Jerome Gambit: The Elusive Corner (Part 2)

 

[continued from the previous post]

perrypawnpusher - Cuilleanain

Giuoco Piano Game tournament, 3 d/move, Chess.com, 2022

I was pretty sure that I could take advantage of Black's advanced King. I was wrong.

12.O-O 

Securing my King, activating my Rook, attacking the Bishop. How could this not be a great move? Maybe next time, though, I will try 12.Bb2+ or 12.Nc3.

12...Nf6 13.d4+ Ke6 

Black's King could probably survive capturing the d- or e-pawns, according to the computer, but he prudently retreats from the center of the board.

14.d5+ 

Probably the other pawn needed to move forward, e.g. 14.e5 Ne8 15.c4 c6 16.a3 Be7 17.Ra2 Rf8 18.Rxf8 Bxf8 19.Rf2 Be7 20.Nc3 d5 21.exd6 Kxd6 22.d5 Kd7 23.Rf7 Kd8, as suggested by Stockfish 14.1

14...Ke7 15.c4 d6 16.Bb2 Rg8 

17.Nd2 Bd7 18.b5 

This was designed to prevent ...c6. More to the point might have been 18.Rae1.

18...Re8 19.e5 dxe5 20.Rae1 Kd2 21.Bxe5 Bc5+ 

Black's King is safe and wishes to counter attack.

22.Kh1 Ng4 23.Bg3 Rxe1 24.Bxe1 Re8 25.h3 Rxe1+ 26.Bxe1 Ne5

White's chances are thin, without a Queen or Rooks. Can his King enter the fray and use his extra pawn against the extra piece?

27.Bh4+ Be7 28.Bg3 Nd3 29.Nb3 b6 30.Nd2

Black wins by eliminating White's defender at d2, then using his Bishop to collect White's Queenside pawns.

I shuffled pieces and hoped for a mistake by my opponent.

30...Bf5 31.Nf3 Bf6 32.d6 cxd6 33.Bxd6 Be6 34.Nd2 Be5 35.Bf8 Nc5 36.Kg1 Ke8 37.Bxc5 bxc5 

I could have safely resigned here.

38.Kf2 Bc3 39.Ne4 Bd4+ 40.Ke1 Ke7 41.Nd2 Bc3 White resigned

Wow. Splendid defense and counter attack. From an opponent, mind you, who was rated about 300 points below me.

Powerful work, Cuilleanain!

And back to the drawing board for me...