Kick Me

It might be that, despite his name, Dekapitator was on his way to playing a quiet Giuoco Piano game, when his opponent's 4...Na5 suddenly screamed out "Kick Me!" Suddenly, the "Jerome treatment" seemed like a good idea.


Dekapitator - nonsonocapace
blitz, FICS, 2012


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.0-0 Na5 

We have seen that this offside Knight is not very good when played on the third move (see "Puzzling" for a recent example), and it is just about as strong here.


5.Bxf7+


Objectively, White does best with 5.Nxe5, but the Jerome treatment of the position is more fun.


5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Ke6 

Brave and bold, but Rybka prefers 6...Kf8 (there are two games in The Database with this move, White scoring 2-0) and then gives 7.d4 Bb6 8.Nf3 Qe8 9.Nc3 d6 10.h3 Qg6 11.Nh4 Qf6 12.Nf3 Qg6 repeating the position for a draw!?


Not surprisingly, 6...Ke8, allowing White's Queen to go to h5 with check, lost in its one appearance in The Database.


7.d4


A bit stronger is 7.Qg4+ Kxe5 8.d4+, but White may have been finding his way here.


7...Bd6 


After this, it is "find the checkmate" for White.


8.Qg4+ Ke7 9.Bg5+ 


Or 9.Qxg7+ Ke8 10.Qf7# 


9...Nf6 

10.f4 


Building his position. With 10.Bxf6+ White would win Black's Queen, as anything other than 10...Ke8 would lead to mate.


10...Bxe5 


Missing a chance to play 10...Kf8 and shore up his position. Now White crashes through.


11.fxe5 Kf7 12.exf6 .gxf6 13.Rxf6+ Qxf6 14.Bxf6 Kxf6 15.Nc3 b6 16.Rf1+ Ke7 17.Qg7+ Kd6 18.Rf6 checkmate