Jerome Gambit: Some Kind of Psychological Compensation (Part 2)

[continued from the previous post] 

perrypawnpusher - SPK_316

Chess.com, 2024

It is helpful to be able to play the endgame well, regardless of which opening you play.

Time to get the pawns rolling. Will they be weapons - or targets?

23.f3 Re2 24.Rd2 Re5 25.g4 Nd4 

So far, it looks like targets.

26.f4 

Better was 26.Rf1. The shortcoming of the text move will be seen in the next note.

26...Re2 

After the game, Stockfish 16.1 gave Black's opportunity: 26...Ne2+ 27.Kd1 Nxf4 28.Rf2 Nd5 29.Rf7+ Kg8 30.Rd7 Rh7 31.Rd8+ Kg7 32.Ra8 a6 33.Ra7 b6 34.Rxa6 Kh6 35.Ra8 Rg5 36.Rg1 Ne3+ 37.Kd2 Rxg4 38.Rxg4 Nxg4 39.b4 Kg7 40.a4 Kf6 41.Ra7 Ke5 42.a5 bxa5  assessing the second player as 1 1/2 pawns better, but it is easy to see why my opponent did not go down that line - too many pawn exchanges.

The problem with the text move is that it suddenly gives life to White's position and turns his pawns into weapons.

27.c3 Rxd2 28.Kxd2 Ne6 

29.Ke3 

This move is okay, but a bit automatic. Instead, 29.g5 Nxf4 30.gxh6 Kxh6 31.Rf1 Nxh5 gives White the exchange, and 32.Rf7 puts his Rook to work eyeing enemy pawns. 

29...Nd8 

Anticipating the advancing pawn wave, but removing the piece from play. The computer prefers moving the Rook with 29...Rf6.

30.f5 Rf6 31.Kf4 

Sometimes simple endgames are not all that simple. The Rook should have gone to the e-file.

31...Rf8 

Instead, 31...Ne6+ 32.Kg3 Ng5 33.Rf1 Kh6 with an interesting blockade.

32.Re1 

The right idea.

32...Kh6 33.g5+ Kh7 

Not 33...Kxh5 34.Rh1 checkmate

34.Re7+ Kg8 35.h6 Rf7 36.Re8+ Rf8 37.Rxf8+ Kxf8 

38.g6 Kg8 39.Kg5 Nc6 40.f6 Ne5 41.h7+ Kh8 42.f7 Black resigned

One possible ending: 42...Nxf7 43.gxf7 Kg7 44.f8/Q+ Kxf8 45.Kf6 Ke8 46.Ke6 when 47.h8/Q checkmate follows