I am not a painter. I have always wondered: How do you know when a painting is finished? How do you know when you have made your last stroke, and it is time to put the brush down? When does a painting have exactly enough, and needs no more?
These thoughts came to me as I considered the final position in the following game, where Black resigned. How did he know that it was time?
Wall, Bill - Guest816337
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 8.O-O Nf6
An ordinary position for this line. I was going to say that Bill has reached it a gazillion times, but it turns out that the number is only 17. The position goes back to Jerome - Shinkman, Iowa, 1876 (1/2-1/2, 42).
9.Bf4
This is a bit unusual, however. The Bishop usually goes to g5 or b2. There are only 4 games in The Database with this move - two of them by guess who?
9...Re8
Also 9...Be6 10.Nc3 Re8 11.Rad1 Nc6 12.Qd2 Bg4 13.f3 Bh5 14.Nd5 Nxd5 15.Qxd5+ Kf8 16.Qxh5 Kg8 17.Qd5+ Kh8 18.c4 Nb4 19.Qb5 a5 20.a3 Nc2 21.Rf2 Qf6 22.Bg5 Nd4 23.Qxe8+ Rxe8 24.Bxf6 Nxf3+ 25.Rxf3 gxf6 26.Rxf6 Rxe4 27.c5 Re2 28.Rf7 Rxb2 29.cxd6 Kg8 30.Rxc7 Kf8 31.d7 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest3687203, PlayChess.com, 2015.
10.Nc3 Nc6 11.Qd2
If you play the Jerome Gambit, you need to be a bit of a psychologist. You need to have an insight into what your opponent is trying to do (here: pressure and capture the e-pawn) as well as ideas on how to thwart his plans - or, on occasion, help them along.
Ordinary play would be 11.Qd3, doubly protecting the twice-attacked pawn, when Black would continue to castle-by-hand andbe better.
11...Nxe4
Of course, reasons Black, anyone foolish enough to throw away pieces can hardly be expected to keep track of his pawns, too...
And so the defender falls for a small trick that, had he seen it in a book of chess puzzles, he would have identified immediately.
12.Qd5+
Oh, yeah, right.
12...Re6
A bit better - because it focuses on development - is 12...Be6 13.Qxe4 Qf6 14.Bg3 Kg8 when White has regained his piece and the game is about even.
13.Nxe4
13...Ke8
Black gets out of the pin on his Rook, and avoids the Knight fork of the Rook and his King (Ng5+). However, the situation required 13...h6 when White would only be a little bit better.
14.Rae1
White could play the Knight move, but prefers to develop a piece and build up pressure against the enemy King.
14...Ne7
Defense is already a serious problem. Black decides to evict the enemy Queen. He could have reinforced his troops on the e-file with 14...Qe7, but White could have continued 15.Bxd6 cxd6 16.Nxd6+ Kf8 17.Nxc8 removing the Rook's other defender and forcing 17...Rxe1 18.Nxe7 Rxe7, when White would have a Queen and two pawns to Black's Rook and Knight.
15.Qh5+ Ng6 16.Ng5 Rxe1 17.Rxe1+ Kd7 18.Ne6 Black resigned
At first glance it it clear why Black is worse - while equal in material, he lags in development and his unsafe King blocks his Bishop, which in turn blocks his Rook - a typical Jerome Gambit ailment. But, is it time to resign?
The first thing to look at is that Black's Queen is attacked - where will she go? It is clear that 18...Qe8 or 18...Qe7 can be answered by 19.Nc5+ uncovering an attack on Her Majesty. On the other hand, the "safe" 18...Qh8 leads to checkmate after 19.Qd5 (intensifying the impact of the next move) Ne7 20.Nc5+ Ke8 21.Bg5, etc.
That leaves one last back rank move, 18...Qg8, which can masterfully be met by 19.Qb5+ c6 20.Qb3 when White again threatens Nc5+, winning the Black Queen a different way.
Perhaps Black's Queen doesn't need to cower? She could try 18...Qf6. White, however, would have 19.Qd5, again, with brutal pressure on the d-file, for example 19...Nxf4 20.Nc5+ Kd8 21.Qg8+ Qf8 22.Qxf8#. Black's best response to 19.Qd5 is 19...Ne7, when 20.Qc4 c6 21.Bg5 is simply too much pressure on his position, e.g. 21...Qf7 22.Nc7 winning the Rook.
That leaves only the Queen escape 18...Qh4, which falls, as well, to 19.Qd5, as Black will have to give up his Queen with 19...Qxf4 in order to prevent checkmate.
Wow. I can see Bill figuring all of this out, as he is a chess expert. But, his opponent - if he was smart enough to see enough to resign, how did he get into that mess in the first place? Ah, the mysteries of the Jerome Gambit!
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