Jerome Gambit: Pop Quiz Analysis

Here is a second look at the "Pop Quiz" from yesterday's post.

This point was that the game's outcome was a draw arising from a winning position. 

Please note that this is a blitz game. It is not clear that shortage of time was an issue in convincing Black to force a draw - but it might have been.

It is also quite possible that Black was uncomfortable with how the game had gone, starting with a wild sacrificial opening, and he ended it most expeditiously.

eskimo_king - saimutku

10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+  

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7

Whistler's Defense.

8.Qxh8 

Taking the Rook leads to complications and is risky for White, as the continuation shows.

8...Qxe4+ 9.Kd1 Qxg2 10.Re1 

With White's Queen temporarily out of play, Black can focus his attack on the enemy King. Here 10...d5 looks strong, as ...Bg4+ is threatened. White can try to distract with 11.Qxh7+ (this is why 10...Nf6 would also have been good) but after 11...Kf8 White still has to find some breathing room for his King.

After 12.c4 Qf3+ 13.Re2 Qh1+ 14.Kc2 Bf5+ White can hold off checkmate with 15.d3, while answering 15...dxc4 with more distraction, 16.Bh6+ Nxh6 17.Qxh6+ but again Black's King can sidestep mischief with 17...Kg8.

Black's extra piece, White's poor development and at-risk King give the second player a winning advantage.

11...Qf3+ 11.Re2 Qh1+ 12.Re1 Qf3+ 13.Re2 

Now 13...d5 would be strong, similar to the note above.

13...Qh1+ 14.Re1 Qf3+ 

There was still 14...Qxh2 15.f3 Qh3 16.Qc3 d5 when Black is better, for example 17.b3 Bg4 18.Bb2 Qxf3+ 19.Kc1 Qxc3 20.Nxc3 Ne7 21.Rf1+ Kg8.

15.Re2 draw