Jerome Gambit: Success Is Not Around the Corner in A Circular Room (part 2)

 

[continued from the previous post]

perrypawnpusher - mconto

Jerome Gambit Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024

An optimist might look at White's position and muse

White has pawn majorities on each wing. In the future, I can see two passed pawns. Then if the Queens, Rooks, Bishops and one Knight each are exchanged, White will have an endgame where the enemy Knight will have to hop back and forth to stop the pawns. Sounds like a draw to me.

The funny thing is, that is what almost happened.

Almost, but not quite.

19.Bg5 Qd5 20.Qxd5+ 

It was probably better to let Black initiate the exchange, and develop a piece instead, say 20.Nd2 Qxe4 21.Nxe4.

Still, the Queens are off the board.

20...Nxd5 21.Nd2 h6 22.Bf4 Nxf4 23.Rxf4 Bd7 

So far, so good.

Black is still better, mind you, but the imaginary position (see above) is closer.

24.Re1 Rae8 25.Rfe4 Na5 26.h3 Rxe4 27.Rxe4 Re8 28. Rxe8+ Bxe8

29.Kf2 Bf7 30.b3 Nc6 31.Ke3 Bd5 32.Kf4 Kf7 

33.h4 Ne7 34.g5 

It turns out that Black does not have to exchange pawns on g5.

Stockfish 15.1 suggests, instead, 34.Nf1 Bc6 35.Ne3 g6 36.c4 Bd7 37.fxg6+ Nxg6+ 38.Kg3 Ne7 and White wouldn't be much worse than 20 moves earlier. 

34...b6 

Preparing to withdraw the Bishop in the event of c3-c4.

More direct was 34...Bc6 35.c4 Bd7 36.f6 Ng6+ 37.Kg3 hxg5 38.hxg5 gxf6 39.gxf6 Kxf6.

35.Ne4 

Too cooperative, but this endgame was a bit beyond me. After the game the computer suggested 35.Nf1 Bh1!? 36.Ne3 although 36...Nd5+ would force an exchange, 37.Nxd5 Bxd5, which would leave Black with a Bishop instead of a Knight.

35...Bxe4 36.Kxe4 h5 

37.d5 g6 38.fxg6+ Kxg6 White resigned

Black's Knight will come to f5 and then take the White h-pawn.

White's pawn majority on the Queenside is too slow to counter the advance of Black's h-pawn.

Well played,  mconto!