Jerome Gambit: Stumbling Over Familiar Ground (Part 2)

 [continued from previous post]

perrypawnpusher - moisesah

Jerome Gambit Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024

Black has an extra piece, White has an extra 2 (soon to be 3) pawns. This still being the middlegame, the piece is to be favored.

22...Be8 

Ejecting the enemy Queen.

Instead, afterwards Stockfish 16.1 suggested the riotous 22...f5 23.exf5 Nxf5 24.Rxf5 Qh4 25.Qf6 Qh3 26.Nxb5+ cxb5 27.Rg5 Nd5 28.Qxd6+ Kxd6 29.gxh3 Rxg5+ 30.Bxg5 Bxh3 and both of White's passers are blockaded.

23.Qxf6 Rg6 24.Qh4 

The computer likes hanging in a bit longer with 24.Qh8 but Her Majesty was feeling the heat.

24...Qd7 25.Bf4 Kb7 

26.Bg3 b4 

Black begins to push back. White continues sniping a pawn.

27.Ne2 Rg4 28.Qh3 Rxe4 29.Qxd7+ Nxd7 30.Rae1 Nd5 31.Bxd6 

About this point I realized that I really didn't know what was going on.

31...Bh5 32. Ng3 Rxe1 33.Rxe1 Re8 

34.Rxe8 

It was probably better to start to get my King into play with 34.Kf2. 

34...Bxe8 35.Nf1 

I could have moved the Knight closer to the action with 35.Nf5.

35...a5 36.h4 

Hope springs eternal. 

36...N7f6 37.a4 Ne4 38.g4 

(I suppose I could mention something about narcotic pain medicine, post surgery, here, but an oversight is an oversight.)  

38...Nxd6 White resigned

Tough game. Good win by my opponent.