Jerome Gambit: Unsafe (for me) At Any Speed (Part 2)

 

[continued from the previous post]

perrypawnpusher - GuestJDZB

2 12 blitz, FICS, 2024

13...dxe4 14.dxe4

Instead, Stockfish 16 prefers exchanging Queens with 14.h3 N4e5 15.Qxe4 Nc6 16.Nd5 Qxe4 17.dxe4 Rf7, although it sees Black as better. I don't really understand its "reasoning", and we are entering a part of the game where, afterwards, I found much of the computer's suggestions impenetrable.

14...Be6 

Developing quickly, but leaving himself open to a possible pawn fork if I were to play f2-f4-f5. 

15.Be3 

I will give you Stockfish 16's preference, without comment: 15.h3 N4e5 16.Qh5 Kf7 17.Bg5 Qb4 18.f4 Qxb2 19.fxe5+ Kg8 20.Bd2 Qxc2 21.Qg5 Qd3 22.Rxf8+ Rxf8 23.Rd1 c6 24.Be1 Qc4 25.Kh2 Qc5 26.Rd6 Bc8 27.Qg3 Nxe5 28.Rd1 Ng6 29.a4 Be6 30.Rd2 Qe5 Black is about 3/4 pawn better. 

15...Qd6 

To quote the comic Rodney Dangerfield, I tell ya, I don't get no respect.

My King is safely castled, his is in the middle of the board - but which one is being attacked? Mine.

Respect? I respect my opponent's play.

16.g3 Nxe3 17.Qxe3 a6 

Keeping my Knight off of the b5 square.

Can I keep him from castling? 

18.Rad1 Qb6 19.Qxb6 

I was not happy to see my Queen go, but it messed up his pawns.

19...cxb6 20.f4 Bc4 21.Rf2 Rd8 22.Rfd2 Rxd2 23.Rxd2

Can the "Jerome pawns" help me hold on? (Where, oh where, did my attack go?)

23...Rf7

Preparing to swing the Rook over to the d-file and exchange. The move gave me a breather, as I could work against his Bishop.

24.b3 Bb5 25.Nxb5 axb5 26.Rd5 

Black's Queenside pawns are a vulnerable nightmare.

Hope danced in my head, in the form of the phrase No losing chances - if I could get there.

[to be continued]