Jerome Gambit: Take the Money and Run (Part 2)

 

[continued from the previous post]

perrypawnpusher - GuestTYQD

4 12 blitz, FICS, 2023

Black is no longer better. In fact, White may be winning.

At this point in the game I was reminded of Hervé Villechaize, playing the character Tatoo in the TV program "Fantasy Island", announcing "De plane! De plane!" at the beginning of each episode.

In my case, I was thinking "The pawn! The pawn!"

18.e5 dxe5 

Instead, after the game Stockfish 16 (which sniffs in disdain at the Jerome) recommended ignoring the threat of the pawn and trying more development like 18...Raf8. It then liked 19.Ne4, intensifying the pressure on the Knight at f6. After 19...Kd8 20.exf6 Kc8 Black would have safeguarded his King, although he would still be about 3 pawns worse.

19.dxe5 Raf8 

He could have played 19...Bxc3 first, to break up White's Queenside pawns.

20.exf6+ gxf6 

21.Bxh4 

Cashing in, but clearly stronger was increasing the pressure with either 21.Ne4 or 21.Rad1.

My strategy of Take the money and run has gotten me in trouble in past games. 

21...Bxh3 

More blitz-focused scary play.

22.Bg3 

This works, and was part of a plan, but 22.Rfe1+, putting the heat on the enemy King, was better.

The capture 22.gxh3 was possible, but needlessly cooperative. 

22...Be6 

White has an extra pawn. During the game, I was happy to have two central open lines for my Rooks to come to, although I would not have guessed that Stockfish 16 would later assess this position as about 4 pawns better for me.

23.Rad1 Qc6 24.Rfe1 Bb6 

This is a slip. It was time to get rid of the White Knight with 24...Bxc3 once and for all. 

25.Nd5+ Ke8 26.Nxf6+ 

I had the win figured out here.

Had I been less lazy - or had this not been a blitz game - I could hav found 26.Qf5, when Black can only stave off checkmate (temporarily) by throwing material: 26...Rh1+ 27.Kxh1 Rh8+ 28.Kg1 Bxf2+ 29.Bxf2 Qd6 30.Rxe6+ Kd8 31.Rxd6+ cxd6 32.Qe6 Rh1+ 33.Kxh1 b5 34.Qxd6+ Kc8 35.Qc7 checkmate

26...Ke7 27.Nd5+ 

Funny.

Instead, 27.Qg5 was the road to checkmate. 

[to be continued]