Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Jerome Gambit: Theory and Practice (Part 4)


In the following game, White confidently and patiently makes his way through the opening and middlegame, indifferent to his opponent's attempts to simplify - and, later, to look for dynamic chances. The endgame win is there; he just has to keep strolling until he gets there.

Vlastous - Daboa 1799
ChessManiac.com, 2016

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



4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Qf6 



8.Rf1 g6 9.Qh3+ Ke7 10.fxe5 Qxe5 11.Qf3 Nf6 12.Nc3 c6 



White's play was inexact after 12...Bd4 in Gary_Seven - Kevin the fruitbat, JG3 thematic, ChessWorld.net, 2008:  13.d3 Bxc3+ 14. Bd2 Bxb2 15. Rb1 Bc3 16. Bxc3 Qxc3+ 17. Kd1 d6 18. h3 Bd7 19. g4 Rhf8 20. d4 Qxf3+ 21. Rxf3 Nxe4 22. Rxf8 Rxf8 23. Rxb7 Bb5 24. Rxc7+ Kd8 25. Rxa7 Rf1 checkmate.

What happens next in the text is that Queens are exchanged and the sacrificed piece is returned for a couple of pawns, giving Black a small advantage. The game is not over at all, however.

13.Ne2 Rf8 14.d4 Bxd4 15.Bf4 Qxe4 16.Qxe4+ Nxe4 17.Nxd4 d5 

18.O-O-O Bg4 19.Rde1 Kd7 20.h3 Bf5 21.Bh6 Rf7 22.Nf3 Re8 23.g4 b6 

An odd choice by Black. He will have two pawns for his piece, a typical Jerome Gambit situation for White. Perhaps it was a slip, perhaps he saw that situation as more dynamic that a possible Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame.

24.gxf5 Rxf5 25.Nd2 Ng3 26.Rxe8 Kxe8 27.Rxf5 Nxf5 28.Bf4 h5 


Black's extra pawns are more targets than attacking units, as White begins to show.

29.Nf3 Ke7 30.Ne5 Kf6 31.Nxc6 g5 32.Bc7 g4 33.hxg4 hxg4 34.Nxa7 g3 35.Nb5 Kg5 36.Bxb6 Kg4 



37.a4 g2 38.Bg1 Kg3 39.a5 Nh4 40.Nd4 Kf4 41.a6 Nf3 42.Nxf3 Black resigned

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