Jerome Gambit: A Decade Ago... (Part 2)

 

[continued from the previous post]

perrypawnpusher - CorH

3 12 blitz, FICS, 2014

How to respond to the Knight?

15.Qe2 

The text is good, although a bit better is the tempo-grab 15.Qg3 h5 16.d5 also with advantage. 

15...Kd8 16.h3 Nh6 17.d5 Nd4 18.Qe4 Nhf5 

19.Kh2 

Avoiding the tempting 19.g4 with the idea of finally distressing the enemy Knights. Black's counter would be 19...Qh4, and after 20.Qg2 Qg3 21.Rf2  Qxg2+ 22.Rxg2 Nh4 23.Rg3 dxe5 24.fxe5 Nhf3+ 25.Kg2 Nxe5 and the Knights would still rule.

The computer prefers the more positional 19.Rd1, meeting 19...Qh4 with 20.e6 when 20...Qf6 would allow the pawn advance, i.e. 21.g4 Nh4 22.Rf1 Ndf5 (nowhere else to go) 23.gxf5 Qxf5 24. Kh2 when things are settling down, in White's favor.

So much to consider!

19...Qh4 20.Qd3 Re8 

21.g4 

White's Kingside is too fragile after this move.

Better was 21.Ne4 when 21...c6 22.dxc6 d5 (or simply 22...Nxc6) 23.cxb7 Bxb7 24.Nc5 Bc6 25.a4 (keeping the Bishop off of b5) g6 26.g4 Nh6 27.Qxd4 Nxg4+ 28.Kg2 Nh6 29.Bd2 shows that the fireworks can be handled, with White still better.

21...dxe5 

Stockfish 16 begins to evaluate all lines here as "0.00" which means it has found a draw. One example is 21...b6 22.gxf5 Bxf5 23.Qxd4 Qxh3+ 24.Kg1 Qg3+ 25.Kh1 Qh4+ 26.Kg1 Qg3+ etc. with a draw by repetition. 

Likewise 21...h5 22.gxf5 Bxf5 23.Qxd4 Qxh3+ 24.Kg1 Qg3+ etc.; or  21...Nh6 22.e6 Nxg4+ 23.Kg2 Nxe6 24.dxe6 Bxe6 25.hxg4 Bc4 26.Qxc4 Qxg4+, etc..

Opening the center when your King is still in the middle of your back rank looks dangerous, but this was a 3-minute blitz game, and almost anything is possible.

22.gxf5 

Yielding to temptation, believing that In blitz, when in doubt, grab material. Instead, additional development for White was in order: 22.Ne4 Qe7 23.Bd2 exf4 24.Rxf4 Qe5 25.Raf1 h6 26.gxf5 Bxf5 27.Bc3 Bxe4 28.Qxd4 Qxd4 29.Bxd4 Bxd5 30.Bxg7 Kd7 31.Bxh6 Re2+ 32.R1f2 Rxf2+ 33.Rxf2 Bxa2 and the endgame will likely be drawn, despite White's h-pawn.

22...Bxf5 23.Qg3 Qxg3+ 24.Kxg3 

24...exf4+ 

Instead, 24...e4 would have led to Black's advantage, but the position was complicated for him, too, and the clock was ticking just as fast, as well.

25.Bxf4 

This looks natural, but tactics argue in favor of 25.Rxf4, i.e. 25...Nxc2 26.Rxf5 Nxa1 27.Bg5+ Kd7 28.Rf7+ Kd6 29.Nb5+ Kc5 30.Nxc7 h6 31.Bc1 b5 32.Nxa8 Rxa8 33.Rxg7 Kxd5 34.Bxh6 and this time White's h-pawn does look strong.

25...Bxc2 26.Rae1 

With my Bishop aimed at the c-pawn, I should have tried 26.Rac1.  

26...Nf5+ 27.Kg4 g6 28.Rxe8+ Kxe8 

29.Bxc7 

29.Nb5 Rc8 30.Re1+ Kd7 31.Nxa7 was enough to keep things even. 

The text overlooks the coming fork, winning a Rook, but my opponent did not overlook.

29...Ne3+ 30.Kf3 Nxf1 

For all practical purposes, the game was over here. I should have been a good sport and resigned. Instead, I played on and rooted for the clock.

31.Kf2 Nd2 32.Ke2 Nc4 33.b3 Nb6 34.Kd2 Bf5 35.h4 Rc8 36.d6 Kd7 37.Nb5 a6 38.Na7

38...Rxc7 

A practical decision, eliminating White's one last "hope", his passer. With an extra Bishop and a pawn, his win is straightforward.

39.dxc7 Kxc7 40.a4 Kb8 41.a5 Nd5 White resigned

I can't blame the Jerome Gambit for this loss. It gave me plenty of complicated positions with chance. My opponent outplayed me. Hats off to him, belatedly.