Fish

I was going to just quietly add the following sad Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit game to The Database, but then I decided that it had a worthwhile point or two. Also, sharing it on the blog would give my opponent (and others) a chance for a good laugh at my expense. Fair is fair.

perrypawnpusher  - pblond
blitz, FICS,2011

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

The Semi-Italian Opening.

By the way, it turns out that I had played my opponent a few months before, and I didn't remember it at the time of this game.

4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

Apparently I had played this against pblond before, and didn't remember that, either.

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

There is a lot that I could write about this line, but it turns out that I have already written much of it in my coverage of perrypawnpusher - pblond, blitz, FICS, 2011. I wish that I had remembered it. So much for being prepared or booked-up!

8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.d4 Bxd4 10.Rd1 c5

At first glance, the addition of ...h6 for Black and 0-0 for White seems to be in the first player's favor in the Semi-Italian variation of the Jerome Gambit. In the 7...Ke6 line, however, the presence of Black's Bishop on c5 means that White cannot play f2-f4, so he must, instead, fumble around with d2-d4.

Perhaps it is time to look into 9.b4!? (I almost wrote "I am sure that Bill Wall could play 9.Kh1 followed by f2-f4 and get away with it," but I think 9...Qf6 would be a very good, disruptive answer for Black.)

11.c3 Ne7 12.Qh3 Kc7

In this way Black gets out of the pin along the d-file and finds some shelter for his King, at the cost of returning one of his two extra pieces.

13.cxd4 d6

Giving me a chance.

Not quite as strong as 13...cxd4, from our earlier encounter, which continued 14.Rxd4 d6 15.Qc3+ N7c6 16.Bf4 Qf6 17.Bxe5 Qxe5 18.Rc4 Be6 19.Qxe5 dxe5 20.Rc1 Rac8 21.b4 Kb8 22.Nd2 Nd4 23.a4 Ne2+ White resigned, perrypawnpusher - pblond, blitz, FICS, 2011.

Now 14.Qc3 Nd7 15.dxc5 Nxc5 16.Bf4 b6 17.b4 Kc6 was perrypawnpusher - tuffmom, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 17), but 14...Nf7 would be a bit of an improvement: after 15.dxc5 Nc6 16.cxd6+ Kb8 White's pawns balance out Black's extra piece.

Nine wins and two draws from the position in the third diagram. You would think that I would remember the one loss, and who I lost to. Nope. As Forrest Gump said, Stupid is as stupid does.

14.dxe5 Bxh3

Ooooops...

Oh, well, that's the story of the Jerome Gambit: live by the blunder, die by the blunder.

White resigned