Although I reached a decent position out of the opening in the following game, it felt like I was suddenly trampled by my opponent. Only later, after I was able to examine the game in more detail, did I see how I let various opportunities (some easy to see, some not) slip by - giving Black the signal to run me over.
perrypawnpusher - avgur
blitz, FICS, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.0-0 Kf7 11.f4 Rf8
Alternately, 11...Re8 was seen in perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 64).
12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Neg4
The more sedate 13...Nc6 was probably better. Black's choice in the game allows White to even things up, or even get a small edge. It is hard for Black's Knights to avoid the temptation of harassing the White Queen, however.
14.Qb3+
An improvement over 14.Qf4 from perrypawnpusher - Jore, FICS, 2010 (1-0,32).
14...d5
15.e5
Stronger, according to Houdini, who advised me after the game, is 15.h3 Nh6 16.Bxh6 gxh6.
15...Ne4 16.h3
Already looking several moves ahead - but wrongly so.
In retrospect, Houdini preferred 16.Qh3 Nh6 17.Bxh6 gxh6 18.e6+ Kg8 19.Nc3 Nxc3 20.bxc3 Qg5 21.Rae1
analysis diagram
when White's "Jerome pawns" are poised to create trouble (and might encourage Black to return a piece with ...Bxe6).
16...Ngf2 17.Rxf2
Too hurried. Instead, 17.Be3 seems to force 17...Nxh3+, when 18.gxh3 Ng3 19.Rf3 Nxf5 20.Nc3 Be6 would be an equal game.
Where did my move come from? Well, with Black's Rook on e8 instead of f8, the position is the same as in the above game, perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, blitz, FICS, 2011, where I won two Knights for my Rook. Humorously, when I posted that game on this blog, I rejected 17.Be3 because of 17...Nh1!?, when 18.Kxh1 Ng3+ would have led to the same two-pieces-for-one-Rook swap.
It turns out that things are not that "simple". After the current game Houdini suggested that White meet 17.Be3 Nh1 with 18.Nc3!? when 18...Nxc3 19.bxc3 Ng3 20.Rf3 Nxf5 21.g4 Kg8 22.Raf1 g6 (not 22...Nh6? 23.Qxd5+!) 23.gxf5 Rxf5 24.c4!?
analysis diagram
gives White a chance for a small edge.
17...Nxf2 18.Kxf2
I was, quite frankly, pleased to have remembered my earlier play in a similar position. It did not hit me for a few moves that I had gotten myself into trouble.
18...Bxf5
Obvious, but look at 18...Qh4+!? This allows Black to snipe the White d-pawn first, e.g. 19.Kf1 Qxd4 20.Nc3 Bxf5 21.Qxd5+ Qxd5 22.Nxd5 Bxc2 and White has nothing for the lost exchange except a weak e-pawn.
19.Kg1
I needed to try something like 19.Kg3!?
19...Kg8
If, instead, 19...Qh4, it looks like I could hold things together with 20.Qxd5+ Be6 21.Qf3+ Kg8 22.Qe3 - but not after 22...Rf5!? followed by 23...Raf8.
20.Nd2 Qh4 21.Nf3 Qg3
22.Kh1
White needed to try 22.B/Nd2 - and pray.
22...Bxh3 23.gxh3 Rxf3 24.Qxd5+ Kh8 25.Bf4 Rxf4 26.Qg2 Qxg2+ 27.Kxg2 Raf8 White resigned
Excellent break-through and wrap-up by my opponent.
My introduction to MRBarupal was rather ubrupt: he beat my Jerome Gambit three straight times.
Since then we had met once more, and I had scored my first win.
Today's game is my second.
perrypawnpusher - MRBarupal
blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8
This is Sorensen's Variation, a solid defense and a change from the games MRBarupal and I had previously played, all of which had continued 5...Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3.
6.Nxc6 dxc6
I was surprised to see that Rybka 3 prefer 6...bxc6 by the tiniest bit, even though it allows 7.d4. Alonzo Wheeler Jerome is on record as preferring 6...dxc6.
7.d3
7.0-0 as in Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, USA, 1875 (1/2-1/2, 29) is probably more accurate, as it is clear that White will be castling Kingside, but it is not totally clear (depending on Black's development) that the first player has to completely forego d2-d4.
That said, after 7.0-0 Nf6 White may respond with 8.d3 (better than 8.e5 of Norton - Hallock, corr 1877), which would simply be a transposition to this game.
7...Nf6
I have had mixed success against 7...Qf6: perrypawnpusher - fortytwooz, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 29); perrypawnpusher - Lark, FICS, 2011, (1-0, 12); and perrypawnpusher - Jore, FICS, 2011, (0-1, 16).
8.0-0 Bg4
A slower game came about after 8...h6 9.Be3 Qe7 10.d4 Bb6 11.f3 Kg8 12.Nc3 Kh7 13.Qd3 g6 in perrypawnpusher - vladchess, blitz, FICS, 2011, (½-½, 46).
9.Qe1
Black's Bishops are really annoying! It was beginning to feel like my "nemesis" was taking over the game again.
9...Qe8
Instead, 9...Qe7 was seen in Lowe - Parker, corr, 1879 (1-0, 37)
10.Be3 Bd6
10...Qe7 and 10...Bb6 are slightly better alternatives, mostly because they prove to be less complicated than the text.
11.f4 Nh5
Instead, after the game Rybka 3 suggested that it was time to return the piece for three pawns: 11...Nxe4 12.dxe4 Qxe4 13.Nc3 Qxc2
analysis diagram
Here Black is a pawn up, but the uncertain placement of his King and the open lines against it give White sufficient counterplay to call the game even.
The text allows White's "Jerome pawns" to advance with malice.
12.e5 Be7 13.f5
Black resigned
I admit that I was a bit surprised at my opponent's decision, as in the past he had shown some strong tactical chops in messy situations.
It is true that after 13...Qf7 14.Nd2 Bxf5 15.g4 g6 16.gxf5 gxf5 material is even and Black's f-pawn is hanging, but after 17.Qf2 Rg8+ 18.Kh1 Qd5+ 19.Ne4 Ng7 it still has not fallen and after 20.Qg3 Ke8 21.c4 Qf7 22.Bh6 Ne6 23.Rxf5 Rxg3 24.Rxf7 Kxf7 25.hxg3 Rd8 it doesn't look like the extra pawn for White will account for much, at least according to Rybka 3 and Fritz 8.
Perhaps events off of the chess board accounted for his need to leave.
After early uneasy seas common to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) the following game settled down to a calm affair, evenly balanced and headed for the split point – until a squall upset Black's chances.
perrypawnpusher - Jore
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6
Here we have a common setup for this variation of the Jerome Gambit. Black has a piece for two pawns, but his King cannot castle and is currently in the middle of the board. Castling-by-hand is a natural short-term goal.
10.f4 Rf8 11.0-0 Kf7 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Neg4
A recurring theme: Knight(s) harassing Queen.
In this situation 13...Nc6 was probably better.
14.Qf4
After the game Rybka recommended: 14.Qb3+ Ke8 15.h3 Nh6 16.Bxh6 gxh6 preventing Black's King from reaching safety and destroying the monarch's sanctuary.
14...Kg8 15.e5 dxe5 16.dxe5 Nxe5
Black has gotten his King to safety, and now returns a piece for the two pawns, and active play. A more effective way to accomplish this was through 16...Bxf5.
17.Qxe5 Ng4 18.Qf4 Rxf5
19.Qc4+ Qd5 20.Qxd5+ Rxd5 21.Nc3 Rd8
22.Bf4 c6 23.Rad1 Bf5
24.h3 Bxc2
A mis-calculation. Retreating the Knight with 24...Nf6 kept the game even.
25.Rxd8+ Rxd8 26.hxg4 Rf8 27.Be3
27...Re8 28.Bxa7 Bd3 29.Rd1 Bg6 30.a3 b5 31.Rd6 Re1+ 32.Kf2 Black resigned
