Jerome Gambit: Opposite of Expected

The following Jerome Gambit game must have annoyed Black to no end. After playing White even for most of the game (okay - it was a slip for the defender to allow the game to become "even"), he reached a Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame, only to be tripped up by the presence of an additional Rook on each side. The extra material gave the position middlegame features, specifically that the side on the attack is helped by the opposite-colored Bishops.

Wall, Bill - Guest539588
PlayChess.com, 2018

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 Qf6 

Just checking to see if White is paying attention... 

9.Be3 

He is. The threat was 9...Nf6+, winning White's Queen. 

9...Ne7 10.Nc3 Rf8 11.Nb5 

Black was making progress, moving toward castling-by-hand. It was time for White to shake things up a bit. Black's Queen usually is closer to home, and can deal with threats to c7, but that is not the case, here.

11...N7c6 12.Qd2 Qe7 13.Bg5 Qd7 14.f4 Ng6 

White has gotten to play two of his usueful moves, Bg5 and f2-f4, and had to be happy to see one of the typical "germs" of trouble for Black: the Queen blocks the Bishop which blocks the Rook.

Black is still probably better, but White has the more comfortable position to play. 

15.Qd5+ Ke8 16.e5 dxe5 17.Qxd7+ 

This exchange of Queens may have come as a surprise, but now the King blocks the Bishop that blocks the Rook... 

17...Kxd7 18.f5 Nge7 

19.Rad1+ Nd4 20.Nxd4 exd4 21.Rxd4+ Ke8 22.Re1 Rf7 23.Rde4 Bxf5 24.Rxe7+ Rxe7 25.Rxe7+ Kf8 26.Rxc7 Be4 

Take the Rooks off of the board, and the extra pawn for White is virtually meaningless. Sure, White can still outplay his opponent, but that's a different story.

27.Be7+ Kg8 28. Bb4 Bc6 29.Bc3 g6 30.Rg7+ Kf8 31.Rxh7 b6 32.Rc7 Bb5 33.h4 Black resigned

In club play, especially with the clock ticking, it is sometimes possible to draw a Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame two pawns down. Here, however, White's Rook ties down Black's Rook (it will cost a pawn to be freed), while confining Black's King to the back rank, limiting its ability to assist in a defensive blockade.