Friday, July 5, 2019

Jerome Gambit: As Time Goes On

Image result for free clip art chess clock

In the following game, Black and White exchange surprises - in 1 0 bullet games they can be deadly, because there is not a lot of time available to assess them deeply. White's focus on Black's King pays off in the middle game, and Black cannot put similar pressure on the enemy monarch, as time goes on.

angelcamina - tatrod
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.
Bxf7+ 



The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit. White does not want to go along with Black's quiet game. 

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Kf8 

Black introduces his surprise. Stockfish 10 gives Black the advantage after this interesting move, although it prefers 6...Nxe5. From a practical point of view, The Database has 9 games with this line, with White scoring 78%.

7.Nxc6 dxc6 8.d4

No doubt Black thought he had just prevented this move, otherwise he would have played 7...bxc6. Still, he decides to be cautious.

8...Bb4 9.e5 Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 Nd5 11.Ba3+ Ke8 



12.Qh5+ g6 13.Qh6 Bf5 



This allows White's Queen to enter the Kingside, and Black is ultimately doomed.

14.Qg7 Rg8 

Despair.

15.Qxg8+ Kd7 16.Qxh7+ Kc8 17.O-O-O 



White figures he can work it out from here.

17...Nxc3 18.Rd2 b519.Bc5 Kb7 20.Kb2 



Time is always short. White protects his a-pawn from the Knight, but what he really wanted to find was 20.Bd6!?

20...Qd5 

Instead, 20...Na4+ 21.Ka1 Nxc5 would put Black ahead again. Now, Black's advancing pawns look scary, but they come to nothing.

21.Kxc3 a5 22.Kb2 b4 23.Qe7 Q4 24.Rhd1 a4 25.Bxb4 Qxb4+ 

A final slip. 

26.Qxb4+ Black resigned



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