Jerome Gambit: chessriddler Instructs

I just finished watching Greg Cannon's - chessriddler's - video "FM rated Jerome win review!! Winning through tactics". 

He analyzes several of his Jerome Gambit games against strong players, paying attention to "tricks, traps and tactics".

His understanding of his opponents' thinking as they make their way through the games is particularly interesting.

It is also worthwhile to review an earlier post "Jerome Gambit: chessriddler's Study".

Having played over 200 Jerome Gambit games, he really knows what he is doing. Check it out.

Jerome Gambit: Boris Trapsky (Part 2)

 

Wanting to learn more about the computer chess program Boris Trapsky (see "Jerome Gambit: Boris Trapsky [Part 1]") I downloaded a collection of its games.

Just my luck, I found several games with openings similar to the Jerome Gambit.

And then I found a Jerome. 

Boris Trapsky - Clasassin

10 5 rapid, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.O-O 

Interesting. Sacrificing one piece is enough for Boris Trapsky. Perhaps it draws inferences from how Black responds.

5...Nf6 6.d4 Nxd4 7.Nxe5+ Kg8 8.c3 Nc6

White is down a piece for a pawn, and has another piece hanging.

What to do?

9.g4

Wow. The computer does like to gamble. Surely, Black can just take the pawn?

9...Nxe5 10.g5

Wow, again. I know that Boris Trapsky is rated about 550 points above its opponent, but does it know that?

10...d5 

Returning a piece.

11.gxf6 Qxf6 

Black offers another piece.

12.Qxd5+ Be6 13.Qxc5 

Stockfish 16.1 sees Black's position as more than a Rook better than White's.

13...Nf3+ 

Better is 13...Bh3, but Black thinks about a different way to attack the King.

14.Kh1 Qh4 

15.Qxc7 h6 

Luft. It was also possible to grab a pawn and pursue tactics, with 15...Qxe4.

16.Nd2 Nxd2

Suddenly, the game is even. Hindsight suggests 16...Rf8.

17.Bxd2 Qxe4+ 18.f3 Qe2 

The human has defended well, but now the game begins to slip away.

19.Rae1 Qxd2 20.Rxe6 Kh7 

Giving his King more shelter - and walking into a forced checkmate.

21.Re7 

Missing 21.Rg1 Qg5 22.Rxg5 hxg5 23.Re7 Rae8 24.Rxg7+ Kh6 25.Qf7 Re1+ 26.Kg2 Re6 27.Kg3 Rc6 28.f4 gxf4+ 29.Kh4 f3 30.Rg4 Rg8 31.Qh5# - but wouldn't we all?

The text is still winnng.

21...Rhg8 22.Rg1 Kh8 23.Rexg7 Qxb2 24.Rh7 checkmate