I had my chances...

I had my chances in the following game. The opening that I chose, the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit (a form of the "modern" Jerome Gambit) was odd and new enough to get me a very playable position. My opponent, however, was the one who played well enough to win.


perrypawnpusher - braunstein
blitz, FICS, 2010


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5


The Italian Four Knights Game.

5.Bxf7+

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4

7...Qe7 8.dxc5 Qxc5 9.Be3 Qd6

Or 9...Qc6, as in the tortured and tortuous perrypawnpusher -barbos, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 49)

10...a6

Protecting the Queen from attack by Nc3-b5, but probably a developing move like 10...Re8 was better. White cannot afford to waste time on such simple threats.

11.f4 Neg4 12.e5 Qe6 13.0-0 Nxe3 14.Qxe3 Ng4 15.Qc5

15...Qb6 16.Qxb6 cxb6 17.Rae1 Re8

White has about equalized. Any troubles from now on are not the fault of the Jerome Gambit.

18.h3 Nh6 19.Nd5 Ra7 20.Nxb6 Nf5 21.c3 a5 22.g4 Ne7 23.f5 Nc6

White even has an edge here. His plan should be to advance his pawns, starting with 24.e6, with the idea of infiltrating both Rooks to the 7th rank.

24.Nxc8 Rxc8 25.e6+ dxe6 26.fxe6+ Kg8 27.Rf7 Re8

By exchanging his active Knight for Black's passive Bishop, White removed an attacker as well as a target. The more simplified position holds little prospect for advantage.

28.Ref1

White needed to be precise: 28.Rc7 instead prevents Black's next move and allows for Re-d1-d7, abandoning the e-pawn for doubled Rooks on the seventh.

After this move, I was steadily out-played by my opponent.

28...b6 29.Rxa7 Nxa7 30.Re1 Nc6

 

With the e-pawn about to fall, and with little counter-play as compensation for the Knight, the game is essentially over. I played on for a couple dozen more moves in the vain hope that my opponent might slip up. That never happened.

31.Kf2 Kf8 32.Kf3 Nd8 33.e7+ Rxe7 34.Rxe7 Kxe7 35.Ke4 Ke6 36.c4 Nf7 37.b3 Ng5+ 38.Kf4 Nxh3+ 39.Kg3 Ng5 40.Kf4 h6 41.a3 Nf7 42.b4 axb4 43.axb4 Nd6 44.c5 g5+ 45.Kf3 bxc5 46.bxc5 Nc4 47.Ke4 Ne5 48.c6 Nxc6 49.Kf3 Ne5+ 50.Kg3 Kd5 51.Kh3 Ke4 52.Kg3 Nd3 53.Kg2 Kf4 54.Kh3 Ne5 White resigned

A very steady game by my opponent!