Jerome Gambit: A Real Battle (Part 2)

 

[continued from previous post]

perrypawnpusher - graintrader69

3 days/move, "Giuoco Piano Game", Chess.com, 2022-2023

Of course, 9.Qxc7, instead of 9.Nc3 as played in the game, would be suicidal because of 9...Qxe4+.

The alternative, 9.d3 can transpose. See perrypawnpusher - frencheng, 10 5 blitz, FICS, 2010 (1/2-1/2, 31).

 9...c6 

Instead, 9...d6 10.0-0 was seen in perrypawnpusher - ERICOLSON, 10 0 blitz, FICS, 2007 (1-0, 33) and perrypawnpusher - jonathankochems, 2 12 blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 39).

10.d3 d6 11.O-O 

Deviating from Jerome's 11.h3 against Jaeger in their two 1880 correspondence games.

11...h6 12.Be3

For lack of another idea.

12...Bb6

Exchanging Bishops on e3 was probably a better idea, if only because Black does so a few moves later, so the text looks like a lost tempo. Nonetheless, Black remains better.

13.Rae1 Be6 14.h4

Played to prevent ...g7-g5.

More dynamic would have been 14.Bxb6 axb6 15.Nd5!? (a move I never thought of during the game) although after 15...Qd8!? 16.Nxf6 gxf6 17.e5 dxe5 18.Rxe5 Bf7 the open e-file against Black's King would still not be enough to give White an advantage.

14...Bxe3 15.Rxe3 Kg8 16.e5

Black's King has stepped away from the pin on his Knight. He has a plan to counter-attack, but he would have done better to simply contest the e-file, i.e. 16...dxe5 17.Qxe5 Re8 18.Rfe1 Qd7.

16...Nh5 17.exd6 Nxf4 18.dxe7 Bf7

This is one of those odd Jerome Gambit positions that are objectively (i.e. according to Stockfish 15.1, after the game was concluded) equal (0.00 at 40 ply) and that challenge White's assessment of his play so far. 

The first player has gone from 2 pieces down to an equal game - should he be happy at regaining the balance?

On the other hand, the game now has little chance for a checkmate attack, so shouldn't that bring on a sense of disappointment? 

My sense was that I still had 3 pawns for Black's extra piece, and one of those pawns was passed, on the 7th rank. In addition, Black's minor pieces looked a bit awkwardly placed.

These might not account for much in a master vs master game, but in club play, they were still things that could be worked with.

[to be continued]