Jerome Gambit: Tactic Fatigue

Jerome Gambit games are often about tactics. Sometimes White develops an attack and tactics help bring him the point. Sometimes Black defends well, and White must look for the tactical chance to pull even, or take the advantage.

All that calculation can lead to tactic fatigue and miscalculation, as in the following game.

Wall, Bill - Guest3211185
PlayChess.com, 2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 

A standard position for the variation. One plan for White is to develop his pieces, advance his f- and e-pawns, and take aim at the enemy King who is sitting on a half-open file.

8.O-O Nf6 9.Nc3 

9.f3 a more conservative setup, was seen in Wall,B - Guest903719, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0,47). 

9...Re8 

This move seems more dynamic than 9...c6, as seein in Wall,B - Guest708676, PlayChess.com, 2016, (1-0, 32).

10.f4 

Bill has played 10.Bg5, instead, in a number of past games - Wall,B - Foman, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 22); Wall,B - Guest4809124, PlayChess.com, 2013 (0-1, 41); Wall,B - Guest5111265, PlayChess.com, 2014 (1-0, 47) ; Wall,B - Guest1561957, PlayChess.com, 2014 (1-0,25); Wall,B - U80, PlayChess.com, 2016 (1-0, 29);  Wall,B - Smith,J, lichess.org, 2017 (1-0, 20)  - and one recent one:
10...Be6 11.f4 Nc6 12.Qd3 Kg8 13.a3 h6 14.Bh4 Qd7 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Rae1 Qf7 17.Rf3 Kh7 18.Rfe3 f5 19.Qe2 Rg8 20.g3 Rg7 21.Qd3 Rf8 22.Kh1 fxe4 23.Nxe4 Bf5 24.c4 Qh5 25.Qd5 Qg6 26.Nf2 Bd7 27.Qe4 Bf5 28.Qd5 Be6 29.Rxe6 Black resigned, Wall,B -Vertufizen, lichess.org, 2017. 

10...Nc6 11.Qc4+ 

Or 11.Qd3 as in Wall,B - Ferreira,J, lichess.org, 2016. 

11...Be6 12.Qd3 Kg8 

Castling-by-hand, frequently a good defensive strategy for Black.

13.b3 Nb4 

14.Qd2 d5 

Possibly Black was looking toward 15.exd5 Bf5, doubly attacking c2. White's response doesn't rule out the Bishop move, but it makes it more complicated.

15.e5 Ng4 

Moving the Knight away from the attack. Messy would have been 15...Bf5 16.exf6 Nxc2 17.g4 Nxa1 18.gxf5 Qxf6 19.Bb2 d4 20.Ne2 Nxb3 (desperado) 21.axb3 c5 although Black, with a Rook and 2 pawns (one passed and protected) for 2 pieces, would still have the advantage.

Black's "hovering" Knights can be useful for attack on either or both wings, but figuring out what exactly to do takes time and brain effort.

16.f5 d4 

Black figures: why not hit the center, too? Things are getting pretty complicated, and the better calculator will prevail.

17.Nb5 Bf7 

With two pieces hanging, Black's best move was to ignore them and play 17...Ne3!? To make that work, after White wins two (three?) pieces for a Rook with 18.Qxb4 Nxf1 19.fxe6 it was necessary to find 19...Qh4!? when White will discover (one way or the other) that the Black Knight cannot be taken due to checkmate.

White can defend with 20.h3, but after 20...Qg3 the Knight is still off limits. He does best with the piece swap 21.Bf4 Qxf4 22.Rxf1 (there!) When 22...Qe3+ 23.Kh1 Qe2!? will net the c-pawn for Black. Then White's counter-grab, 24.Nxd4 will be met with 24...c5!? 25.Nxc2 (forced) cxb4 will leave Black the exchange ahead, and White's center pawns (one will fall) are not adequate compensation.

All this makes my head hurt. 

18.Qxb4 Rxe5 19.Qxd4 Qxd4+ 20.Nxd4 Rd8 

Black and White have made their way through the excitement, and the position is about equal, with Black's piece activity blancing White's extra pawn.

21.Bb2 Red5 22.Rf4 Ne3 23.Re1 Rxd4

After all that brain work, this miscalculation is unfortunate. 

24.Rxd4 Rxd4 25.Bxd4 Nxc2 26.Re4 Black resigned

Black is only down the exchange, but White's Rook will win at least one pawn. The defender will get ground down.