Thursday, April 3, 2014

Not Right Enough

Sometimes, it seems, you can do almost everything right - and still not be successful.

In the following Jerome Gambit game, Black counter-attacks while securing the safety of his King. When White's pawns get too frisky, he returns the sacrificed material and transitions to what looks like a draw-able endgame.


And then he loses.


As ever, especially in a 3-minute game, Phiilidor 1792 is a force to be reckoned with.  


Philidor 1792 - guest2498
3 0, www.bereg.ru, 2014

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



4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 


10.Nc3 c6 11.0-0 Kf7 12.f4 Re8 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4



Harassing the Queen with the Knight is a known theme, but probably 14...Neg4 was a stronger way to do it, as in perrypawnpusher - andrecoenen, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 25) and perrypawnpusher - darqknight, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 63). 


15.Qf3 Kg8


Curiously, reaching perrypawnpusher - Nadant, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 59) only with White to move, not Black.


Black has castled-by-hand, and White will soon be ready to get his "Jerome pawns" rolling. The defender still has an edge. 


16.b3 Nb6 17.Bg5 Qe7 18.Rae1 Qf7 19.e5 dxe5 20.dxe5 Nfd5 21.e6 Qf8 


The pawns are beginning to look ominous, so Black returns material.


22.Ne4 Bxe6 23.fxe6 Qxf3 24.Rxf3 Rxe6 25.c4 Rae8 26.cxd5 Rxe4 27.Rxe4 Rxe4 28.dxc6 bxc6 




White's Bishop vs Knight and better pawn position give him a slight edge. He outplays his opponent the rest of the way.


29.Rc3 Re6 30.Kf2 h6 31.Bh4 Nd5 32.Rc5 g5 33.Bg3 Ne3 34.Bb8 Ng4+ 35.Kf3 Nf6 36.Bxa7 Nd5 37.Rc2 Kf7 38.Bc5 Kg6 39.a4 h5 40.a5 g4+ 41.Kf2 Nf4 42.a6 Nd3+ 43.Kg3 Kg5 44.h4+ gxh3 45.Kxh3 Nxc5 46.Rxc5+ Black resigned







[Readers: March 2014 was the 5th most-visited month in this blog's history and the highest March ever. Many thanks for stopping by! - Rick]

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