Jerome Gambit: Antonio-bot (Part 1)

After matching wits with Chess.com bots Deadlost and Grandpa Gambit, I decided to challenge the "advanced" bot, Antonio.

Antonio prides himself on being a balanced player. He doesn't win every game, but don't expect to beat him without a fight.

Antonio did very well against the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) - up until an ill-advised return of sacrificed material. After that, trouble snowballed.

Comments by Antonio are in brown.

perrypawnpusher - Antonio-bot

Chess.com, 2023

1.e4

Sicilian today, or something else?

1...e5

Let's play an open game.

2.Nf3

What are you up to?

2...Nc6

"I don't believe in psychology. I believe in good moves." - Bobby Fischer

3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

I believe in psychology and good moves - Rick

Take that one off the board.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+

Is that my king you're pointing at?

5... Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Ng6 

According to The Database, this is the reply to 8.f4 is seen about 1/6 of the time. Black saves the Knight. 

9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ d6 

Do you see my plan?

11.Qe3 

This is the 10th time that I have arrived at this position.

I suspect that after each of those games, the computer suggested that 11.Qc3 was better. I have yet to take that advice.

11...Kf7 

Antonio moves his King out of the eventual line of fire, the e-file.

12.O-O Nf6 13.f5 Ne7 14.d4 

Here we have the classic Jerome Gambit battle of White's 2 extra "Jerome pawns" against Black's extra piece.

Stockfish 15.1 (34ply) rightly assesses the defender as being about a little bit less than a pawn better.

14...Ng4 

Suddenly the bot shows human tendencies: Let's attack the Queen!

Consistent would have been 14...Re8 with still the better game.

15.Qg5 

Stockfish 16 prefers 15.Qb3+ here, but I am never sure if this is a strong move, or just a distracted, harrasing one. 

15...Nf6 

No harm, no foul? The computer thinks so.

16.e5 

There is a tactical "hole" in this idea that neither I nor my opponent noticed. Black now has 16...dxe5 17.dxe5 Qd4+!? 18.Qe3 Qxe3+ 19.Bxe3 Nxf5 20.Bd2 Ng4 21.h3 Nxe5 22.g4 Kg6 23.gxf5+ Bxf5 and would remain ahead. 

16...Ne4 

Let's attack the Queen!

17.e6+ 

This move is okay, and has attacking ideas behind it, but more accurate would have been 17.Qh5+ Kg8 18.f6 breaking lines open.

17...Kg8 18.Qh4 Nf6 19.Bg5 

This is a comfortable position for White, if only because it is an uncomfortable position for Black.

[to be continued]