Jerome Gambit: Wandering Again

                                  

The following game suggests that if you are going to wander, it is best to wander in a productive direction.

Alas, I did not.

perrypawnpusher - SerhilTiutiunnyk

Italian Game, Chess.com, 2024

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.Nc3 

After the game, Stockfish 16.1 recommnded 10.h4!?, something I would never have thought of, but which has the feel of the kind of a move that a master may play. Indeed, checking The Database, it does have one example of a game with 10.h4, played online, and White is rated almost 2250. (It ended as a draw in 49 moves.)

I have played 10.O-O here, in perrypawnpusher - hogmaster, Jerome Gambit 3 thematic, ChessWorld.net 2008 (1-0, 37),  perrypawnpusher - Mences, blitz, FICS, 2009 (38), and perrypawnpusher - DysonLin, blitz, FICS, 2009 (23).

10...Kf7 

A bit better than 10...c6 as found in perrypawnpusher - joejox, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1/2 - 1/2, 27) and perrypawnpusher - andrecoenen, blitz, FICS, 2010  (1-0, 25).

11.O-O Rf8 12.f4 Kg8 13.d4 c6 

Black avoids the frisky 13...Ng4 of perrypawnpusher - kertt1, Chess.com, 2024 (1-0, 57). 

14.f5 Nh8 15.Qf3 

Moving the Queen to d3, instead, was better; and moving a pawn to h3 was better, still.

15...Bd7 

Patient.

16.Bg5 

It wasn't necessary to pin the Knight, and the other Knight could now come out from retirement to help, with tempo, with 16...Nf7.

Instead, 16.e5 Ne8 17.Qd3 Nc7 18.Be3 Bc8 would have kept the game even.

16...Qb6 

Just as good as 16...Nf7.

17.Qd3 Rae8 18.Kh1 Bc8 19.Rae1 Nf7 

20.Bxf6 gxf6 21.Rf4 

Losing the thread of the game. Instead, re-deploying the Knight with Nc3-e2-f4-h5 was a positive idea.

Now, however, my pieces wander until I call them back to the sidelines.

21...Kh8 22.Rd1 Rg8 23.Qh3 Rg7 24.Qh4 Qxb2 25.Rf3 Qxc2 White resigned

Nice game by SerhilTiutiunnyk!