Jerome Gambit: Blinded by the Light (Part 2)

 

[continued from the previous post]

perrypawnpusher - joshuagasta

"Giuoco Piano Game" tournament, Chess.com, 2022

To take or not to take, that is the question...

9.Kxf2 

Yury V. Bukayev has eplored both capturing the piece and the subtle declination 9.Ke2!?, which is still unplayed - but maybe not for much longer. The chess "coach" at Chess.com, reviewing my game after it had been completed, called it the best move and "very precise!"

9...d6 

This solid move is an improvement over 9...Ng4+ in perrypawnpusher - Ryszak, "Giuoco Piano Game" tournament, Chess.com, 2022 (1-0, 17).

10.d4 

The "coach" would have preferred 10.Rf1, starting to castle-by-hand.

10...Qf8+ 11.Ke1 Nd7 

This unbalanced position is assessed by Stockfish 15 (32 ply) as slightly better for Black. White has the better pawn center. Black has an extra piece for White's extra pawn. Neither King is particularly safe.

It is interesting that the "coach" gives the Knight retreat to d7 (as opposed to c6) a "??". It seems concerned about congestion of a sort that sometimes occurs in the Jerome Gambit: the Knight blocks the Bishop which hems in the Rook 

12.Bg5+ 

Played with the idea of meeting 12...Ngf6 with 13.e5. 

Stronger - but not what I had considered at this point while I was playing - was 12.Rf1. Thank you, Stockfish.

12...Ke8 

After the game was over, I was shocked to see that the computer preferred 12...Kf7, putting Black's King in front of his Queen. 

Indeed, White would then have 13.Rf1+ but the dangers soon fizzle out, e.g. 13...Ngf6 14.Qb3+ Ke8 15.Nc3 h6 16.Bxf6 Nxf6 17.Kd2 Qg8 18.Qb5+ Kd8 19.e5 dxe5 20.dxe5 Nd7 21. Rae1 Qe6. Black's King is not totally safe, but he has extra material to make him feel better about that.

13.Qxc7 

When in doubt, grab material might be good advice for bullet chess, but this move looks somewhat distracted here.

13...Ngf6 14.Rf1 Qe7 15.Nc3 Rf8 

The pinned Knight at f6 gets more support. To be considered was breaking the pin with 15...h6 16.Bh4 g5.

16.Kd2 

Unpinning the e-pawn. However, the "coach" would have none of that, giving the move a "??" and suggesting that 16.Rf2 is best, followed by 16...Kf7 17.e5 dxe5 18.Nd5 e6 19.Nxf6 Kg6 20.Nxd7 Qxd7 21.Qxd7 Bxd7 22.Be3 with a slight advantage to White. Thanks, coach.

16...Kf7 

Intensifying the pin on the Knight and giving White the advantage.

17.Rae1 Kg8 

A lot has changed.

Even though Black has succeeded in castling-by-hand - while my King remains a bit exposed - his Knight at f6 is doomed.

At the time I figured that White was at least even, but I was surprised that afterwards Stockfish 15 assessed White to be about a Rook better, despite the fact that Black still has the material advantage of a piece for two pawns.

[to be continued]