Thursday, February 20, 2014

This is Your Brain. This is Your Brain on the Jerome Gambit...


There's always something interesting about a Bill Wall Jerome Gambit game. The following game has several enlightening points, but the most enduring one for me is the sad career of Black's light-squared Bishop that never leaves home, and is hardly ever able to - a tell-tale sign that the second player is in trouble. 

Wall, Bill - Dad88
PlayChess.com, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 


The Semi-Italian Opening.


4.O-O Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 


The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.


5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 




I was surprised to see that Houdini prefers this to 7.Qh5. Of course, Bill has played that, too. See Wall,B - Castro,S, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 23) and Wall,B - Guest473534, PlayChess.com, 2011 (1-0, 21).


7...Bb6


Or 7...Bxd4 as in Wall,B - Merdiyev,F, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 17), Wall,B -Foman, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 16) and Wall,B -Ratebabb, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 28).


8.dxe5 Ne7 9.Nc3 c6


Bill suggests, instead, a step toward castling-by-hand with 9...Rf8.


10.Qh5+


He also offers 10.Kh1 followed by 11.f4.


10...Ng6


Casually giving the piece back, probably unintentionally.


11.Qf5+ Kg8 12.Qxg6 Qf8 13.Ne2 Qf7




14.Qg3 


As an alternative, Bill mentions 14.Qxf7+ Kxf7 15.Be3. It is worth extending that line one move further, with 15...Bxe3 16.fxe3+. White's advantage in material then consists of tripled, isolated e-pawns, but they help him dominate the board






analysis diagram






14...Kh7 15.b3 Rf8 16.Bb2 Qg6 17.Qd3 a5 18.Ng3 a4 19.Nf5 axb3

Black would have done better to open his position with 19...d5 20.exd6 Bxf5 21.exf5 Qxf5 22.Qxf5+ Rxf5, as Bill notes. 

20.axb3 Rxa1 21.Bxa1 Rd8 22.Nd6 


Keeping things clamped down.

22...Bc5 23.Rd1 

Or 23.Nxc8 Rxc8 24.Qxd7, but it seems a shame to relieve Black's light-squared Bishop of its misery. 


23...Rf8 


Making his own threat of 24...Rxf2. The alternative, 23...Bxd6 24.exd6 Re8 seems self-punishing. 


24.Nf5 Qe6 
25.h3 g6 26.Nd6 Bxf2+ 

Better says Bill, is 26...Rxf2


27.Kh2 Bc5  


Missing the line in the game that allows for winning simplification. His last try to hold on was 27...Qe7 28.Nxc8 Rxc8 29.Qxd7 Rc7


28.Nxc8 Rxc8 29.Qxd7+ Qxd7 30.Rxd7+ Kg8 31.Rxb7 Re8 32.Rc7 Re6 33.g4 Be3 34.Kg3 Black resigned




The end may be a ways off, but it is inescapable.

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