Jerome Gambit: My Longest Game (Part 2)

 

[continued from previous post]

sinipete - perrypawnpusher

Jerome Gambit Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024

We have reached an endgame that may (or may not) be a bit better for me, with Black.

23.b3 Ncxe3 

Careless. Certainly 23...Ne5 was not hard to fine. 

24.c4 

Upsetting Black's Knights' balancing act.

24...Nxg2 25.cxd5 Nf4+ 26.Kd2 Nxd5 

Black should be able to hold this position.

27.Rf1+ Ke7 28.h4 g5 29.hxg5 hxg5 30.Rf5 Kd6 31.Rxg5 Kc6 

I was okay trading 2 pawns for 1 on the Kingside, as it makes my defense a bit less complicated.

 32.Kd3 b5 

Stockfish 16.1 (38 ply) recommends 32...Ne7. 

33.Rg6+ Kb7 34.Kd4 Ne7 35.Re6 Nc8 36.Kc5 a6 37.Re8 Nb6 

My strategy for the rest of the game is to build and maintain a fortress.

38.Rd8 Nc8 39.Kd5 Na7 40.Rh8 Nc6 41.Rh6 Na5 42.Rh3 Nc6 43.Rc3 Ne7+ 44.Ke6 Nc6 

45.Kd7 Nb8+ 46.Ke6 Nc6 47.Rh3 Na5 48.Kd5 Nc6 49.Rh6 Nb8 50.a4 bxa4 51.bxa4 Nd7 52.a5 

Phew!

Now the game enters a different stage, one governed by the "50-move rule": a player can claim a a draw if no pawn has been moved and no pieces have been captured in the last 50 moves.

Up to this point, I had made a couple of draw offers, but they were declined.

Oh, well. Here we go. Fifty moves of piece-shuffling. 

52...Nb8 53.Rh4 Nc6 54.Ra4 Nb8 55.Rb4+ Kc8 56.Kc5 Nd7+ 57.Kd5 Nb8 58.Rh4 Nd7 59.Rh6 Nb8 60.Kc4 Kb7 61.Kc5 Nd7+ 62.Kb4 Nb8 63.Rh7 Nc6+ 64.Ka4 Nb8 65.Rh6Nc6 66.Rh5 Nb8 67.Kb4 Nc6+ 68.Kc4 Nb8 69.Rc5 Nd7 70.Rd5 Nb8 71.Rh5 Nc6 72.Rc5 Nb8 73.Kd5 Nd7 74.Rc6 Nb8 75.Rg6 Nd7 76.Rg1 Nb8 77.Rc1 Nd7 78.Ke6 Nb8 79.Kd5 Nd7 80.Rc4 Nb8 81.Ke6 Nc6 82.Rc5 Nb8 83.Ke7 Nc6+ 84.Kd7 Nb8+ 85.Ke6 Nc6 86.Kd5 Nb8 87.Rc2 Nd7 88.Rb2+ Kc8 89.Ke6 Nb8 90.Rc2 Nd7 91.Rd2 Nb8 92.Rd5 Nc6 93.Rc5 Nb8 94.Kd5 Nd7 95.Rc6 Nb8 96.Rc5 Nd7 97.Rc6 Nb8 98.Rf6 Kb7 99.Rh6 Nd7 100.Rh8 Nb8 101.Ke6 Nc6 102.Rh5 Nb8 103.Rc5 Nc6 104.Kd7 Nb8+ Draw

I have only myself to blame for this exercise in exhaustion. I had chances for a better game and possible win, earlier.