Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Laugh All You Want...


Here we have another game where Black seems to be unimpressed with White's "funny" opening. 

I mean, come on, White has to be clowning around, right, playing that "joke opening," the Jerome Gambit?


As I've written before, "If you want them to stop laughing..."

Not all clowns are funny, though. Some are killers. Witness the following.

Wall, Bill - Guest3544144
PlayChess.com, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 



4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.f3 

White's move appears to be a TN, although the idea of supporting the e4 pawn in this way is not unknown in the Jerome Gambit. 

10...Kf7 11.d4 Re8 12.O-O c5

A pawn is a pawn, right? Black sacrifices one to get the Queens off of the board, ending White's attack, perhaps?

Now that's funny.

13.dxc5 dxc5 14.Qxc5 Qb6 15.Qxb6 axb6


With a piece for three pawns, Black has an even game. However, given that he had a won game at move 4, this is not actually progress.

16.Rd1 Be6 17.Nc3 Red8 18.Be3 Ne5

What's another pawn among friends?

19.Bxb6 Re8 

20.Nb5

Threatening Nc7 and Nd6+

20...Re7 21.a4 Nc4 22.Bc5 Rd7 23.b3 Rxd1+ 24.Rxd1 Na5 


White is in no hurry, but slowly improves his position.

25.Nd6+ Kg6 26.f4 Bc8 27.f5+ Kh5 28.e5 Ng8


The "Jerome pawns", completely supported by their pieces, advance and bring havoc. White's next move adds an additional theme: threat to the enemy King.

29.Rd3 Ne7 30.Rh3+ Kg4

This looks risky, and it is, but the alternative, 30...Kg5, is met with 31.Be3+ Kg4 32.Rg3+ Kh4 33.Bg5+ Kh5 34.Bxe7 g5 35.Rxg5+ Kh4 36.Rg6+ Kh5 37. g4 checkmate. 

31.f6 gxf6 32.exf6 Ng6 33.Be3 h5 34.Rg3+ Kh4 35.Bg5 checkmate


2 comments:

  1. I agree.

    This game is another example that supports my belief that the proper way for Black to respond to the Jerome Gambit is to go for a refutation,.

    Choosing to go for equality against a player who has already shown that he is willing to play two pieces down is very dangerous.

    Like I've said before, when the game is equal, White has the advantage. :-)

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