Monday, May 7, 2012

Tick Tock




The relentless ticking of the chess time clock brings a simple message: decide the game over-the-board, or it will be decided by the passage of time, regardless of what is actually happening in the game. In the following contest, White, with the Jerome Gambit, had a significant advantage – except on the clock.


ubluk (1531) - DeDrijver (1373) 
Play The Jerome Gambit Quad 
Chess.com, 2012


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 




4...Kxf7 5.c3 


There are almost a thousand examples of this move in The Database, with White scoring 44%.


More significantly, De Drijver played the move twice in this tournament, so ubluk is turning it back against him.


5...d6 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 Bb4+ 8.Nc3 Qf6 9.0-0 h6 10.Qb3+ 




An unusual slip for ubluk in this tournament. Instead, 10.Nd5 Qg6 11.Nxb4 Nxb4 12.Qb3+ Be6 13.Qxb4 would win a piece. 


10...Ke8 11.Nd5 Qf7 12.Qa4 Bd7




Black has taken care of the threat to his Bishop on b4 by preparing a series of exchanges that will leave him with a slightly better Queenless middle game: 13.Nxb4 Nxd4 14.Qd1 Nxf3+ 15.Qxf3 Qxf3 16.gxf3.


Unfortunately, he has overlooked the Knight fork check at c7, costing him a Rook.


However, even more unfortunately for White, his opponent claimed a win on time.

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