Jerome Gambit: Slip (Part 2)

[continued from the previous post]

perrypawnpusher - ponomargoal

"Giuoco Fun", Chess.com, 2024

25.Qc4 

Not thinking things through. Better was 25.Ng5 Qc6 26.Rxd8+ Rxd8 27.Nf3 with a continued advantage. 

The problem was that I missed an intermezzo move.

25...Qxc4 26.bxc4 

Offering a Queen exchange was a pretty wimpy move for me, but this capture overlooks play on the d-file. Best was first 26.Rxd8+ Rxd8 managing to keep the game equal. 

26...Rxd1 

Of course.

27.Rxd1 Bxe4 

Sigh.

It's not the slip that hurts you, it's the sudden stop at the end.

I played on a little bit longer, hoping against hope. I home my opponent was not offended.

28.c5 b5 29.c3 Rd8 30.Rxd8+ Kxd8 31.g3 Kd7 

32.Kf1 Kc6 33.a3 Kd5 34.Ke2 Kc4 35.h3 Kxc3 

36.Be1+ Kc4 37.Bxa5 Nxg3+ 38.Kf2 Nf5 39.Bxc7 Kxc5 40.Ba5 Nd4 White resigned

With a ticking clock, it might be worth hanging around a few more moves, but the time control on this game was 3 days per move.

The moral of this story (game) is that the Jerome Gambit creates complicated positions where Black can make mistakes.

But White has to be careful about making mistakes, himself, lest he slip.