Jerome Gambit: Chess Adventures of GM Hambleton (Part 2)

 

[continued from the previous post]

Grandmaster Aman Hambleton's recent Jerome Gambit game, with notes.

KNVB (2713) - CzechmVIII (2265)

3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021

6...Kf8 

Also frequently seen is 6...Ng6, e.g. ChessBrah - samuelwillwin, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020.

7.Qxe5 d6 

7...Qe7 was seen in KNVB - Maxterlopez, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020 (0-1, 48) and KNVB - PsychoPato, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com,  2020 (1-0, 69) 

8.Qg3 Nf6 9.Nc3 Qe7 10.d3 Bb4 

A new idea for this position. White's response shows he is not troubled. The game is about even.

11.Bd2 Be6 12.a3 Bxc3 13.Bxc3 d5 14.O-O-O c5 

This sets the stage for what follows: Black attacks the enemy King on the Queenside, while White attacks his enemy in the center.

15.f4 d4 16.Bd2 Bf7 17.f5 a5 18.Rde1 b5

Black persists, but White's attack will do more damage.

19.e5 Nh5 20.Qf3 Rc8 21.e6 Be8 22.g4 c4 

23.Bxa5 Kg8 24.gxh5 c3 25.Rhg1 cxb2+ 26.Kxb2 Qc5 

It looks scary for White's King, but actually the grandmaster has a forced checkmate!

27.Re2 

Safety first. He could have played 27.f6 g6 28.h6 Bf7 29.Bb4, but as the game goes, he gets those moves in, anyhow!

27...b4 28.Bxb4 Qb5 29.h6 g6 30.f6 Bc6 31.f7 checkmate

Oh, those "Jerome pawns"!

A very fine game.