Jerome Gambit: Gambit Duel (Part 3)

 

[continued from the previous post]

wgraif (2525) - EricRosen (2591)

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2022

If you give this position a minute's thought here - you would lose on time. Both players were under 60 seconds on the clock.

On the board, White's "Jerome pawn" wins back sacrificed material.

21...Bxe6 22.Nxe6 Kf7 23.Rde1 Re8 24.Nxd8+ Qxd8 

25.Rxe8

Remove the pieces from the board, and White's pawns would win the game (provided the first player moves quickly enough). That is the reasoning behind Stockfish's suggestion for play: 25.Re5 Qd6 26.Rfe1 a5 27.c3 a4 28.h3 c5 29.Bxf6 Qxf6 30.Qxf6+ gxf6 31.Rxe8 Rxe8.

The humans follow the same general path.

25...Rxe8  26.Bxf6 Qxf6  27.Qxh5+ Kf8 28.Qh8+ Kf7 29.Qh5+ Kf8 30.Qg4    

White decides not to repeat the position, instead still going for the win. He is clearly better on the board, but time is flying!

30...a5 31.c3 a4 32.a3 Kf7 33.Qh5+ Qg6 34.Qxg6+ Kxg6 

At this point, the pieces were flying.

35.Kg1 Re2  36.Rb1

Still gamely going for the win. Instead, 36.Rf2 Re1+ 37.Rf1 Re2 38.Rf2 etc would have split the point.

36...Kf5 

Good Rook + pawn endgame players might point out that 36...Kg5 would keep White's h-pawn better under control, but I do not know if it would matter in the long run.   

37.Kf1 Rc2 38.Re1

Hungry Rooks. Stockfish 15 says "even game".

[to be continued]