4 vs 1

Friday's game ("A Not-so-Simple 'Simple Endgame'") was intense, with significant analysis; so today I thought I'd lighten up and present a more straight-forward game. Not "better played", just "less analyzed."

The jist of the game is that three "Jerome pawns" offset the enemy piece, while four "Jerome pawns" win against it.

perrypawnpusher - NewValues
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.0-0

Played by habit. I have been meaning to explore the alternative 4.Nc3, although I probably would have wound up in the game continuation, any way, if my opponent had played 4...Nf6 (followed by 5...Bc5). 

4...Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Game.

6.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit (by transposition from the Jerome: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc3 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.0-0 h6).

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Neg4

I was surprised to see that The Database contained only one earlier example of this move.

9.dxc5 Qe7

I saw 9...Re8 in perrypawnpusher - GiantReign, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 20) The text is an improvement.  

10.Qd4 d6 11.cxd6 cxd6 12.h3

After the game, Houdini suggested 12.f4 right away.

12...Ne5 13.f4 Ng6

What is "unusual" in this otherwise routine position is the isolated Black pawn at d6. That suggests that one plan of development for White would be b2-b3 followed by Bc1-a3. Even if further analysis showed that the pin on the pawn was not dangerous, White could play Bc1-b2, putting the Bishop on the a1-h8 diagonal.

14.Bd2 Rg8

This is most likely a mouse-slip, as the move is incomprehensible, while 14...Rf8, 14...Re8 and 14...Rd8 would all make sense. My opponent did not request a take-back (which I probably would have given) so I can not be sure of this.

15.Rae1 Qd7 16.Nd5 Nh5

I know that the "Jerome pawns" are beginning to look frisky, but this horsing around does not help Black. 

17.Bc3 b6 18.g4 Nf6

19.Nxf6 gxf6 20.Qxf6+ Ke8 21.f5 Ne5 22.Bxe5 dxe5 23.Qxe5+ Qe7

White's lead in development has led to the win of two pawns, which meant that I had 4 pawns against Black's Bishop, enough for a winning endgame advantage. It would actually have been stronger for me to leave the Queens on the board, but my time was low (and had been so for a while) and I figured that I was more likely to overlook an enemy attack with Queens on the board.

24.Qxe7+ Kxe7 25.e5 h5 26.Rf4 Bb7 27.Rd1 Ba6 28.Kf2 hxg4 29.hxg4 Rh8

Black finds no answer for White's three connected, passed pawns.

30.Ke3

More sense was to be found in 30.Kg3.

30...Bb5 31.g5 Bc6 32.g6 Raf8 33.Rd6

33...Rh3+ 34.Kd4 Bb7 35.f6+ Ke8 36.g7 Black resigned