Jerome Gambit: It Can Take A While (Part 2)

 

[continued from the previous post]

Comments by the bot are in blue.

perrypawpusher - Caligula bot

Chess.com, 2024

A Jerome Gambit. To quote Oliver Hardy, "Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into."

27.d6 

To confine the enemy Bishop and slow its entrance to the game. 27.Bb6 would have been met by 27...d6.

27...b5 28.Rc1 

The Rook is headed for action on the wrong file. Better was 28.Re1.

28...Ke4 

Clearly the Caligula bot favors an active monarch.

The game would be about equal, according to Stockfish 16.1, after the consistent 28...Bb7 29.Rc5+ Ke6 30.Rh5 h6 31.Bd4 Rg8 32.Be5 Kf7 33. g4 Rc8 34. Kf2 Rc2+ 35. Ke3 Bc6 36. Bd4 Rg2 37. h3 Rh2 38. a3 a5 39. Bc3 Kg8 40. Rc5 Kf7 41. Bxa5 Rxh3+ 42. Kd4 Ke6 43. Bb4 Rh4 44. Re5+. That is always the risk when I think that I can squeeze out a win with minimal tactics.

29.Kf2 g6

Fear me for I haven't showered in 3 days! 

30.g4 g5 31.fxg5 

Exchanges... More promising was 31.f5. 

31...Bb7 32.Rc7 Bc6 

Imobilizing my Rook. I expected a snarky remark, but none were forthcoming.

33.h4 Rf8+ 

FOOL! 

34.Ke2 Bd5 

This and Black's next move surrender the game. There was always the chance of counting upon Bishops-of-opposite-colors with 34...Ke5 35.Ra7 Ra8 36.Rxa8 Bxa8 37.h5 Be4 

35.Rxd7 Rf7

Sometimes I don't wash my hands after a game. How Caligulian! 

Very strange. With the Rooks off of the board, White's advanced, passed pawn can promote - and with that comes checkmate threats.

36.Rxf7 Bxf7 

37.d7 Bc4+ 38.Kd2 Bxa2 39.d8=Q

DO YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THAT PIECE? 

39...Bb1 40.Qd4+ 

That move makes my skin crawl. And I'm Caligula! 

40...Kf3 41.Qf4+

Find it, seek it, or victory will slip.

41...Kg2

BURP. 

42.h5 

Lazy. Instead of finding the checkmate - 42.Bf2 b4 43.Qg3+ Kf1 44.Qg1# - I decided to make things easier by getting another Queen. This actually won Black's Bishop, but that just put off the end of the game. 

42... Kh3 43.g6 hxg6 44.hxg6 Bxg6 45.Qh6+ Kxg4 46.Qxg6+ Kh3

 47.Bf2 

Thank goodness. You probably thought I was going to win Black's remaining pawns with my Queen, so that I could promote my remaining pawn, right?

47...Kh2

You're real gross, you know that?

48.Qg3+ Kh1 49.Qg1 checkmate

YOU ARE A TYRANT ! Let us continue.