Jerome Gambit: Overthinking? (Part 2)

[continued from the previous post]

perrypawnpusher - Tacotopia

1 day / move, Chess.com, 2020

 

Well, here we are. Sometimes the Jerome Gambit leads to a crushing win by White. Sometimes, Black defends well - the opening is refuted, after all - and White finds himself patiently looking for an opportunity to strike back. I placed my hopes on the central "Jerome pawns", but any success was going to take some work (and a little bit of help).

25.Ke3 b5 

I want my King in play. My opponent is planning a sort of minority attack.

26.Rf2 Be6 27.a3 a5 28.Ra1 

With the idea that if 28...b4 29.axb4 axb4 30.Rff1, not surrendering the a-file.

28...c4 29.d4 

A small thing. After the game, both the Chess.com computer and Komodo 10 rated Black as about 2 pawns better, but I was happy with my pawn center.

29...h5 

Labelled an "inaccuracy", but I think Tacotopia was trying to work on both sides of the board, using his centrally placed Bishop. The machines didn't like my next move, either.

30.c3 Rab8 31.h4 Bg4 32. Raf1 Re7 33.g3 

33...b4 34.axb4 axb4 35.Ra1 bxc3 36.bxc3 Rb3 37.Rc1 

All but one of my pawns were out of reach of my opponent's Bishop. His c-pawn could become a weakness.

37...Kh6 38.e5 

Advancing the other pawn might have been a bit better.

38...Rb5 39.Rf6 Bf5 40.Rc6 Bd3 41.Rf6 Rb2 42.Rf2 

Exchanging a pair of Rooks would make the defense easier.

42...Rb3 43.Rf6 Rbb7 44.Rf2 g5 

Hoping for 45.hxg5+ and his King could enter the play.

45.Rf6+ Bg6 46.Rc6 Rec7 

The Chess.com computer labelled this move a "blunder". After the exchange of Rooks, I found an amusing draw, but I think that even without the swap, a win for Black would have been difficult, and at least time-consuming.

47.Rxc7 Rxc7 48.d5 Rd7 49.d6 gxh4 50.gxh4 Bf7 

White's pawns were blockaded, but Black could make no further gains.

51.Rg1 Be6 52.Kd4 Rd8 53.Rf1 Kg7 54.Rg1+ Kf7 55.Rg5 Rh8 56.Kc5 Rc8+ 57.Kd4 Bg4 

Black's pieces deftly exchanged their defensive roles, to no avail.

58.Kd5 Be6+ 59.Kd4 Bg4 60.Kd5 Be6+ 61.Kd4 drawn by repetition

A hearty congratulations to Tacotopia, who shook off an almost 500 rating point difference and forced me to find a draw!