A Strange Jerome Gambit - But What's New? (Part 3)

[continued from previous post]

perrypawnpusher - vasbur
Italian Battleground, Chess.com, 2018

White's pawns have raced forward, based on a mixed-up plan (see previous post). What to do? What to do? What to do?

My brain kept screaming Kick the Knight! Kick the Knight! Kick the Knight! but I focused on patiently developing my Rooks.

23.Rhf1 Rf8 24.Qd2 g6 25.Rae1 

The Rooks have taken up central squares, but there is no reason to hurry advancing the "Jerome pawns", as the enemy King is Queenside-ish. Time for more preparing. Ugh. Like eating vegetables.

25...Bd7 26.Ne2

This at least has the opportunity to lead to an unclear game after 26...Nxa2?! 27.Qa5 c5 28.Bxc5 dxc5 29.Qxc5+ Kd8 30.Qa5+ Ke8 31.Qxa2 when White would have 3 pawns for his sacrificed piece, and Black's King would be in the dangerous center.

Black is not tempted.

26...Na6 27.c4 b6

It looks like Black is preparing to move his Knight to c5, and answer Bxc5 with ...bxc5. He can also consider placing his King at b7, linking his Rooks.

28.e5 

Time to strike at the center, regardless. It's what you do in the Jerome.

28...dxe5 

This is unfortunate, and a bit unfair. Black has defended well against the Jerome Gambit (his Knight foray to b4 and then back to a6 was a small waste of time) and he could have skated to a safe and even position by returning the sacrificed piece with 28...Nxd5 29.cxd5 Qxd5+ 30.Kg3 dxe5 31.fxe5 Rxf1 32.Rxf1 Bc6 33.Nc3 Qd7.

Perhaps his strong play was his downfall - why settle for a draw, after all?

With a few moves, though,White throws back Black's pieces. 

29.fxe5 Qg8 30.Rxf8+ Qxf8 31.e6 Be8 32.Rf1 Qg8

33.Qg5 

I had orginally intended 33.Bg5, but I found this move to be stronger. Black's Knight is lost, and, suddenly, White's extra pawns mean something - as do his advanced pawns and better development.

33...Nc6

A great try at escape. If now 34.dxc6?! Bxc6+ 35.Kg3 Qxe6 the game would be even, or Black might have a slight edge.

34.e7

This is the move that shows up the looseness of Black's position. White threatens to bring his Rook to f8 with many threats, and Black finds he is a step behind in his defending a not-difficult-to-find set of moves: 34...Nxd4 35.Rf8 Ne6 36.Rxg8 Nxg5 37.Rxe8+ Kd7 38.Rxa8 Kxe7 and White would be only a pawn and the exchange up, but an additional couple of pawns would soon fall to his Rook.

Black resigned.

.  

[I have one game left to finish in the second round of the Italian Battleground tournament at Chess.com. A win would allow me to move on to the third round - and possibly more Jerome Gambits. A draw would probably allow me to squeak on by. A loss would likely end my play.]