Thursday, August 10, 2017

Jerome Gambit: Cliff Hardy - Check It Out

Cliff Hardy returns with his latest Jerome Gambit game, featuring issues of Queen, King and Knight safety. The notes are his, with a couple of exceptions.

Hardy, Cliff - NN
3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 



4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6


7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ 

What other opening allows you to do 5 consecutive checks in the
first 8 moves?  

8...d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.O-O Ng4 



Amazing how popular this move is... 

11.Qg3 Qh4 12.Qxh4 Nxh4 13.f4 Ke7? 



13...Ng6 leaves black with a slight advantage. 

(13... Kg8 was played in the only other game with 13.f4 in The Database: Hutyra - zutphie, blitz, FICS, 2008. Although White missed 14.f5, he still went on to win in 55 moves. In the current game, Cliff's opponent seems pleased to have gotten the Queens off of the board - apparently making his King safe - and now plans to activate his Rook - Rick)

14.f5

Equal, according to Stockfish. I am, naturally, trying to trap the horsey on h4 and win it with g3 or Bg5 at some point.

14...d5?

14...g6! is the only move that maintains equality. 

15.d3 dxe4 16.dxe4 Kd6? 



16...Re8 will provide a discovered attack on white's e-pawn when his king moves, though white still maintains a clear advantage. 

17.Bg5 Nxf5 18.exf5 Re8 19.Nc3 



I'm only up a pawn so I've no idea why Stockfish evaluates this position as winning advantage for white but clearly my opponent must have understood as he now resigned!

(If Stockfish could imitate Al Capone, it would say to your opponent "You got nothing!" Black's King's exposure and his Knight's uneasy placement suggest that White's lead in development will soon lead to the win of another pawn on the Kingside. That's a lot to face - with your clock ticking. Good solid chess, Cliff! - Rick )

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