Jerome Gambit: Educational (Part 2)

In a couple of previous posts ("Jerome Gambit: Unbeatable Gambit!?" and "Jerome Gambit: Educational (Part 1)") I mentioned a YouTube video (again, thanks for the information, Mikka Eckkinen) featuring Canadian Grandmaster Aman Hambleton playing a couple of Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games.

It turns out that the grandmaster played three Jeromes against his opponent, a FIDE master (although very close in Chess.com rating).

Here is the second game from the video.

 

KNVB - TampaChess

3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

The Jerome Defense to the Jerome Gambit, given in the Dubuque Chess Journal, July 1874, ("Jerome's Double Opening Third Variation") by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome.

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6 9.d3 Kf7 10.Nc3 Rf8 11.O-O a6 12.Be3 Bxe3 13.Qxe3 Kg8 

So far, Black has shown restraint, focusing on castling-by-hand and keeping White's Knight from adventures (i.e. 11...a6).

White will use his actively placed Queen and "Jerome pawns" to stir up trouble.

14.Qg3 Nh5 15.Qe3 Nf4 16.g3 Nh3+ 17.Kg2 

Is this a prelude to a trap?

Apparently Stockfish 15.1 prefers 17.Kh1 on principle - as if computers had principles (although perhaps that is part of their programming) - but the grandmaster is more knowledgeable about human nature.

17...Ng5 18.h4 Bh3+ 

Although attractive at first glance - and 3-minute games have a lot of "first glances", as Stockfish's predecessor, HAL the computer, said in "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968), this "can only be attributable to human error."

19.Kh2 Rf3 20.Qxg5 Qxg5 21.hxg5 Bxf1 22.Rxf1 Raf8 

White has two pawns for the exchange. It is educational to play through the game and see how he takes advantage of this small material plus.

Keep in mind that if the game lasts 30 moves, the players will average no more than 6 second a move thinking time; and if it lasts 60 moves, that average will drop to 3 seconds per move.

Good players play good moves, even while under pressure.

23.Kg2 c6 24.Ne2 R3f7 25.f4 g6 26.Nd4 Re8 27.Nf3 Kg7 28.Nh2 h5 29.gxh6+ Kxh6 30.a4 Kg7 31.Nf3 b6 32.Nd4 c5 33.Nf3 b5 34.Ra1 c4 35.axb5 axb5 36.Nd4 cxd3 37.cxd3 Rc7 

White's Rook has an open file and it and the Knight help guard entry points to the file that Black's Rook has.

Now, White can pawn hunt, even as the Kings become more active.

38.Ra6 Rd7 39.Kf3 b4 40.Rb6 g5 41.Rxb4 Rh8 42.Rb5 Kf6 

43.Rf5+ Ke7 44.Rxg5 Rh2 45.b4 Kd8 46.Rd5 Kc7 47.Nb5+ Kc6 48.Nd4+ Kb6 49.Nf5 Kc7 50.b5 Rb2 51.Nd4 Rb1 

White's threatening b-pawn temporarily ties down Black's Rook and King, while White's Knight proves annoying both on attack and defense.

There needs to be another distraction, and White has it. 

52.f5 Kb6 53.Ne6 Rf1+ 54.Ke2 Rb1 55.Kf2 Rb2+ 56.Kf3 Rxb5 57.Nf4 Rc5 58.Ke3 Rc1 59.g4 Re1+ 60.Kf2 Ra1 

I didn't say that it was going to be easy.

Stockfish 15.1 assesses White as almost two pieces better.

Oh, and time management is an issue, too.

61.Rd4 Kc6 62.Ke3 Re1+ 63.Kd2 Ra1 64.Ne6 Ra2+ 65.Ke3 d5 66.Rxd5 Rxd5 67.exd5+ Kxd5 

68.Nf4+ Ke5 69.d4+ Kf6 70.Ke4 Ra1 71.Ne6 

71...Re1+ 72.Kd5 Ke7 

Black's Rook has done a good job defending from behind the enemy pawns, but here - under serious time pressure - the defender slips.  The silicon advisor sees 72...Rg1 73.Kc6 Rxg4 74.d5 Kxf5 75.Nc5 Rg6+ 76.Kc7 Ke5 77.Nd3+ Kxd5 78.Nf4+ Kc4 79.Nxg6 with a draw, as White will not be able to checkmate with just a Knight..

73.g5 Ra1 74.Nf4 Ra5+ 75.Ke4 Ra6 76.Nd3 Kd6 77.Ne5 Ra2 78.f6 Re2+ 79.Kf4 White won on time, in a won position

A heart-pounding conclusion.