Jerome Gambit: Deadlost (Part 3)

[continued from the previous post]

perrypawnpusher - DeadlostBot

Chess.com, 2023

We continue my Jerome Gambit game (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) against Chess.com's Deadlost.

Deadlost's comments below are in red.

23.dxe5 Nd7 24.Bf4 

Is it just me or has the detached, ironic humor of the 2010s run its course? And metatextual references have lost all potency as writers increasingly recycle references to elicit immediate, and unthinking, reactions in their audiences? The Hollywoodification of art has homogenized our unique sensibilities to produce a bland, repeatable template designed to appeal to the widest audience possible. Treating irony as a universal experience, writers now present their stories as something to be mocked. And as such, audiences have developed

calloused, nihilistic perspectives which may never again accept earnest or thoughtful storytelling. Anyway... chimichanga! 

24...Rae8 25.Re1 Rhf8 26.Nc2 

Instead, 26.Nb5 might have been a bit better.

26...Bxa2 27.Nd4 Ndxe5 28.Nxc6 Nxc6 29.Qxe8 Rxe8 30.Rxe8

I think I have mentioned that despite the fact that I play sacrificial attacking openings like the Jerome Gambit, I am often drawn to exchanging down to a much simpler, winning, endgame. 

30...Bf7 31.Re1 h5 32.Bxc7 

Up the exchange and a pawn. That should be enough.

32...Bc4 33.Kf2 a6 34.Kg3 Bb3 35.Be5+ Kg6 36.Kh4 Kh6 37.Bf4+ Kg6 

38.Re8 Bd5 39.g3 Bh1 40.g4

Finally! An idea on my part.

40...Bf3 41.gxh5+ Bxh5 42.Rg8+ Kf5 43.Kxh5 Kxf4

Sigh. Play it out.

44.h4 

Yury V. Bukayev points out that 44.Rg7 would be simpler, as both of Black's pawns are vulnerable and will be captured. The Queenside action would be a good demonstration of the advantage of the exchange in the endgame, as the Rook would out-perform the Knight.

44...a5 45.Kg6 

This move blunders away the exchange, although the game is still won for me. I was getting sloppy, figuring that I had already marked up "1 - 0" on the scoreboard. Deadlost did not overlook.

45...Ne7+

I think that's called check. Let me get out my chess dictionary... yup. That's check.

46.Kf7 Nxg8 47.Kxg8

Congrats! You are the 1 millionth person to capture my knight this month. Here's your prize: my knight! 

The rest of the game requires no commentary. Even Deadlost was silent.

47...Kg4 48.Kf7 a4 49.Ke6 Kxh4 50.Kd6 Kg5 51.Kc7 Kf4 52.Kxb7 Ke3 53.Kb6 a3 54.bxa3 Kd2 55.c4 Kc3 56.c5 Kd4 57.c6 Kd5 58.c7 Kd6 59.c8=Q Ke5 60.Qd8 Ke6 61.a4 Kf7 62.Qd6 Kg7 63.a5 Kh7 64.a6 Kg8 65.Qd7 Kf8 66.a7 Kg8 67.a8=Q checkmate