Jerome Gambit: Blinded by the Light (Part 3)

 

[continued from the previous post]

perrypawnpusher - joshuagasta

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

At this point in the game I could see that I would win material. It is a good example of how a lead in development can translate to further advantage.

18.e5 dxe5 19.dxe5 Qb4 20.exf6 Qd4+ 21.Kc1 Nxf6 

Sacrificing material is a bit like transforming matter into energy.

Recovering material is a bit like turning that energy back into matter. 

(According to Prof. Richard Feynman's bright words on annihilation. See "Chess and Physics in the Classroom".)

The risk is that when the energy dissipates, even as material appears the advantage may disappear. 

I was happy to reach the above position, seeing myself as being a pawn better, with a relatively safe King. Imagine my surprise when I was preparing this post to see that in this position Stockfish 15 sees (32 ply) White as more than a Queen better!

22.Bxf6 

Good enough, although tactical Readers will no doubt find 22.Re7 Bd7 23.Bxf6 Rxf6 24.Rd1 with an x-ray attack on the Bishop at d7. 

How did I miss that? Well, during the game I looked at 22.Re7 Ne8 and explored no further. I suspect that Alonzo Wheeler Jerome is turning over in his grave at me missing the subsequent 23.Rxf8+ Kxf8 24.Rxe8+ Kxe8 25.Qe7 checkmate. 

Ooops.

22...gxf6 23.Re7 Qg4 24.Rf4 

Again, this moves the game forward, but it should not have been hard to find - the time control was 3 days per move - 24.Ne4 Bf5 25.Rxf5 (deflection) Qxf5 26.Rg7+ Kh8 27.Ng3 and Black's Queen is in danger, but can not give up her protection of h7.

Hmmm... This might enlighten my italicized comment after the previous diagram. 

24...Qxg2 

What I needed now was for all my pieces to work together.

25.Qc4+ Kh8 26.Qd4 Qg5 27.h4 Qh6 28.Nd5 

Okay, that should do it.

The "ghost" of the Knight that was pinned at f6 on move 14, captured on move 20, replaced on move 21 and whose twin was captured on move 22 continues on as a pawn - pinned and soon to be captured.

[to be continued]