Friday, February 28, 2020

Jerome Gambit: Deep Dive (Part 2)

Image result for free clip art deep dive

[continued from the previous post]


ZahariSokolov - GizmoClass
FICS, 2019

The game is unblanced and getting more complicated by the move: both Queens are out, both Kings are uneasy. Black should try 10...Ne7, but he prefers to unblock his d-pawn, to allow him to develop his light-squared Bishop. White presses his attack. (Luckily, I have Komodo 10 to help explain things.)

10...Kc6 11.Qd5+ Kb6 12.Nc3 

White knows that he has the advantage, and that his focus is the enemy King. Development seemed most helpful, although Komodo 10 liked a few Queen checks followed by a pawn strike, instead: 12.Qb3+ Ka6 13.Qa4+ Kb6 14.b4!? when the Bishop will fall, one way or another. (Or, maybe not. Komodo 10 suggests that after 14...Bf2, White probably does best to play 15.Nc3, after which things continue 15...a6 16.Qa5+ Kc6 17.b5+ Kd6 18.Qb4+ c5 19.bxc6+ Kxc6 20.d4 when things are a royal mess, but the computer believes White to be better.)

12...Ne7 

In turn, Black would have done much better to move a pawn, first, tossing the extra piece to get his monarch some safety: 12...c6 13.Na4+ Kc7 14.Qxc5 Qxf4 15.Qf2 d6 and White is only up a pawn. 

13.Na4+ Ka5 

This is the kind of position that screams: tactics! White now has a checkmate - how?

14.Qb3

Another good move, although missing the better 14.b4+ Kxa4 15.Qb3+ Kb5 16.a4+ Kb6 17.bxc5+ Kxc5 18.Ba3+ Kc6 19.Qb5 checkmate. Nice.

14...Qh5 

Black protects his Bishop - and dreams of threatening ...Qxf3+, winning a Rook, if White ever leaves the pawn unprotected, or if he blocks his Queen's protection of f3 with Nc3 or c3 or d3.

15.Rf1 

The reasoning behind this move is unclear. White's best was probably 15.c4 c6 16.d4 and White's pressure would increase. As it is, Black gets a slight breather.

15...b5 16.Nxc5 

White could have grabbed a piece back with 16.Qc3+ b4 17.Qxc5+ Qxc5 18.Nxc5. 

16...Qxc5 

17.d3 d5

Overlooking a tactic.

18.Bd2+ Kb6 19.a4 

Missing the skewer 19.Bb4, winning the Knight on e7.




[to be continued]

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