While waiting for the second round in the Chess.com tournament "Italian Battleground" to begin, I joined the "Italian Game Battlegrounds" tournament, and quickly started a couple of games with Jerome Gambit related openings - one with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 4.Bxf7+ and one with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nxe4 5.Bxf7+.
I played an interesting move 9 novelty in the first game, and probably have an advantage. On the other hand, I am still struggling to reach equality in the second game - knowing, as always, that when White reaches an even game in the Jerome Gambit, he has the advantage...
We shall see.
Tacical sharpness - plus the ability to move quickly - is essential in fast games. With a 1 0 bullet time control, it is essential to be able to finish the game when you are handed the opportunity.
In the following game, angelcamina does so, admirably.
angelcamina - bbobbyfischerx41
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.
4...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4 d6
9.O-O c6 10.f4 c5 11.Qf2 Neg4
Black's last few moves waste time, but he still holds on to the advantage.
12.Qe2 Re8 13.h3 Nh6 14.e5 dxe5 15.fxe5 Qb6
Looking to set up a discovered check, but the direct 15...Qd4+ 16.Be3 Qxe5 would win a pawn.
16.Bxh6 gxh6 17.Qh5+ Ke6
With 17...Kg8 it would take a little bit longer for White to checkmate him.
18.Rxf6+ Kd7 19.Rxb6 axb6 20.Qf7+ Re7 21.Rd1+ Kc6 22.Qxe7 Bd7 23.Qd6 checkmate
The following game appears to end too soon. The position is equal, which should not bring on feelings of loss - unless the defender was troubled at having moved from a "won" game at move 4 to an even one, and decided to let the game go.
The answer, as with many 1 0 bullet games, probably lies with the clock, as we shall see.
angelcamina - plutonia
1 0 bullet, lichess.org
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6
3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8
7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qf4+ Nf6
9.d3 d5 10.e5 Kg8 11.O-O Nd7 12.d4 Bb6 13.Nc3 h6 14.Nxd5 Black resigned
White has 3 pawns for his sacrificed piece. Black's King has found relative shelter. Balance. Why the resignation?
My guess is that Black realized that he had only 17 seconds left on his clock, while White had 39 seconds. Black would have to make "ordinary" moves in a rather ordinary position, twice as fast as White, to have a chance to win the game. That probably wasn't an attractive option.
