Trying My Hand at ICC (Part 1)

After my week of searching at ICC for Jerome Gambit games (starting with "A GM Plays the Jerome Gambit??"), I was successful in discovering only one additional example (see "The Search Continues... With Some Success"), and that one was played by neither Grandmaster Larry Christiansen nor any other Grandmaster.

Finally, I did run across 3 games played by someone whose ICC handle was "AlonzoJerome".

Guess who?

Of course, I played them myself.

Well, that's at least a few games for the next Jerome Gambit explorer to discover.

AlonzoJerome  - HenryV
blitz, ICC, 2011

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...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Nf3+

I was still pretty nervous at this point, because if I've played any games at ICC, it was quite some time ago, and I was still getting used to the software and sensing the strengths of players...

At this point, though, I gave thanks to AirmanLeonidas, who played this line against me last year. I did not find the best response the first time, but I did the second, and I was ready to remember it this third time.

9.Qxf3 Bb6

Black passes on the d-pawn.

After 9...Bxd4 10.Nb5 White eventually collects the Knight on f6 and has an even game: 10...Be5 (10...Bb6 11.e5) 11.Qb3+ d5 12.f4 Bd6 13.Nxd6+ Qxd6 14.e5 Qb6+ 15.Qxb6 axb6 16.exf6

10.e5 Rf8 11.exf6 Qxf6 12.Qxf6+ Kxf6

I was happy with my pawn advantage in the Queenless middle game, but Black's two Bishops almost offset this.

13.Be3 d6 14.Ne4+ Kg6 15.c3 d5 16.Ng3 Kh7

17.Rae1 a5 18.Bd2 c6 19.Re7 Bg4 20.Rfe1 Bc5

A thoughtless move that I managed to overlook for a move. I guess I wasn't the only nervous player in this game.

21.Rxb7 Rab8

Amaurosis scacchistica. Chess blindness.

22.Rxb8 Rxb8 23.dxc5 Rxb2 24.Be3 Rxa2

Black has hopes that his passer will make up for the missing piece.

25.f3 Be6 26.Ne2 a4 27.Bd4 a3 28.Nf4 Bc8

Black should probably have safe-guarded his Kingside with 28...Bf7, i.e. if 29.Re7 Kg8, but then White would chase away the a-pawn's defender with Nf4-d3-b4 and then capture it with Re1-a1.

29.Re7 Ra1+ 30.Kf2 Ra2+ 31.Kg3 Rc2 32.Rxg7+ Kh8 33.Ng6 checkmate