It was time to complete my development, and then make a typical Jerome Gambit "error".
perrypawnpusher - ManWithABigPlan
2d/move, Chess.com, 2021
13.Rae1 Nxg5 14.fxg5 Ng4
White's pawns have been disarranged by the exchange of pieces, but the result has given me more to work with. After the game Stockfish 13 rated Black almost 4 pawns better, but things were about to get very messy...
15.Nb5 Qb6
After the game had concluded, the computer at Chess.com criticized this move as a "blunder" which I thought was quite harsh. It took a while to find out what the silicon friend was all worked up about - especially because the move leads to an even game.
16.Nxd6 Be6
An impresive idea, but probably there was something better.
The implied threat, 16...c4+, fizzles out after 17.Kh1, when Black's Rook remains in danger.
Moving the Rook with 16...Re7 allows White to equalize with 17.e5 Qxb2 18.h3 Nxe5 19.Qd5+ Be6 20.Qxe5 Qxe5 21.Rxe5 Rd8 22.Nxb7 Rd5 23.Re2 Rxb7 24.Rxe6. An even game is not bad - at this point in the game.
It is now possible to see that Black's best 15th move would have been 15...Be6, as then 16.Nxd6 could have been met by the dual purpose 16...Rf8, taking the Rook out of danger and contesting the f-file. White could exchange Rooks with 17.Rxf8+ Qxf8 and then grab a pawn with 18.Nxb7, but this would only lead to 18...Qb8 19.Nd6 Qxb2, when 20.h3 would not win a piece as the Knight's retreat 20...Ne5 would be to a protected square and White has no chance for Qd5+.
Of course, most of this insight came to me after the game was over.
17.Nxe8 Rxe8
White has a Rook and 2 pawns for 2 pieces. However, his passed e-pawn does not seem to be going anywhere, his b-pawn and a-pawn are in danger, and his g-pawn's future is uncertain.
18.b3 c4+
My opponent had a plan.
19.Kh1 c3
This was a fine idea, and under ordinary circumstances it might well have succeeded - because I completely overlooked the threat. I mean, can't White just grab the pawn? Certainly 20.Qxc3 Rc8 21.Qd2 is material for free, right? Especially because I have a habit of grabbing material, and then suffering for it...
20.Qf4
Luckily for me, it turns out that I was after material, but in a different way. (Saved by even greater greed!) This move cuts off Black's Knight's retreat, and makes it vulnerable to 21.h3.
The real problem with 20.Qxc3? was 20...Nf2+, winning back the exchange, because 21.Kg1?, instead of the capture, would have led to 21...Nh3+ 22.Kh1 Qg1+! 23.Rxg1 Nf2 smothered checkmate!
Hat tip to ManWithABigPlan!
[to be continued]
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