Jerome Gambit: Do Not Hold Your Breath Waiting For It To Make Sense (Part 2)

 

[continued from the previous post]

perrypawnpusher - NN

Chess.com, 2021

15.d3 Qd4+ 16.Kh1 

16.Rf2 was probably a bit better.

16...b6 17.Qd8 Bb7 18.Qxc7 Qd5 

My Queen was free, but my opponent was threatening checkmate. I was having a hard time seeing myself as being 1,000 rating points better than him.

19.Qc4 

I hated this move as soon as I played it, but it is probably best. 

19...Qxc4 20.dxc4 Re8 

At this point I was pretty sure that Black could focus his pieces on g2 and the game would be drawn. I began to look for a way to escape this outcome.

First off, 21.Kg1 would be hopeless: 21...Re2 22.Rf2 Re1+ 23.Rf1 Re2 24.Rf2 Re1+ etc., repeating the position and drawing.

Also 21.b3 did not look like it would provide an escape: 21...Re2 22.Rg1 Ne4 23.h3 (to escape checkmate) Ng3+ 24.Kh2 Nf1+ 25.Kh1 (25.Rxf1 would allow the windmill 25...Rxg2+ 26.Kh1 Rxc2+ 27.Kg1 Rg2+ 28.Kh1 Rxa2+ 29.Kg1 Rxa1 30.Bb2 Rxf1+ 31.Kxf1 with a drawn Bishops-of-opposite colors end game) Ng3+ 26.Kh2 Nf1+ etc. again repeating the position and drawing. (That Knight work reminds me of the recent "Jerome Gambit: Practical Underpromotion".)

What I missed in the above line - and Stockfish 12 reminded me after the game - was 23.h4! instead of 23.h3, when White's King would have a needed escape square at h3. Still, things would have been complicated.

21.f5 

To open the path for my Bishop.

21...Ba6 

Hungry for pawns. Still 21...Re2 was the move.

22.fxg6+ Kxg6 23.Bf4 Bxc4 

After the game, Stockfish 12 rated White the equivalent of a Rook better. I still can not figure out why.

24.Rfe1 Ne4 25.Kg1 Kf5 26.g3 h5 

27.Rad1 Re7 28.Rd4 Ng5 

This move took me by surprise. There is an answer, but it only came after I woke up from a dream.

29.Rxe7 Nf3+ 30.Kf2 Nxd4 

I was content to grind out the exchange-up endgame, when I noticed something humorous.

31.Re5+ 

Bumping the King away.

31...Kf6 32.Re4 Black resigned

He must lose one of the pieces.

Quite a tough game from my opponent.