.Rad1 Re7 21.e5 Nxe5 22.Bxe5 Rxe5 23.Rxd7+ Ke8 24.Rxb7 Rd8 25.Rxd8+ Kxd8 26.Kf1 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - tuffmom, blitz, FICS, 2010.

12...Kc7 13.cxd4 d6

Striking back with an attack on my Queen.

The difference between 12.Qh5, which I played in our last game, and 12.Qh3, which I played this game, is that the former looks more active and aggressive, while the latter looks like a sad retreat.

Had tuffmom realized that I was moving my Queen quickly back to where the action is (the result of my own analysis of our game), perhaps the stronger 13...cxd4 would have been played, keeping Black's advantage. 

14.Qc3 Nd7

It was hard to see until after the game (with Rybka's help), that this logical move – protecting the c-pawn and protecting the Queen against a Rook attack along the d-file – was not as strong as abandoning the c-pawn and leaving the d-file un-blocked: 14...Nf7 15.dxc5 Nc6 16.cxd6+ Kb8.

analysis diagram







After 17.Qxg7 White will have 4 pawns for his sacrificed piece, and his "Jerome pawns" will be epecially dangerous. Black will have chances, however, if he can mobilize along the open lines leading toward White's King.

15.dxc5 Nxc5 16.Bf4 b6 17.b4 Kc6 Black resigned

Black is losing a Knight, and will lose a Queen for a Rook and Bishop with Rxd6+. The resulting Q+P vs R+B matchup will favor White.