Jerome Gambit: The Little Things

Sometimes it is the little things that make a chess game interesting.

In the following game, some moves stand out and make the conflict enjoyable. 

Chalcinos - gotham_chess_boyfriend

10 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

Referring back to the post"Jerome Gambit: Focus on the Enemy King"

As I recently mentioned in the post "Jerome Gambit: Pawns Take Their Place"

The move appears to be the "people's choice", however, according to The Database: 6...Ng6  is played 45% of the time; 6...Ke6 is played 24% of the time; 6...Kf8 is played 16% of the time; and 6...g6 is played 13% of the time...

Of the 4 top moves, Stockfish 15.1 (31 ply) rates 6...Ke6 as about 1/4 of a pawn better as 6...Kf8, which Stockfish sees as about 3/4 of a pawn better than 6...g6, which is seen as about a pawn better than 6...Ng6.

So, top choice but 4th place in strength. This helps the Jerome Gambit player.

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 N8e7 

At this point The Database show 481 games with this position. White scores 67%.

By comparison, the lichess.org site shows 774 games, with White scoring a comparative 63%.

Likely 9...Nf6, which goes back to the game Vazquez, Andres Clemente - Carrington, William, 2nd match, Mexico, 1876 (1-0, 34), would put more pressure on the center.

Stockfish 15.1 recommends 9...d5 which would be a novelty.

10.O-O c5 

This move is rare, only seen in one other game in The Database. Apparently Black wants to prevent 11.d4. 

11.Nc3 

In an earlier game White played 11.d4, anyway, and found success:  11...b6 12.c3 b5 13.dxc5 dxc5 14.Qxc5 Qd3 15.Bg5 Qxe4 16.Nd2 Qg4 17.Bxe7+ Nxe7 18.Rae1 Be6 19.h3 Qg6 20.f4 Kf7 21.f5 Nxf5 22.Qc7+ Kf6 23.Ne4 checkmate, PedrosF1 - OlaCh, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021. 

11...b6 12.f4 Kf7 13.d3 Rf8 14.f5 Ne5 15.Bd2 Kg8

Black has castled-by-hand. The game is about even. What next?

16.Qg3 d5 

In a blitz game it is possible to focus on one part of the board, to the detriment of events happening at another part. Here, Black is focused on the square d5, missing the threat to the square e5 (and its occupant). 

17.Qxe5 dxe4 18.f6 

Immediately striking.

18...Nc6 19. Qxe4 Rxf6 

Clock or nerves.

20.Rxf6 Qxf6 21.Qe8+ Qf8 22.Qxc6 Bf5 

White is winning. He needs a plan. He has choices.

23.Rf1 Rc8 24.Qd5+ Kh8 25.Rxf5 Rd8 

White now has a forced checkmate.

26.Rxf8+ Rxf8 27.Ne4 Rf1+ 

Since Black is a human competitor, I suspect that this may be part of a plan to eliminate his own pieces and hope to escape with a stalemate.

Back in "Jerome Gambit: Against the Titans (Part 2)" I pointed out

I have seen examples of computers tossing piece after piece, just to make an even-more-unfavorable future position "disappear", only to have it "reappear" after the opponent makes a capture. In the end, more material is lost than in the "dreaded" situation it is trying to avoid. (The similarity to human clinical depression is notable.)

28.Kxf1 c4 29.Qxc4 b5 30.Qxb5 a6 31.Qxa6 

31...h6 32.Bxh6 Kh7 33.Bxg7 Kxg7 

Time for White to find the checkmate before the time runs out.

Black is playing a dangerous game, but he still has a slim hope - stalemate.

I was surprised to see the number of times stalemate ended a game in this blog. For a sample, see "No Letdown", "Did I tell you about the time...?", "Getting Away With Something", "Easy As Pi", "One Game, Several Positions", "Jerome Gambit: A Tricky Endgame", and "Jerome Gambit: Slip?". 

For a real head-scratcher, try "Adjudicated Win".

And now for the conclusion of the game.

34.Qb6 Kf7 35.Ng5+ Ke7 36.Qe6+ Kd8 37.Qf7 Kc8 38.Kf2 Kb8 39.Ke3 Ka8 40.Ke4 Kb8 41.Ke5 Kc8 42.Ke6 Kd8 43.Qh7 Ke8 44.Qh8 checkmate