Jerome Gambit: Too Fast, Too Furious (Part 2)

[continued from previous post]

perrypawnpusher - TobiasBrunner

"Let's Play The Italian Game" tournament

Chess.com, 2018 

Striking back, the Knight that has been kicked around targets the Queen.

I have seen the retreat 13...Nc6 three times: perrypawnpusher - Heler, Giuoco Piano tournament, Chess.com, 2015 (1-0, 33); perrypawnpusher - apurv83, Giuoco Piano tournament, Chess.com, 2015 (1/2-1/2, 29); and perrypawnpusher - Hywel2, Italian Game tournament, Chess.com, 2015 (0-1, 44).

Stockfish 9 prefers the retreat 13...Ned7; there are no games with this move in The Database.

14.Qb3+ 

Delivering the check before Black can sequester his King at g8.

14...Kf8

Better than 14...d5 15.e5 (15.h3!? Rxe4 16.hxg4 Rxg4 17.Bf4 Bxf5 =) Ne4 (15...Nxe5!? 16.dxe5 Rxe5 17.Bf4 Re8 =) 16.h3 (16.Nc3!? Ngf6 17.exf6 Nxf6) Ngf2 (16...Nxe5 17.dxe5 Rxe5) as in perrypawnpusher-whitepandora, blitz, FICS, 2011(1-0, 64) 

15.h3 Nh6

Instead, 15...Rxe4 16.hxg4 Rxg4 was seen in Vazquez,A - Carrington,W, Mexico, 2nd match 1876 (1-0, 34)

16.Bxh6 gxh6 17.Nd2 

It is rather curious that Stockfish 9, after the game, now recommended 17...b6!? for Black, giving 18.Qe3 Qe7 19.Rae1 Bb7 20.e5 dxe5 21.dxe5 Nd7 22.Qxh6+ Qg7 23.Qxg7+ Kxg7 24.e6 Nf6 25.g4 as even.

Clearly the e-pawn is poisoned, but why is that?

17...Nxe4 18.f6 

This advance and offer of a "Jerome pawn" is the reason. After 18...Nxf6 White will double his Rooks on the f-file and swing his Queen over to the g-file. As is often the case, Black will be troubled by having his Bishop on its home square, blocking entry of his other Rook.

I wish I could take credit for the move, but I had already seen it in Wall - Vijay, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 22). Of course, I had already played it, then, in perrypawnpusher - Bunnywarrior, Giuoco Piano thematic tournament, Chess.com, 2016 (1-0, 20)

18...Be6

This moves seems to solve Black's problems at first glance, avoiding the tempting 18...Nxd2? which led to a crush after 19.Qg3!? in Wall, - Vijay, Chess.com, 2010. It also improves on my game against Bunnywarrior, which makes me wonder - was TobiasBrunner aware of that game?

19.Qd3 Nxd2 

The Knight grabs material, abandoning his King.

After the game, Stockfish 9 said something like "Bwahaha! White now has a checkmate in 12." I didn't have any idea at the time, but I knew that White was going to have a strong attack.

What could Black have done, instead? He could have (temporarily) protected the h-pawn with 19...Ng5, although 20.h4 Bf7 21.hxg5 Bg6 22.Qf3 looks good for White. He could also have tried 19...d5, although 20.Nxe4 dxe4 21.Qe3!? targeting the advanced h-pawn, looks dangerous.

Looking at White's f-pawn, I remembered the villains' line from various Scooby Doo cartoons, "And I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids"

20.Qxh7 Qd7 21.Qh8+ Bg8 22.Qxh6+ Kf7 

Now, 23.d5! would effectively block the Black King's avenue of escape, and he could only delay checkmate by returning lots of material.

I missed the move because, two pieces down, I was mostly thinking about - material.

23.Qg7+ Ke6 24.d5+

This certainly accomplishes the task of moving the King away from his defense of the Queen, but 24.Rae1+ would have provided more of an attack, and would have been stronger. 

24...Kxd5 25.Qxd7 

25...Nxf1 26.Rxf1 Be6 

Black has a Rook and a Bishop for his Queen (and a couple of pawns), and decides that he can fight on.

[to be continued]