When an opening has an established refutation (or several) it can be risky to wander away from it (them). In the following game, Black improvises away from a safe response to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) - to his own detriment.
Black has played "The Annoying Defense" (see 1, 2, 3 for some coverage) 7...d6, which returns a piece and gives White little for his attack to gnaw upon. How annoying! Yet, the "main line" of "The Annoying Defense" is the consistent 8...dxe5, and Black risks his usual solid position by avoiding the move. 9.Rf1 Creating some pressure on Black. Previously seen: 9.exd6 Kxd6 10.e5+ Kc6 11.Qf3+ Qd5 12.Qf7? Qxf7 13.d3 Qf2+ 14.Kd1 Bg4, checkmate, GuyEtienne - carssi, FICS, 2008. 9...Ng6 Planning to use the Knight to capture on e5 (instead of the more mundane, but correct, 9...dxe5), but this much improvisation is deadly, a White's previous move was more than a tempo loss. 10.Qf5+ Ke7 11.Qf7 checkmate
This is my first post-break game (see "Busted!"), and except for a missed shot on move 16, it looks like the rest has helped my game. Time will tell. perrypawnpusher - ozypawnstar blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+
Oddly, the online FICS games database has yeabro- ozypawnstar, FICS, 2010, which continued 5.Ng5+ Qxg5 listed as a win forWhite...
Varying from the main line, which features a King's walk and which did not serve him well in the past: 6...Kxe5 7.cxd4+ Kxe4 8.0-0 Kxd4 9.d3 d5 10.Qh5 Nf6 11.Be3+ Kxd3 12.Rd1+ Kc2 13.Na3+ Bxa3 14.Rac1+ Kxb2 15.Qe5+ Kxa2 16.Rd2+ Kb3 17.Qc3+ Ka4 18.Rd4+ Kb5 19.Rb1+ Bb4 20.Rdxb4+ Ka5 21.Qa3 checkmate, icefive - ozypawnstar, FICS, 2009.
7.cxd4 dxe5 8.d5+
I used up a third of my thinking time on this move, only to learn after the game that Rybka preferred 8.dxe5, which I had rejected because of the cramping response 8...Qd3.
My goal in this (and later) games was to use more time on early critical positions than I usually allowed myself, with the hope that finding the right move or plan would shorten the game (with a win) and the time wouldn't be needed later. So even though I didn't find the "best" move, what I understood about the position was helpful and worth the time.
8...Kd6
The King was safer on f7.
9.d4
Open the center, develop pieces.
9...Qf6
Black reverses moves. He should have played 9...exd4 10.Qxd4 Qf6, although White would still be better.
10.dxe5+
Missing the great move 10.f4 (I had a similar plan in mind), which floods the center with "Jerome pawns." Then 10...Ke7 11.dxe5 looks very uncomfortable for Black.
10...Qxe5 11.Nc3 Nf6 12.f4 Qe8
13.e5+ Kd7 14.0-0 Ng8
15.Be3
I was very happy with this patient move. It was not time to fling pawns further forward.
15...Bb4
This should cost a piece.
16.Qd4
Leading to an advantage, but 16.Qa4+ probably would have lead to my opponent's resignation. (Note to self: once you find a good move, sit on your hands...etc.)
16...Bxc3 17.bxc3 Ne7
18.e6+ Kd8 19.f5 Qb520.c4 Qb4 21.f6
This works, but 21.Qxg7 was better, as after 21...Rg8 22.Qf7 the White f-pawn advances with greater impact.
21...Nxd5
An oversight. I think my opponent saw that the c-pawn was pinned, but a pawn capture wasn't my only possible response.
22.Qxd5+ Qd6 23.fxg7 Rg8 24.Qxd6+
I saw a win and went for it, missing the quicker 24.Rf8+ Ke7 25.Bg5 checkmate.
