Another Jerome Gambit Practice Tournament (Part 2)

 

From the Jerome Gambit Practice Tournament at Chess.com.

Both players stick to accepted lines of play.

Sometimes it takes endgame skill to capture the full point, especially in complicated times. In this case, the battle between advanced pawns and an extra piece is quite interesting.

KevinOSh - Chioborra2023

Jerome Gambit Practice Tournament, Chess.com, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

This position was considered in Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's analyss of "Jerome's Double Opening, Third Variation" in the July 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal.

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6 9.Nc3 Be6 10.O-O Qe7 

11.d3 Kf7 12.Be3 Bxe3 13.fxe3 

White also had the slower 13.Qxf3 followed by a later f2-f4.

13...Rhf8 14.Rf2 Ke8 

Black makes the decision to move his King toward the Queenside, instead of completing a castling-by-hand with 14...Kg8.

15.Raf1 Kd7 16.h3 Nh5 17.Qh2 Rxf2 18.Rxf2 Rf8 19.g4 Rxf2 20.Qxf2 Nf6 

The f-file, and the Rooks on it - often a large part of White's attack - has been neutralized. 

White needs to work hard to get something going.

21.Qf3 Qf7 22.d4 Bc4 23.d5 Ke7 24.b3 Ba6 25.a4 Nd7 26.Kg2 Qxf3+ 27.Kxf3 

The Queens are gone, and Black's Bishop remains at large, but the game continues.

27...Ne5+ 28.Kf4 Bf1 29.h4 h6 30.g5 hxg5+ 31.Kxg5 g6 32.Nd1 Kf7 33.Nf2 Nf3+ 34.Kg4 Be2 35.Kg3 g5 36.hxg5 Nxg5 37.Kf4 Kf6

 White's activity has eliminated play on the Kingside. 

38.c4 Bf3 39.a5 a6 40.b4 Be2 41.c5 

Now the Queenside gets White's attention. If all of Black's pawns can be exchanged off, the game approaches a draw.

41...Bf1 

Black keeps his Bishop trained on the Queenside action.

42.Ng4+ Kg6 43.e5 

In a complicated position, White takes a mis-step. 

Accurate was 43.cxd6 cxd6 first, followed by 44.e5 when Stockfish 16.1 sees the game devolving into a draw: 44...Nh3+ 45.Kg3 dxe5 46.e4 Kf7 47.Nxe5+ Ke7 48.Nf3 Kd6 49.Nd2 Bd3 50.Kxh3 Bxe4 51.Nxe4+ Kxd5 52.Nd2 Kd4 53.Nb3+ Kc4 54.Nc5 Kxb4 55.Nxb7 Kb5 56.Kg4 Kc6 57.Nd8+ Kb5 58.Nb7 Kc6 59.Nd8+ etc. 

43...dxe5+ 

In turn, Black fumbles the opportunity to play 43...dxc5 44.bxc5 when he would be able to use his extra piece to dominate the enemy pawns, e.g. 44...Bh3 45.Nf2 Bg2 46.e4 Nh3+ 47.Nxh3 Bxh3 48.Ke3 Kg5 49.Kd4 c6 50.e6 Kf6 51.Kd3 Bf1+ 52.Ke3 Bb5 53.Kd4 Be2 54.e7 Kxe7 55.Ke5 Bf1 56.d6+ Kf7 57.Kf4 Bg2 58.Ke3 Kf6 59.Kd4. 

44.Nxe5+ 

44...Kh5 

It was necessary for Black's King to stay closer to the pawns with 44...Kf6.

White's pawn break now gives him chances.

45.d6 cxd6 46.cxd6 Bb5 

The nuanced way to hold the game was 46...Bh3 47.d7 Ne6+ 48.Ke4 Kg5 49.Kd5 Kf6 50.Kd6 Bf5 51.Nc4 Nd8 52.Nb6 Be4 53.Na4 Bg2 54.Nc3 Bc6 55.e4 Nf7+ 56.Kc7 Ke7 57.Nd5+ Ke6 58.d8=Q Nxd8 59.Kxd8 Kd6 60.Nc3 Ke5 61.Kc7 Kd4 62.Nd5 

Chess is hard.

47.d7 Ne6+ 48.Kf5 Nd8 49.Kf6 Kh6 50.Ke7 Bxd7 51.Kxd7 Nc6 Black resigned

Whew!

Nice game.