Psychology 102

Many players question the value of the Jerome Gambit. Their task is to play one of the refutations, follow through, and claim the point. One risk, however, is that of being so dismissive of the attack that the defender becomes inaccurate in his play. Again, observe the motto: In the Jerome Gambit, Black wins by force, White wins by farce.

perrypawnpusher - strandskatan
blitz, FICS, 2013

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

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Re8 8.dxc5 Kg8

Black's play is solid and scientific. He has castled-by-hand and is ready to counter-attack.

Alternately, 8...Nc6 was seen in perrypawnpusher - hudders, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 13); while 8...Nc4 9.Qd5+?? Nxd5 was one of my personal nightmares, perrypawnpusher - TrentonTheSecond, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1,9).

9.0-0 d6 10.cxd6 Qxd6 11.Qe2

After the game, Houdini recommended 11.Qxd6 cxd6 12.Nb5. I wasn't ready to trade Queens.

11...Bg4

Instead, 11...Be6 was seen in perrypawnpusher - hklett, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 31) while 11...Neg4 was Houdini's post-game recommendation. (Often, harassing White's Queen with a Knight proves to be a time-waster, but not in this case.)

12.f3 Bh5 13.Bf4 Qe6 14.Qf2 c6 15.g4

Objectively, not the best move, but I was pretty sure that my opponent liked his 2-piece advantage on the Kingside, and would figure that he had an extra piece to invest in an attack - if he were properly provoked.

15...Nfxg4?!

Ah, so many of us can resist anything but temptation. The boring 15...Bf7! was probably better, keeping Black's advantage.

16.fxg4 Nxg4 17.Qh4 Bg6 18.Rae1 Rad8 19.h3 Nf6 20.Bg5 Rd4

Despite Black's huffing and puffing, the game is even - which is not the expected outcome of the sacrifice. 

Worse, it is time to recall the ironic aphorism inspired by many of Bill Wall's games: Often in the Jerome Gambit, when the game is equal, White is better. In this case, Black has invested (and continues to invest) too much time in his calculations, and his clock soon will become an issue.

21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Rxf6 Qe5 23.Rf4 Rd2 24.Rf2 Qd4 25.Kg2 Rxf2+ 26.Qxf2 Qxf2+ 27.Kxf2 Kf7 28.Ke3 Ke6 29.Rd1 Ke5

White's extra pawn doesn't give him much more than a slight edge, but time is now on his side.

30.Rd7 Rb8 31.a4 a6 32.a5 b5 33.axb6

Better was 33.Ra7

33...Rxb6 34.b3 Rb5 

A time-pressure mistake that I missed. I wonder how much precious time my opponent spent trying to figure out why I didn't simply capture the Rook.

35.Rd4 Rc5 36.Rd3 a5 37.Na4 

Almost coming to Black's rescue by dropping material - my clock was ticking too. After the game Houdini suggested the patient 37.h4 Ke6 38.Kd4 Rh5 39.Rh3 Kd6 40.Ne2.

37...Rxc2 38.Nb6 

Another error.

Here, Black is better, and can now win a pawn with 38...Bxe4, but, unfortunately, he forfeited on time.