Jerome Gambit: Stockfish vs Mittens (Part 3)

 

[continued from the previous post]

Stockfish  - Mittens bot

Chess.com, 2026

30...Ne2 

If your opponent attacks a piece, you may not have to move it. Instead, attack one of his pieces of equal or greater value.

The Mittens bot follows this sage advice, but it would have done better to just give up the exchange with 30...Rac8 31.Nxe8 Rxe8, still with an edge. 

31.Rf3 Nd4 32.Re3 b4 

Pursuing the pawn storm, judging that moving either Rook would be a waste of time, as the remaining Rook could still be captured. 

33.e5 

White has time for this.

33...dxe5 34.Nxa8 Rxa8 35.Rxe5 Rc8 

Black has two pieces for a Rook and a pawn. The game is roughly even.

36.Rf1 a5 37.b3 Nb5 38.g5 a4 39.g6 Be8 40.Rfe1 Nc3+ 41.Kc1 Bb5 42.bxa4 Bxa4 43.Kb2 Bc6 

The storms have largely passed.

It is difficult to see that this game began as a Jerome Gambit, although Black's King remains more threatened than White's.

44.a3 Rf8 45.axb4 cxb4 

White will redeploy its Rooks, to no great advantage.

46.Ra1 Ba4 47.Rc5 h5 48.Re1

48...Rb8 

It is not readily apparent that this is a mistake, but  Stockfish 17.1, sitting safely on the sidelines, offers a wild way to keep things balanced, with some interesting interplay between Rook and Bishop: 48...Rd8 49.Rc4 Rb8 50.Re7 Nd5 51.Rb7 Rd8 52.Rd4 Bc6 53.Rb6 Ba8 54.Rb5 Bc6 55.Rc5 Bb7 56.Kc1 Ba8 57.Kd2 Bb7 58.Rc7 Ba8 59.Ra7 Bc6 60.Ra6 Bb7 61.Rb6 Ba8 62.Kc1 Rc8 63.Rd6 Kf8 64.Rd7

If you say so.

49.Re7 

White threatens to double Rooks on the 7th rank. Its pawn on g6 also introduces some back rank mate themes.

Black can distract with Knight checks, but it is not enough.

[to be continued]