Thursday, August 8, 2019

Jerome Gambit: "Too Good" (Part 2)


[continued from previous post]

perrypawnpusher - Jackcchow
Chess.com, 2019

14.Nc3

This very reasonable move appears to be a novelty, according to The Database.

14...Qe7 15.Qd3 Re8



Clearly, White wants to play e4-e5, while Black would like to prevent that. The post mortem "discussion" was interesting. Chess.com analysis saw Black's move as an "inaccuracy", labeling 15...Nb4 as "best". Stockfish 10, however, evaluated both 15...Re8 and 15...Nb4 as completely equal to each other.

16.Bg5 

Standard Jerome Gambit development.

16...Qf7 17.Rae1 

More of the same.

17...Nb4 18.Qd2



How many times in the Jerome Gambit has Black played ...Nb4, threatening the White Queen? More than a few. I was happy to see the move, as I mis-evaluated it as a waste of time. I was shocked, afterwards, to see that the Chess.com analysis saw it as "best".

 18...Nxa2

What do you think?

The Chess.com analysis called this move an "inaccuracy", preferring 18...h6. Stockfish 10 preferred 18...h6, but, after 19.Bf4, evaluated 19...Nxa2 the same as 19...Kg8, both leading to an equal game. Complicated.

During the game, I hadn't even considered the Knight move, focusing on 18...h6 19.Bh4 Qh5 20.Qf2 Ng4, which seems kind of irrelevant as I now look at it. I think that is enough proof that I was losing the thread of the game.

19.e5 

This move is okay, but, of course, 19.Nxa2 was best.

I think my mistake confused my opponent. After all, I was supposed to know what I was doing. Of course, he was welcome to borrow as much confusion as possible.

19...h6 

This is not correct. The consistent 19...Nxc3 was the way to keep White's edge small.  

20.Bh4 

From a distance, this move doesn't make much sense, especially since Black's Queen has moved out of the pin on the Knight.

The proper move was, of course, 20.e6, attacking the Bishop and the Queen, while cutting off the support of the Knight. My attacked Bishop on g5 was irrelevant.

The Chess.com analysis clearly marked my move as "a missed win". 

20...Nxc3 21.Qxc3 dxe5 

In a chaotic position, it was my opponent's turn to err. Instead of this "normal" move, he had 21...Bb5, when 22.e6 would have lost much of its bite after 22...Qe7. After a bit of scrambling, White would only have a small edge, because of that blockaded advanced "Jerome pawn".

Now, the game plays out to my advantage.

22.dxe5 Nd5 23.Qc5+ Kg8 24.e6 Bxe6

Giving the piece back makes the most sense.

25.fxe6 Qh5 

At first glance, the position looks balanced (except for Black's unfortunate Rook) but White is due to win a piece, one way or another - at least, that's what Stockfish 10 suggested afterward. I just wanted to get my Bishop to safety.



26.Bg3 b6 27.Qc6 Re7 28.Re5 Black resigned



Okay, now Black will lose a piece.

Pretty scrappy play by Jackcchow.

Me? Lost in the woods, or at least the tree of variations. Luckily, I had company.

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