Another Jerome Gambit Practice Tournament (Part 11)

Chess is a game of decisions. 

In the following game, a miniature, Black chooses one capture over another, and, later, one retreat over another.

The results are significant.

Duckfest - Chioborra

Jerome Gambit Practice Tournament, Chess.com, 2023

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

4...Kxf7 5.c3 

Another "modern" line of the Jerome Gambit, as opposed to 5.Nxe5+, which was Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's choice.

5...Nf6 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 

White has a pawn center. Black attacks it.

7...Bb4+ 8.Nc3 Nxe4 9.O-O 

How odd that this position is similar from one from Greco, in 1620, after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.O-O. 

In the mean time: Decisions, decisions, decisions...

How should Black capture on c3?

There are 24 such positions in The Database.

9...Nxc3 

12 of those 24 times, Black chose 9...Nxc3 and was rewarded with 6 wins.

10 times, Black chose 9...Bxc3 and was also rewarded with 6 wins.

(Once Black lost with 9...d5 and won with 9...Rf8)

Stockfish 15.1 weighs in on the discussion: 9...Nxc3 (27 ply) leads to a position that is evaluated as about even, while 9...Bxc3 (27 ply) is evaluated as being about 3 pawns better for Black. 

10.bxc3 Bd6 

More to the point was 10...Be7, after which 11.d5 stirs things up: 11...Re8 (11...Nb8 12.Ne5+ Kf8 13Qf3+ Bf6 14.d6 cxd6 15.Ba3 g6 16.Qd5 Bxe5 17.Qxe5 Kg8 18.Qd5+ Kg7 19.Bb2 Rf8 20.c4+ Rf6 21.g4 h6 22.f4 Kf8 23.Qd4 d5 24.g5 d6 25.Qxf6+ Qxf6 26.Bxf6 hxg5 27.cxd5) 12.dxc6 dxc6 13.Qb3+ Qd5 (13...Be6 14.Ne5+ Kf6 15.Bg5+ Kf5 16.g4+ Kxg5 17.Qxe6 g6 18.Nf7+ Kh4 19.Nxd8 Raxd8 20.Qf7) 14.c4 Qd6 15.Bb2 Bf5 with an equal position.

11.Ng5+ Ke7 

The best response was 11...Kf8, although White would still be better. 

For the record: 11...Kg8 12.Qb3+ Kf8 13.Qf7 checkmate. 

12.Re1+ Kf6 

Black had to give back a piece with 12...Be5, although things would still unravel for him: 13.d5 h6 14.dxc6 d6 15.Qd5 hxg5 16.Bxg5+ Kf8 17.Rxe5 bxc6 18.Qxc6 Qd7 19.Qf3+ Qf7 20.Qxa8 dxe5 21.Qxc8+ Qe8 22.Qf5+ Kg8 23.Re1.

Now, mate is forced. 

13.Qf3+ Kg6 14.Qf7+ Kh6 15.Ne6+ Qg5 16.Bxg5 checkmate