Showing posts with label M4G1CK. Show all posts
Showing posts with label M4G1CK. Show all posts

Friday, June 12, 2020

Jerome Gambit: And, In Time, The Win

In the following game, Black denies his opponent the wild attack that often comes with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). White soon has the better game, and, in time, the win.

M4G1CK - HubRekt
lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 




4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5



Now, Black has 7...d6, the Blackburne Defense (named after the game Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1884, in which Blackburne sacrificed 2 Rooks and his Queen), or 7...Qe2, Whistler's Defense (named after Lt. G. N. Whistler, who played it in a correspondence match against Jerome).

Instead, he chooses what I have begun to call the Jerome counter-gambit.

7...Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 Qf6+ 9.Qxf6+ Kxf6 



The good news for White is that he is no longer down a couple of pieces - in fact, he is up a pawn.

The bad news is that he doesn't have a dashing, smashing attack. He will have to grind out the win, starting in a Queenless middlegame.

10.Rf1 Kg7 11.Kg1 d6 12.d4 Nf6 13.Nc3 Re8 14.e5 dxe5 15.dxe5 Rxe5 16.Bf4 Rf5 17.Bxc7 Rxf1+ 18.Rxf1 Bg4 



White plays on without risk.

The only "danger" he faces is the possibility of a drawish Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame, should the Knights and Rooks come off the board. That is not going to happen, though, as he is ready to win a piece.

19.Be5 Rf8 20.Nd5 Re8 21.Bxf6+ Kh6 



White has enough to win. It will take a few more moves.

22.Rf4 Bh5 23.g4 g5 24.Rf5 Bf7 25.Bxg5+ Kg7 26.Bf6+ Kh6 27.Bg5+ Kg7 28.h4 Bxd5 29.Rxd5 h6 30.Bd2 Re4 31.Bc3+ Kh7 32.Rd7+ Kg6 33.Rd6+ Kh7 34.Rd7+ Kg8 35.Rg7+ Kf8 36.Rg6 h5 37.gxh5 Rxh4 

You can see how the game is going to end.

38.h6 Kf7 39.Rg7+ Kf8 40.h7 Re4 41.Rxb7 Rg4+ 42.Kf2 Rh4 43.h8=Q+ Rxh8 44.Bxh8 Kg8 45.Rxa7 Kxh8 



46.Rd7 Kg8 47.c4 Kf8 48.c5 Ke8 49.Rd1 Ke7 50.c6 Ke6 51.c7 Ke5 52.c8=Q Ke4 53.Qc4+ Kf5 54.Rd5+ Ke6 55.Qc6+ Ke7 56.Rd7+ Ke8 57.Qc8 checkmate



Slow and steady wins the race. Nice.