Jerome Gambit: Looking At the Cat's King (Part 2)

 

[continued from the previous post]

perrypawnpusher - Bob the Cat

Play The Bots, Chess.com, 2025

Continuing my game against the Chess.com bot, Bob the Cat.

I'm not that much better than it - the cat tripped over the Jerome Gambit.

21.Be3 

After the game, Stockfish 17.1 recommended 21.e6+ right away, but I was still thinking about protecting my Rook at f1.

21...Qb5 

Hoping to exchange Queens and turn down the heat a bit. Bob might have tried 21...Rd8, instead.

22.e6+ Kg6 

Capturing the pawn would lose the Queen to a Knight fork.

The text, however, should lead to checkmate.

23.f5+ Kh5 24.Qd2 Qxd5 25.Qd1+ Be2 26.Qxe2+ Kh4 

27.Rf3

Simplest was 27.g3+ Kh3 28.Qh5 checkmate

27...Kg4 28.Rh3+ 

Greedy. Again, instead: 28.h3+ Kh5 29.g4+ Kh4 30.Qf2# checkmate 

28...Kxf5 29.Rh5+ g5 30.Rxg5+ Kxe6 31.Rxd5 

There goes the Queen.

31...Kxd5 32.Qf3+ Kd6 33.Qxa8 

and the Rook.

33...Ke6 34.Qc6+ Ke7 35.Rf1 Kd8 36.Bg5+ Ne7 37.Rc1 h5 38.Qc8 

and the King. Checkmate