A Formidable Task

As I suspected earlier, playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) against an opponent rated 400 points above me (in one of the two Italian Opening tournaments that I am involved in at Chess.com) proved to be a formidable task. I did not make the best of my chances, while my opponent played steadily and pocketed the full point.


Losing the following game leaves me at 4 - 1 in the first tournament, needing a win in my remaining game (I have Black) to move on to the next round. The Jerome Gambit has scored 2-1 for me, with my other tournament wins coming in the endgame with Black.


In the other tournament, I am sitting with 1 win against four losses. One of the incomplete games should be another endgame win with Black. One is a Jerome Gambit that just started (I have White), and, with luck, the last one will be a Jerome as well. 



perrypawnpusher (1740) - JoseSoza (2080)
Italian Game tournament, Chess.com, 2012


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

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.


5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4 d6 9.O-O Re8 10.Bg5

This is possibly a slight improvement over 10.f4 from perrypawnpusher - KaZC, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1/2-1/2, 61) and perrypawnpusher - Fazmeister, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 36).


10...Nc6 11.Qd3 Be6 12.f4 Kg8 13.Rae1 Bf7

14.a3 


I was not sure what to do here, so I tried the text, thinking at least it would not hurt me. Black's response gave me something to work with.


14...Qc8 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Qg3+


After the game Rybka suggested a Rook feint on the Kingside to grab a pawn on the Queenside: 16.Re3 Qd7 17.Rh3 Rad8 18.Rff3 Ne7 19.f5 Kh8 20.Qe3 Ng8 21.Qxa7 Qc6 22.Qf2 Qc5. That's a bit above my playing level.


16... Kh8 17.Qh4 Qd8 

18.Nd5 Bxd5 19.exd5 Rxe1 20.Rxe1 Nd4 21.Qf2 Nf5 22.g4 

I was pretty sure that this was not the "best" move (Rybka later recommended 22.Qf3) but I was hoping that Black would retreat and misplace his Knight.


22...Ng7 23.Qd4 Qd7 24. f5 Re8 25.Kf2 

The game is slipping away. Rybka cold-bloodedly suggested 25.Rxe8+ Nxe8 26.Qxa7 Qe7 27.Qxb7 Qe2 28.h3 h5 29.Qb4 Qd1+ 30.Kf2 Qxc2+ 31.Ke1 Qd3 32.Qd2 Qg3+ 33.Kd1 Qb3+ 34.Kc1 Qc4+ 35.Kb1 hxg4 36.hxg4 Qxg4 37.Qc2 Qf3 38.Qc6 Ng7 39.a4 when White still has some play.


25...Rxe1 26.Kxe1 Qe7+ 27.Kf2 h5 28.h3 b6 

I decided to play on, as long as Black's Rook was misplaced. When that was exchanged, I decided to play on as long as Black's Queen was misplaced. Later, I played on because Black's Knight was misplaced...


29.Qe3 Qe5 30.Qxe5 dxe5 31.c4 Ne8 32.b4 Nd6 33.c5
bxc5 34.bxc5 Ne4+ White Resigned

A very solid demonstration by my opponent.