The Long and Winding Road

The following game takes its time getting where it's going. In fact, it probably could have taken even longer, if my opponent had not forseen the future and decided to stop travelling.

perrypawnpusher - VGxdys
blitz, FICS, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.O-O Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6 8.Qd5+

Interestingly, Rybka 3 (at a depth of 20 ply) sees this "nudge" as 1/2 pawn better than the immediate capture, 8.Qxc5.

8...Ke8 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qe3 Nf6

A standard Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit position, although Black has also played 10...Qf6 in perrypawnpusher - saltos, blitz FICS 2009 (1-0, 28); 10...Ne5 in perrypawnpusher - Kotimatka, blitz FICS, 2009 (1-0, 21) and perrypawnpusher - Eferio, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 24); 10...Qe7 in perrypawnpusher - Macgregr, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 23); and 10...N8e7 in perrypawnpusher - apinheiro, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 59), perrypawnpusher - VGxdys, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 32) and perrypawnpusher - apinheiro, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 25).

11.f4

Or 11.d4 and then 12.f4 as in perrypawnpusher - KenWhitaker, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 27).

11...Kf8

Taking the King off of the dangerous e-file, if temporarily putting him on the dangerous f-file. Black's plan is to castle-by-hand, with the King ending up on h7. Instead a center strike with 11...Qe7 12.d3 d5 occurred in perrypawnpusher - LeifPetersen, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 30).

12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Nc4

It was probably safer to play 13...Nf7, but who can resist harassing the Queen?

14.Qd3 b5

Oddly similar to our earlier game, referred to above.

15.b3 Nb6 16.Nc3 Kg8 17.Qxb5 a6 18.Qe2 Kh7

White has grabbed a Queenside pawn while Black has castled-by-hand on the Kingside. The game is about even.

19.e5 dxe5 20.dxe5 Nfd5 21.Bb2

Good enough, although with White's forces focusing on the f6 square, 21.Ne4 would have been even better.

21...Re8 22.Rad1 Qg5

This was Black's idea, attacking White's King.

25.Rd2 a5 26.Qf2 Ba6 27.Rfd1 Rad8 28.Rxd8 Rxd8 29.Rxd8 Qxd8

30.Qd4 Qg5 31.e6 Bb7 32.Qf2 Be4 33.f6 gxf6 34.Bxf6 Qc1+

The game has taken on some of the annoying aspects of the typical Jerome Gambit Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame. Still, I was willing to exchange Queens and try my luck. Too, exchanging Queens was Black's best chance.

35.Qf1 Qe3+ 36.Kh1 Bxc2 37.e7 Bd3

A slip, which should have been punished by 38.e8/Q, winning the Bishop.

38.Qg1 Qe6 39.Bh4 Qf7

40.Qe1 Bb5 41.Qe4+ Kg7

Another slip: White can now check the King and win the Bishop.

My opponent seems to have been a bit too comfortable with his assessment of the endgame as drawish. That made two of us.

42.Qg4+ Kh7 43.Qe4+ Kg8 44.h3

A small idea, but a useful one. With the back-rank checkmate prevented, my Queen can wander more successfully, not just limiting herself to offeres to exchange or checks on the enemy King.

44...Bd7 45.Kh2 Qe8

White's e-pawn is effectively blockaded, his Queenside pawns will not produce a passer on their own, and creating one on the Kingside will expose the White King to plenty of attacks. A win for for me, if it is there, is a long way down the road.

46.Qc4+ Kh7 47.Qxc7 Black resigned

With my King safe, however, my pawns do not have to do it on their own. The Queen will soon pick off Black's a-pawn, and then White's Queenside pawns will begin to advance and assert themselves.

My opponent decided that there was no need to let things go that far.

23.Nxd5 Nxd5 24.Rxd5 Bb7

The Killing Blow (Part 2)

Yesterday (see "The Killing Blow (Part 1)") we saw how well-timed carelessness can turn a simple walk in the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+) park into a nightmare.

Picking up the action in perrypawnpusher - KenWhitaker, blitz 6 12, FICS, 2010:

17...b6

KenWhitaker had a wild idea that he wanted to add to my misery.

18.Bxh6

This is the move that I had been dreaming up. It doesn't save White, but it complicates things enough to allow for an escape.

18...Ba6

Winning the exchange.

Still, Black should have stayed with the program: 18...gxh6 19.Qg3+ Ng4 20.hxg4 Bb7 21.Qd3 Qg5 22.g3 Ng6 when White's two extra pawns do not balance out Black's extra piece. 

analysis diagram






19.Qg3

There is no time to save the Rook on f1 – and no need.

19...Nh5

Black's other defensive try was 19...Qe7. White can scramble to keep things busy: 20.Rf2 Nh7 21.Nd5 Qd7 22.Qxh4 gxh6 23.Rf6 and White is holding his own in the mess.

analysis diagram






20.Qg4 Bxf1 21.Rxf1

I imagine about now my opponent was thinking, even as his clock ticked on: What does a defender have to do to win this game?? White is down a Rook! What are my Knights doing over there? Can't I get rid of that annoying Bishop?

21...Re6

Oh, no!!

A Rook move was the right idea, but not that one. 

After 21...Rf8 22.Rxf8+ Qxf8 23.Qxh4 Qf6 24.Qxf6 Nxf6 25.Bg5 White's Knight and two pawns would be a match for Black's Rook.

analysis diagram







22.Qxe6+

22...Kh7 23.Be3 Nf6 24.Bg5 Ng6 25.Bxf6 gxf6

White's advantage is much greater than a few pawns.

26.Rxf6 Nf8

The final let down.

27.Qf7+ Black resigned

Who was it that said "Good luck is better than a license to steal"?

The Killing Blow (Part I)

It is annoying to play a familiar opening line – only to slip and end up in grave danger. There is little margin for error in any variation of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).

While I awaited the killing blow, I consoled myself with something IM Gary Lane wrote in one of his "Opening Lanes" columns at ChessCafe:

It is always fun to find an opening which can cause confusion with something unusual. The psychological impact can be huge and the hapless opponent is obliged to consume large amounts of time coping with the new situation.

ICCF Senior IM Tim Harding was equally philosophical in one of his "The Kibitzer" columns, also at ChessCafe

One of Black's (psychological) problems is that... looks so obviously unsound that it is hard to decide which "refutation" to adopt. Psychologically, opponents often don't play in a stable and rational way when they believe their game is won from a very early stage and they tend to underestimate their opponents

Lane and Harding were not writing specifically about the Jerome Gambit, but they could have been.

perrypawnpusher  - KenWhitaker
blitz 6 12, FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6

Counting this game, I have had this position 10 times, and scored 9 1/2 points. I was feeling comfortable, while my opponent was already eating into his time.

8.Qd5+

It is, of course, possible to capture the Bishop directly with 8.Qxc5, (see RomanDurdis - ifufocop, FICS, 2005, abhailey - cumelen,mm Open Fast #1, net-chess.com, 2008 and Black Puma - TWODOGS, JGTourney4, ChessWorld, 2009) but I prefer the "nudge" to give my opponents more to think about.

8...Ke8

Alternatives: 8...Kf8 9.Qxc5+ d6 (9...N8e7 10.Nc3 b6 11.Qe3 Bb7 12.f4 d5 13.f5 d4 14.fxg6+ Kg8 15.Qf4 dxc3 16.Qf7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - sarBear, blitz FICS, 2009) 10.Qe3 N8e7 11.d4 Kg8 12.Nc3 Kh7 13.f4 Rf8 14.f5 Nh8 15.g4 Kg8 16.g5 hxg5 17.Qxg5 Nf7 18.Qg3 Nc6 19.f6 g5 20.Bxg5 Nxg5 21.Qxg5+ Kf7 22.Qg7+ Ke6 23.d5+ Ke5 24.Qg3+ Kd4 25.Qd3+ Ke5 26.Qg3+ Kd4 27.Qd3+ Ke5 28.Qg3+ Kd4 29.Qd3+ Ke5 30.Qg3+ Kd4 31.Qd3+ Ke5 32.Qg3+ Kd4 draw,  perrypawnpusher - pascalwilliams, blitz FICS, 2007; and
 
8...Kf6 9.Qf5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ Ke8 11.f4 d6 12.Qe3 Qf6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4 15.Qg3 Qxd4+ 16.Kh1 Kd7 17.Nc3 b6 18.Bf4 Ba6 19.Rad1 Qc5 20.Qxg7+ Ne7 21.e5 Rag8 22.e6+ Kc6 23.Qxe7 Re8 24.Qd7+ Kb7 25.b3 Nd2 26.Bxd2 Bxf1 27.Rxf1 Qd4 28.f6 Rhf8 29.Nb5 Qxd2 30.Qxc7+ Ka6 31.Qxa7+ Kxb5 32.Qd7+ Ka6 33.e7 Qe2 34.Rg1 Rxf6 35.Qxe8 Rf1 36.Qa8+ Kb5 37.e8Q+ Qxe8 38.Qxe8+ Kb4 39.Rxf1 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - episodeninetynine, blitz FICS, 2009.

9.Qxc5 d6

Not quite as good is 9...Qe7, as in 10.Qe3 Nf6 11.Nc3 c6 12.f4 b6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Ba6 15.dxe5 Qxe5 16.Re1 Kf7 17.Qf3 Rhe8 18.Bf4 Qc5+ 19.Be3 Qb5 20.Bd4 Qxb2 21.e5 Nd5 22.e6+ Kg8 23.Qg4 Nxc3 24.Qxg7checkmate, perrypawnpusher - Cibola, blitz FICS, 2009.

Creative alternatives are : 9...b6 10.Qe3 Bb7 11.Nc3 Nf6 12.f4 Qe7 13.d3 d6 14.f5 Nf8 15.Bd2 Kd7 16.Rae1 Re8 17.Qd4 Kc8 18.Qa4 Kb8 19.Nb5 Ba6 20.Qxa6 Qd8 21.Qxa7+ Kc8 22.Qa8+ Kd7 23.Qxd8+ Kxd8 24.Bc3 N8d7 25.Nd4 c5 26.Ne6+ Ke7 27.Nxg7 Reg8 28.Bxf6+ Kxf6 29.Ne6 Re8 30.Re3 b5 31.Rg3 b4 32.Rg6+ Black lost on time, perrypawnpusher - BHAseagull, blitz FICS, 2010; and

9...N8e7 10.f4 d6 11.Qe3 Rf8 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Ng4 14.Qg3 h5 15.h3 Nf6 16.e5 Ne4 17.Qe3 d5 18.f6 gxf6 19.exf6 Nc6 20.Qh6 Rf7 21.Bg5 Nxd4 22.Nc3 Nxg5 23.Qxg5 Ne6 24.Qg8+ Rf8 25.f7+ Ke7 26.Qg6 Qd7 27.Rae1 c6 28.Qf6+ Kd6 29.Qe5+ Ke7 30.Qf6+ Kd6 31.Qe5+ Ke7 32.Qxh5 a6 33.Qg5+ Kd6 34.Qe5+ Ke7 35.Qg7 Kd8 36.Rxe6 Qxe6 37.Qxf8+ Kc7 38.Qe8 Bd7 39.Qxe6 Bxe6 40.f8Q Rxf8 41.Rxf8 b5 42.g4 Kd7 43.Kg2 Ke7 44.Ra8 d4 45.Ne2 b4 46.Rxa6 Bc4 47.Rxc6 Bxe2 48.Kf2 Bb5 49.Rb6 Ba4 50.b3 Bd7 51.Rxb4 Kf6 52.Rxd4 Bb5 53.a4 Be8 54.a5 Kg5 55.Kg3 Bc6 56.a6 Bh1 57.h4+ Kf6 58.a7 Ke5 59.Rd8 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - apinheiro, blitz FICS, 2010.

10.Qe3 Nf6

Or 10...Qf6 11.f4 N8e7 12.Nc3 c6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4 15.Qd3 b5 16.b3 Nb6 17.Bf4 Nd7 18.Rae1 Qf7 19.Bxd6 Nf6 20.Bxe7 Kxe7 21.e5 Nd5 22.f6+ Kf8 23.fxg7+ Kxg7 24.Rxf7+ Kxf7 25.Qf3+ Ke7 26.Nxd5+ Kd8 27.Qf6+ Kd7 28.Qe7checkmate, perrypawnpusher - saltos, blitz FICS 2009.

Provocative was 10...Ne5 11.d4 Ng4 12.Qg3 N8f6 13.Nc3 Be6 14.h3 Bc4 15.Re1 Qd7 16.hxg4 Nxg4 17.f3 Nf6 18.e5 Nh5 19.exd6+ Kf7 20.Qh2 g6 21.Re7+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Kotimatka, blitz FICS, 2009

11.d4

Slightly better might have been 11.f4 Qe7 12.d3 d5 13.e5 Nd7 14.Nc3 Nb6 15.Qg3 Nh4 16.Bd2 Nf5 17.Qg6+ Kd8 18.Rae1 Nd4 19.f5 Bxf5 20.Rxf5 Nxf5 21.Qxf5 Rf8 22.Qg4 c6 23.b3 Kc7 24.Bf4 Rae8 25.d4 Qe6 26.Qxg7+ Kb8 27.Na4 Nxa4 28.bxa4 Rxf4 29.Rb1 Rg8 30.Qxb7 checkmate perrypawnpusher - LeifPetersen, blitz FICS, 2010.

11...Kf7 12.f4 Re8 13.Nc3 Kg8

Here we have a familiar type of position: Black has castled-by-hand and brought his Rook to the e-file; while White has his "Jerome pawns" ready to advance.

I've taken about a minute of thinking time; my opponent, a good bit more.

It should be like taking a stroll in my own back yard...

14.f5 Ne7

15.h3

Preparing for g2-g4, but without much thought. Later, Rybka pointed out the right way to accomplish this: 15.Qg3 Kh7 16.Qh4 Rf8 17.Bg5 Qd7 18.Rad1 Qc6 19.Bxf6 Rxf6 20.g4

analysis diagram







Black would still have an edge, but White would have his thematic pawn play.

15...Nxf5

Ouch! The e-pawn is pinned... Even worse would have been: 15...d5, when White would have to give up the exchange, either by 16.e5 Nxf5 17.Rxf5 Bxf5 or (according to Rybka) 16.Qg3 dxe4 17.Bxh6 Qxd4+ 18.Kh1 Nh5 19.Qg5 Nxf5 20.Rxf5 Bxf5 21.Qxh5 Rf8 22.Bf4.

16.Qd3 Nh4

At this point I started using up thinking time. I found a way to complicate things, and made my move. 

17.Bf4

Oh, no! Where did that come from?? That wasn't what I was thinking about at all...

[to be continued]