Steady As She Goes

As we have seen in recent posts, the "simple" job for the defender against the Jerome Gambit is to remain steady, play good moves, not panic, pay attention - maintain a "steady as she goes" focus. Wandering from this path, however, can have immediate negative consequences, as the following game demonstrates.

Philidor 1792 - NN
2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.O-O Nf6 6.c3 

Another idea for White: 6.Ng5+ Kg8 7.Qe2 d5 8.exd5 Qxd5 9.Nc3 Qd4 10.Nb5 Qh4 11.Nxc7 Rb8 12.Nf3 Qe4 13.Qxe4 Nxe4 14.d3 Nf6 15.Be3 Bxe3 16.fxe3 e4 17.Nd2 exd3 18.cxd3 Ne5 19.d4 Neg4 20.e4 Bd7 21.e5 Rc8 22.Rac1 Ne8 23.Nd5 Rxc1 24.Rxc1 Kf7 25.Rf1+ Kg6 26.h3 Nh6 27.Ne7+ Kh5 28.g4+ Kg5 29.Kg2 Nxg4 30.Ne4+ Kh5 31.hxg4+ Bxg4 32.Rh1+ Bh3+ 33.Rxh3+ Kg4 34.Rf3 Black resigned, Philidor 1792 - guest143, Peshka.me 2014. 

6...d5

Instead, 6...Nxe4 was seen in Philidor 1792  -guest826, Peshka.me, 2015 (1-0, 29) and Philidor 1792 - guest826, Peshka.me, 2015 (0-1, 33).

6...Re8 was seen in Philidor1792-Chicken_Monster, 1100 KINGS vs Team Russia - Board 12, Chess.com 2014 (1-0, 38). 

7.d4 Bb6 8.Nxe5+ 

A little bit better might have been 8.dxe5.

8...Nxe5 9.dxe5 Nxe4

Black's King is a bit drafty, but otherwise he is doing well.

10.Nd2 Nxd2 11.Qxd2 Re8 12.Qf4+ Kg8

Black has castled-by-hand, and his light-squared Bishop can be developed.

13.Be3 Bxe3 14.Qxe3 c6 15.b3 Bf5 16.Rad1 Qb6 17.Rd4 Re6 18.f3 Rae8 19.f4 Rg6 

White remains calm, as well. If Black has an advantage, let him show it.

20.Rf2 Rf8 21.g3 h5 22.h4 Be6 23.Qd3 Rf5 

Black has established blockades at e6 and f5, but it is not clear where he will be going with that.

24.Kh2 Qc7 25.c4 Qf7 26.cxd5 Bxd5 

27.Rd2 Rg4 28.Qe2 Qe7 29.b4 a6 30.a4 Rg6 31.b5 Qa3 

Black keeps improving the position of his pieces.

32.R2d3 Qc5 33.Rd2 Rg4 34.Qd3 g6 35.bxa6 bxa6 36.Re2 Qb6 37.Qc3 

White's patience helps Black envision a reasonable, but flawed idea: to develop his last piece, his King, to e6 to blockade White's passed e-pawn. However, the monarch steps into danger.

37...Kf7 38.Rxd5 cxd5 39.e6+ Ke8

"Best" for Black was to give up his Queen with 39...Qxe6 but after 40.Rxe6 Kxe6 41.Qc6+ Kf7 42.Qxa6 it is clear that White's passed a-pawn will rule the day. 

40.e7 Black resigned