The Jerome Gambit: Jerome Gambit: One Last Bot (Part 2)

Saturday, January 20, 2024

Jerome Gambit: One Last Bot (Part 2)

[continued from the previous post]

perrypawnpusher - Claire bot

SparkChess, 2023

11...Qh6

The less exact retreat 11...Qd8 was seen in Some Loser - NN, 2005 (1-0, 37); and perrypawnpusher - Chess Titans, level 5/casual game, 2019 (1-0, 42).

That earlier game appeared in the games collection Unorthodox Chess (2005), under that author's pseudonym, Some Loser.

There are alterative 11th moves for Black:

11...Qe7 12.Qd5 checkmate, the "Buyer's Regret" variation, perrypawnpusher - intssed, blitz, FICS, 2010;

11...Qg4 in perrypawnpusher - jgknight, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 68)

11...Nf6 12.gxh4 Black resigned, in perrypawnpusher - mikelars, blitz, FICS 2011;

11...Ne7 in perrypawnpusher - constipatedguru, blitz, FICS, 2017 (1-0, 20); and

11...Qf6 in Kennedy - Chess Titans, casual game, 2022 (1-0, 48) and perrypawnpusher - IlToscano, Chess.com, 2016 (1-0, 18). (Hmm, don't think I have posted that last one, yet - Rick)

12.Rxh2

Played too quickly and giving up the advantage.

There were two better alternatives:

Capturing two pieces quickly with 12.Qd5+ Ke7 13.Qxc5+ Kf7 14.Rxh2 ; and

Harassing the enemy King, while eventually capturing two pieces: 12.Qe5+ Kc6 13.Qd5+ Kb6 14.Qb3+ Kc6 15.Nc3 a6 16.d4 Bxd4 17.Qd5+ Kb6 18.Qxd4+ c5 19.Nd5+ Ka7 20.Qxc5+ b6 21.Qd4 Qc6 22.Rxh2.

12...Qe6

Removing the Queen from danger and offering an exchange, which would be beneficial for Black.

An attempt to kick-the-queen with 12...g6 fell to 13.Qe5+ Kc6 14.Rxh6 in perrypawnpusher - JTIV, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 32), but I could simply have played 13.Rxh6, as the Black g-pawn would have been pinned.

13.e5+ Kc6 14.Qe4+

14...Kb6

A lucky break for me. Instead, blocking the check with 14...d5 or 14...Qd5 was in order.

By the way, responding to 14...d5 with the cool en passant capture 15.exd6+ would have ended the game quickly with 15...Qxe4+ 16.Kf1 Bh3+ 17.Rxh3 Qf3+ 18.Ke1 Re8 checkmate.

Fortunately, nobody has ever called me "cool".

15.d4 Be7

The "Jerome pawns" are ready to be disruptive, and 15...Bxd4 16. Qxd4+ c5 17.Qd3 d5 would have been the proper response.

16.d5 Qg4 17.Nc3 c5 18.d6 Bd8