Something had to happen

The following game from Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Bill Wall arrived with a note: "For your database. I got lucky in the end. I just had to play aggressive, keep the threats open and something had to happen."


Wall,B - Darkmoonstone
Chess.com, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Qe2 d6

This is an improvement over 6...Rf8 in Wall,B - Hamilton,E, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 22) and Wall,B - NFNZ, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 15); and a bit better than 6...d5 in Wall,B - Samvazpr, Chess.com, 2010 (0-1, 25).

7.0-0 h6 8.h3 Rf8 9.d3 Nd4 10.Nxd4 Bxd4 11.Nb5 Bd7

White works with the tools that he has: he will get rid of the pesky Black Bishop (allowing f2-f4) and replaces it with a doubled pawn.

12.Nxd4 exd4 13.f4 Kg8 14.Qe1 Qe7 15.Qb4 Bc6

Black focuses on developing his pieces and improving his position, rather than protect the pawn at d4 with the "ugly" (but stronger) 15...c5. White accepts the gift.

16.Qxd4 Qf7 17.Bd2 Qg6 18.f5 Qe8 19.Bc3 Rf7 20.Rf3 Nd7 21.Rg3 Ne5

22.Rf1 Qe7 23.Qe3 Kh8 24.f6

Returning the pawn to develop play against Black's Queen and King. While Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgames tend to be drawish, their middlegames favor the attacking player.

24...Rxf6 25.Rxf6 Qxf6 26.d4

26...Nc4 27.d5

A tricky move that does Black in.

27...Qh4

After the exchanges 27...Nxe3 28.Bxf6 gxf6 29.dxc6 Nc4 30.cxb7 Rb8 31.Rc3 Na5 32.b4 Nxb7 33.Rxc7 White can probably hold the draw, as Black's extra Knight will not easily protect his isolated pawns.

28.Bxg7+ Kh7 29.Qd3

Black resigned.

After 29...Ne5 30.Bxe5 dxe5 31.dxc6 White would clearly be winning.