Jerome Gambit Practice Tournament (Part 2)

                                                

[continued from the previous post]

The following wild game deserves attention.

KevinOSh - LemonOtter42

Jerome Gambit PracticeTournament, Chess.com, 2023.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7 Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6  

Mentioned in the early days of this blog (see "You, too can add to Jerome Gambit theory!"), this move was suggested in the Cheltenham Examiner Wednesday February 21, 1906 page 6 (see "Jerome Gambit: Analysis or Game?")

...Ke6 should win also, though it often loses when Black is a weak player. That is, often in proportion to the number of games played at this opening, which number is small.

I have had a lot of fun looking at this line, where Black, again, declines the second piece, as I indicated in"Jerome Gambit: This Is How It's Done"

In fact, I have posted a disproportionate number of times on the line - although, in fairness, they were all interesting posts, going back to "You, too, can add to Jerome Gambit theory" and including "A Strange, But Intriguing Path, Parts 1, 2, & 3" and "Still Strange, Still Intriguing Parts 1, 2, 3 & 4." The most recent post on the line is "We Know What We're Doing (Sort of)". 

 6.Qg4+ 

As I wrote about a year and a half ago, in "Jerome Gambit: Roller Skating on Ice"

Best is the forcing 6.Qg4+, which has scored 81% in 8 games [Currently this is 70% in 25 games; but 94% in 9 games if White finds 6...Kxe5 7.d4! - Rick]. The line is discussed in Wall, Bill - Skandervitch, Internet, 2021 (1-0, 11); Wall, Bill - Guest4105968, PlayChess.com, 2018 (1/2 - 1/2, 50); and Wall, Bill - Guest13762608, PlayChess.com, 2019 (1-0 8).

6...Kxe5 

Black must take the piece, or forfeit his Queen: 6...Kd6 7.Nxf7+, or 6...Ke7 7.Qxg7+ Kd6 8.Nf7+. Of course, if 6...Kf6 then 7.Qf5+ Ke7 8.Qf7+ Kd6 9.Nc4 checkmate.

7.d4+ 

The one good move in a tense position.

7...Kxd4

This way lies destruction.

Black had to capture the d-pawn with either his Bishop or his Knight, but in either case White would continue 8.Bf4+ when 8...Kf6 9.Bg5+ would win Black's Queen.

If the second player wants to continue, then he should capture with the Bishop, as after 7...Bxd4 8.Bf4+ Kf6 9.Bg5+ Kf7 10.Bxd8 he would have 10...Nxd8.  A good assessment of the position after 10 moves (the computer favors White) was given in "Jerome Gambit: Over the Rainbow (Part 1 and Part 2)".

8.c3+

The next time that KevinOSh reaches this position, he will confidently play 8.Be3+ Kc4 9.Qe2+ Kb4 10.Bd2+ Ka4 11.b3 checkmate.

8...Kc4

Wishing to avoid, again, 8...Ke5 9.Bf4+ Kf6 10.Bg5+ etc.

9.b3+

Considering the full point already his, White misses both 9.Qe2 checkmate and 9.Nd2+ Kb5 10.Qe2+ Ka4 11.b3+ Ka5 12.Nc4+ Ka6 13.Nd6+ b5 14.Qxb5 checkmate.

This is not mere nit-picking on my part, as we shall see.

9...Kb5 

It seems ridiculous to point out that Black is now not only better here, he is probably winning - at least as far as Stockfish 15.1 is concerned.

A couple of tries should suffice: 10.a4+ Kb6 11.b4 a5 12.bxc5 13.Ka7 and Black's King is on his way to safety at b8; or 10.b5 

Nxb4 11.cxb4 Bxb4+ 12.Nc2 a5. There are benefits to being two pieces ahead.

Fortunately, this is not a computer game. A quick peek at The Database shows that in the 1,865games where Black's King can be found hanging around at b5, White scores 68%.

Ahem.

A lead in development is one goal of a gambit. It is what saves the game for White.

10.Ba3 Ne5 11.Qe2+ Kc6 12.Bxc5 Kxc5 13.b4+ Kc6 

14.b5+ Kd6 15.Na3 Qg5 16.h4 Qxg2 17.O-O-O+ 

Castling long, with check. You gotta love it.

White is still losing, but he has to be pleased at his opponent's four pieces that are still at home.

17...Ke6 18.Rhg1 Qh3 19.Rg3 Qxh4 20.Nc4 Qh6+ 21.Kc2 

21...d5

Black strikes in the center with a pawn, prepares to activate his Bishop, and then a Rook - and turns the game over to his opponent.

22.exd5+ Ke7 23.Qxe5+ Kd8 

Sadly, the only move for Black to avoid checkmate, for the time being, anyhow, was 23...Kf8.

24.Re1

This will do. A bit faster was 24.d6, to open more attacking lines.

 24...Bd7 25.Rxg7 c6 26.Rxd7+ Kxd7 

27.Qxh8 

White sees his win and goes for it. 

If you saw 27.dxc6+ bxc6 28.Rd1+ Qd6 29.Rxd6+ Kc7 30.Rd5+ Kc8 31.Qe8+ Kb7 32.Rd7 checkmate, good for you.

27...Qg6+ 28.Kb3 cxd5 

White now wins Black's Queen and finishes with checkmate.

29.Ne5+ Kd6 30.Nxg6 a5 31.Qe5+ Kd7 32.Qxd5+ Kc7 33.Qf7+ Kb6 34.Re6+ Kxb5 35.a4+ Kc5 36.Qf5 checkmate

Quite a battle.