Jerome Gambit: Puzzle Pieces (Part 2)

 

As in yesterday's post, the following complex game (and its notes) assembles several different Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) topics covered recently on this blog.

Again I benefit from analysis by Yury V. Bukayev in his "Jerome Gambit: Article". 

Enjoy the excitment.

DutchLiLi - ahmad_2022

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

Again, this game comes as part of over 100 that Dan Middlemiss, a Jerome and Stafford Gambit afficonado, recently sent me. All of the games were played at lichess.org by DutchLiLi.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.b4 

Similar to the games presented in the previous post, but without the White Queen's intervention at f5 followed by Black's King's shuffle to d6. Of course, there are possible transpositions.

7...Bxb4 

Other responses include 7...Bb6 8.O-O (8.c3 d6 9.d4 Nd3+ 10.Kd1 Nxf2+ 11.Kc2 Nxh1 12.Qd5+ Ke7 13.Bg5+ Nf6 14.e5 dxe5 15.Qxe5+ Kf7 16.Na3 Re8 17.Qb5 Bd7 18.Qc4+ Be6 19.Qf1 Qd5 20.Qxh1 Qxg5 White resigned,  DutchLiLi - Rusdin85, lichess.org, 2021; or 8.f4 Nf7 9.Nc3 c6 10.b5 Nf6 11.Qf5+ Ke7 12.Ba3+ d6 White resigned, DutchLiLi - Fafzali, lichess.org, 2021) 8...d6 9.c3 Nf6 10.Qg5 Kf7 11.d4 h6 12.Qf4 Ng6 13.Qe3 Re8 14.f3 Kg8 15.Kh1 c5 16.bxc5 dxc5 17.Bb2 cxd4 18.cxd4 Bd7 19.Nd2 Rc8 20.Rab1 Kh8 21.Qd3 Ne7 22.e5 Nh7 23.d5 Bf5 24.Ne4 Qxd5 25.Qe2 Qd8 26.Rfd1 Qc7 27.Rbc1 Qb8 28.Nd6 Rxc1 29.Rxc1 Rf8 30.Ba3 Be6 31.Ne4 Re8 32.Nd6 Rd8 33.f4 Nc6 34.f5 Bg8 35.Rf1 Nd4 36.Qe4 Qc7 37.f6 gxf6 38.Rxf6 Rxd6 39.exd6 Qc2 40.Qxc2 Nxc2 41.Bb2 Bd8 42.Rf8+ Bf6 43.Bxf6+ Nxf6 44.Rxf6 Kg7 45.Rf2 Bxa2 46.Rxc2 Bb3 47.Rb2 Be6 48.Rxb7+ Kf6 49.d7 Bxd7 50.Rxd7 a5 51.Ra7 a4 52.Rxa4 White won on time, DutchLiLi - Waellalmnshawee, lichess.org. 2020. 

A second response is 7...Bd4 8.c3 (8.Qh3+! Bukayev) 8...Nd3+ 9.Kd1 (9.Ke2 Nxc1+ 10.Rxc1 Bf6 11.d4 d6 12.f4 Nh6 13.d5+ Ke7 14.h3 Qe8 15.Qf3 Kf8 16.g4 Nf7 17.Nd2 Kg8 18.Rf1 Qb5+ 19.Kf2 Bh4+ 20.Kg2 Bd7 21.a4 Qa6 22.b5 Qb6 23.Nb3 Bxb5 24.axb5 Qxb5 25.Nd4 Qb2+ 26.Kh1 h5 27.gxh5 Rf8 28.Rab1 Qa2 29.Rxb7 Ng5 30.Qg4 Qa6 31.Rfb1 Qd3 32.Rb8 Qxh3+ 33.Qxh3 Nxh3 34.Rxf8+ Kxf8 35.Kh2 Nxf4 36.Nf5 Bf6 37.Rb8+ Kf7 38.Rxh8 Be5 39.Rb8 Bxc3 40.Rb7 Be5 41.Rxc7+ Kf6 42.Rxa7 Kg5 43.Rxg7+ Kxh5 Black won on time, DutchLiLi - RoiDanton2000, lichess.org, 2019) 9...Nxf2+ 10.Kc2 Nxh1 11.cxd4 d5 12.Qf5+ Ke7 13.Qe5+ Kf7 14.exd5 Nf6 15.Nc3 Re8 16.Qg5 Nxd5 17.Nxd5 Qxg5 18.Nxc7 Bf5+ 19.d3 Qxg2+ 20.Kc3 Rac8 White resigned, DutchLiLi - Sigrud, lichess.org, 2020; 

An interesting third response is 7...Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 Nf6 (8...Qf6+ 9.Kg1 Nf3+ 10.gxf3 Qxa1 11.Qd5+ (11.Qe8+!?) 11...Ke7 12.Qb3 d6 (12...Qd4+ 13.Kg2 d6 14.Bb2 Be6 15.Qxe6+ Kxe6 16.Bxd4 Nf6 17.d3 b6 18.f4 c5 19.f5+ Ke7 20.bxc5 dxc5 21.Bb2 h5 22.h3 a6 23.Kf3 b5 24.Rg1 Rhg8 25.Nd2 h4 26.Rg6 Rad8 27.e5 Nh5 28.Ne4 Rdf8 29.Kg4 Ng3 30.Re6+ Kd7 31.Nxc5+ Kc8 32.Rxa6 Nxf5 33.Ra8+ Kc7 34.Rxf8 Rxf8 35.Ne6+ Kb6 36.Nxf8 g6 37.d4 Nxd4 38.Bxd4+ Kc6 39.c3 Kd5 40.Bb6 Kc4 41.Bd4 b4 42.cxb4 Kxb4 43.a3+ Kb5 44.Nxg6 Ka4 45.Nxh4 Kxa3 46.e6 Ka4 47.e7 Kb5 48.e8=Q+ Kb4 49.Qe5 Kb3 50.Qc5 Ka2 51.Qc3 Kb1 52.Qb2 checkmate, DutchLiLi - aiser-amangeldinov, lichess.org, 2020) 13.Kg2 Be6 14.c4 b5 15.Bb2 Bxc4 16.Bxa1 Bxb3 17.Bxg7 Bxa2 18.Bxh8 Nf6 19.Bxf6+ Kxf6 20.Nc3 Bc4 21.Rd1 a5 22.d3 axb4 23.dxc4 bxc3 24.cxb5 Ra2+ 25.Kg3 Ke5 26.Rc1 c2 27.h4 Kd4 28.Kg4 Kc3 29.f4 Kd2 30.Rxc2+ Rxc2 31.f5 Ke3 32.f6 Rf2 33.Kg5 Kxe4 White resigned, DutchLiLi - emrty, lichess.org, 2021) 9.Qf5+ Kd6 10.d4 Rf8 11.Qxe5+ Kc6 Black resigned, DutchLiLi - exitoadrenalina, lichess.org, 2020;

A fourth response is 7...Nf6 8.Qf5+ Kf7 9.bxc5 d6 10.Qf4 1Rf8 11.d4 Ng6 12.Qe3 Nxe4 13.O-O Re8 14.cxd6 Qxd6 15.Ba3 Qf4 16.Qb3+ Be6 17.Qxb7 Nh4 18.g3 Nf3+ 19.Kg2 Qg4 20.Qxc7+ Kg8 21.Qf4 Qh3+ 22.Kxf3 Rf8 23.Bxf8 Rxf8 24.Kxe4 Rxf4+ 25.gxf4 Qxf1 26.Ke5 Qc4 27.Nd2 Qd5 checkmate DutchLiLi - Abdullah1991, lichess.org, 2021;

Black has also 7...Bd6 8.d4 g6 9.Qh3+ Kf6 10.Qf3+ Kg7 11.dxe5 Bxe5 12.c3 Nf6 13.Qd3 Rf8 14.f4 Bd6 15.e5 Bxe5 16.fxe5 Ng4 17.Qd4 Qh4+ 18.g3 Qh3 19.e6+ Kg8 20.Nd2 dxe6 21.Ne4 Qg2 22.Rg1 e5 23.Rxg2 exd4 24.cxd4 Bf5 25.Nc5 b6 26.h3 Rfe8+ Black won on time, DutchLiLi - Mutafelaviolinom, lichess.org, 2021; 

Finally, there is the retro 7...Bf8 8.d4 Bxb4+ 9.c3 Nd3+ 10.Kd2 Nf4 11.Qg4+ Ke7 12.Kc2 Ne6 13.d5 Nf6 14.Qg3 Nxe4 15.Qh4+ g5 16.Qh6 Bxc3 17.dxe6 Bxa1 18.f3 dxe6 19.fxe4 Qd6 20.Bxg5+ Kd7 21.Rd1 Bd4 22.Nc3 a6 23.Bf4 e5 24.Qh3+ Kc6 25.Rxd4 Qxd4 26.Qh6+ Qd6 27.Qh5 exf4 28.Qd5+ Qxd5 29.exd5+ Kd6 White resigned, Rzevskiy-Tirionartur, lichess.org, 2019. 

8.f4 

A strong alternative 8.Qf5+!  Kd6?! (8...Ke7! Bukayev 9.Qxe5+ Kf8 Black wins, Bukayev) 9.O-O (9.f4! Bukayev) 9...Qf6 10.Qh3 Ke7 11.c3 d5 12.Qe3 Ng4 13.Qe1 Bc5 14.exd5+ Kd8 15.d4 Bxd4 16.cxd4 Qxd4 17.Bg5+ N8f6 18.Nd2 h6 19.Nf3 Qb6 20.Bxf6+ Nxf6 21.Ne5 Rf8 22.Rb1 Qd6 23.Nc4 Qf4 24.Qc3 Ng4 25.g3 Qf6 26.Qxf6+ Nxf6 27.Ne3 b6 28.Rbc1 Bb7 29.d6 cxd6 30.Nf5 Kd7 31.Nxg7 Ng4 32.f4 Ne3 33.Rfe1 Rae8 34.f5 Re7 35.Ne6 Rxf5 36.Rc7+ Kxe6 37.Rxe3+ Re5 38.Rxe7+ Kxe7 39.Rc3  Rc5 40.Re3+ Re5 41.Rd3 Rd5 42.Rxd5 Bxd5 43.a3 Be6 44.Kf2 Bd7 45.Ke3 Bc6 46.Kd4 Kf6 47.Kc4 Ke6 48.Kd4 Kf6 49.Ke3 Ke6 50.h4 Kf6 51.Kf4 Ke6 52.g4 Kf6 53.Kg3 Kg6 54.Kf4 Kf6 55.Kg3 Kg6 56.Kf2 Kf6 57.Ke3 Kg7 58.Kd3 Kf7 59.g5 Kg6 60.gxh6 a6 61.h7 Kh6 62.h8=Q+ Kg6 63.Qc8 Kf6 64.Qc7  Ke6 Black won on time,  DutchLiLi - mclukito, lichess.org, 2020; also

8.Qf5+ Kd6 9. f4 Ng6 10.c3 (10.Bb2! Bukayev; 10.Qd5+ Ke7 11.f5 Nf6 12.Qc4 c5 [12...Bxd2+ N 13.Bxd2 Ne5, and Black has a very large advantage, Bukayev]13.fxg6 hxg6 14.O-O d6 15.c3 Ba5 16.d4 Bb6 17.e5 dxe5 18.dxe5 Nd5 19.Bg5+ Nf6 20.exf6+ gxf6 21.Bxf6+ Kd7 22.Bxd8 Rxd8 23.Rd1+ Kc6 24.Rxd8 Bxd8 25.Nd2 Bf6 26.Ne4 b6 27.Nxf6 Bf5 28.Qd5+ Black resigned, DutchLiLi - chessgenius71, lichess.org, 2019) 10...N8e7 11.e5+ Kc6 12.Qe4+ d5 13.exd6+ Kxd6 14.cxb4 Bf5 15.Qxb7 Qb8 16.Qa6+ Qb6 17.Qa3 Rhe8 18.b5+ Kd7 19.Nc3 Nd5+ 20.Kd1 Ndxf4 21.Rf1 Bd3 22.Rf3 Qg1+ White resigned, DutchLiLi - Robmy, lichess.org, 2020. 

 

8...Ng6 

I can understand the Knight wanting to watch the enemy Queen from up close, but 8...Nc6 was safer and stronger. 

There was also 8...Qf6 9.f5+?! (mouse slip?) Ke7 10.O-O g6 11.fxg6 Bc5+ 12.d4 Bxd4+ White resigned, DutchLiLi - NadyBeshara66, lichess.org, 2020.

9.f5+ Kf6 10.Bb2+ 

In a hurry to get the Bishop on the diagonal, but probably 10.fxg6 was stronger. Perhaps he anticipated Black's response?

10...Ne5 

Understandable under the time constraints of a 3 minute blitz game -  plus the position was quite complex, e.g. 10...Ke7 11.fxg6 Nf6 12.Bxf6+ gxf6 13.g7 Rg8 14.e5 Qe8 15.Qh4 Kd8 16.O-O Bc5+ 17.d4 Qxe5 18. dxc5 Rxg7 19. Rxf6 Qg5 20. Qxg5 Rxg5 and it is no wonder that Stockfish 13 sees White moving for a draw, 21.Nd2 Rxc5 22.Rf8+ Ke7 23.Raf1 Rxc2 24.R1f6 Rxd2 25.R8f7+ Kd8 26.Rf8+. 

11.Qh4+ g5 12.fxg6+ Kxg6 13.Qxd8 

White has a Queen and a pawn for two pieces. His biggest danger now is the clock.

13...Nf7 14.Qxc7 Nf6 15.Qg3+ Ng5 16.O-O 

Practical. He could win more material with 16.h4 h6 17.hxg5 but he doesn't need more material, he needs to win. 

16...Nfxe4 17.Qg4 d5 18.Qe2 Rg8 19.d3 Bc5+ 

Black's pieces are annoying. Maybe DutchLiLi might have been thinking here that grabbing the Knight a few moves ago might have been a good idea. He is helped by a tactic that Black probably thought would win the exchange, while it actually drops two pieces for a Rook.

20.Kh1 Nf2+ 21.Rxf2 Bxf2 22.Qxf2 Bf5 23.g4 Bxg4 24.Qf6+ Kh5 

25.h4 Nf3 26.Na3 Nxh4 27.Rg1 Bf3+ 28.Kh2 Rxg1 29.Kxg1 Rg8+

White's King has to be wondering, When will my material advantage matter? 

30.Kf2 Rg2+ 31.Ke3 Re2+ 32.Kd4 Bg2 33.Bc1 Nf3+ 34.Kc3 a6 35.Qh6+ Kg4 36.Qxh7 b5 37.Qg7+ Kh3 38.Qh6+ 

Finally White's King has found safety, and his Bishop is helping with the attack.

38...Kg3 39.Qg6+ Kf2 40.Kb4 Re1 41.Bf4 

Black's pieces are working hard to provide shelter, and White's best strategy might be to pick off the enemy pawns and advance one of his own. Of course, exchanging minor pieces would be of benefit for the attacker.

However, here Black lost on time.