Jerome Gambit: Chaos in a Two Knights (Part 2)

[continued from previous post]

Dr. Finlay - Elliott, H. E
Dungog, NSW, Australia, 1899

The position is complicated, and the players take turns missing their chances.

13.Bg5

Loosening Black's grip on f6 - but missing 13.f6!? Nxf6 14.Nxf6 Bxf6 15.Bg5!? which was the right idea, e.g. 15...Be6 16.Rxf6+!? gxf6 17.Qh6+ Ke8 18.Bxf6 Qd7 19.Bxh8 and White would be a bit better, although Black would have good drawing chances.

13...Bxg5

Black obliges his opponent, but misses his chance to shore up the Kingside, as with 13...Nf6! he could make sure that the exchanges at f6 would not require his g-pawn to capture, weakening the protection of his King, e.g. 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 and 15.Nxf6 would be answered by 15...Qxf6.

14.Nxg5 

Here we have a theme familiar to Jerome Gambiteers: Black's Knight blocks his Bishop on its home square, which in turn entombs the Rook. White's advantage in development shows he is better.

14...Qe7 15.Rae1 Nf6

16.Qf3 

White repositions his Queen, with a plan in mind on how to open the f-file for her. Instead, he could have won back a piece with the combination 16.Rxe7 Nxh5 17.Rfe1 (threatening mate) Bxf5 18.Rf7+ Kg8 19.Rxf5 when his initiative and lead in development would still make him better.

16...Qd8 17.Ne6+ 

The Daily Telegraph questions this move: "This N is too useful to be lightly exchanged. Re6, followed by the doubling of the rooks, with a view of Re7 or R takes N, was a more promising continuation." The columnist, however, overlooks the fact that 17.Re6 h6!? disrupts this plan and allows Black to win the exchange with little risk.

17...Bxe6 18.fxe6 Ke7

White's plans for using the f-file for an attack by the Queen have gone up in smoke. Black's blockading King and Knight on f6 have shut things down.

19.d5 

White decides to protect his one asset - the advanced e-pawn - and hold on. He might have done better by playing 19.c4 first, as, with the text, Black can immediately reply with 19...c6!?

19...Rf8

I suspect that neither player was thinking about a draw at this point, but it is hard not to point out that here White can play 20.Qg3, and after 20...Rg8, then 21.Qd3!? when White's threat of Rxf6 forces 21...Rf8, and 22.Qg3 will lead to a repetition of position and an eventual draw. 

20.Qh3 h6 

The position has not fundamentally changed. White can play protect his d-pawn with 21.c4, and then return to Qg3, threatening the pawn at g7; and Black can guard the pawn with ...Rg8, only to see White move his Queen to d3 - and eventually back to g3.

How to get out of this "inescapable" draw?

[to be continued]