The last time that I played MrMef (see "Rocket Surgery") we developed a game that was truly a mess... This time I seriously wanted to get it right.
perrypawnpusher - MrMef
blitz, FICS, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 h6 5.0-0 Bc5 6.Bxf7+
The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Bxd4 9.Qxd4 Nc6
Attack the Queen is Black's notion. My response was based on the naive notion (although it has proven successful in past games) that Black might want to continue to harass Her Majesty with the erronious 10...Nb4.
10.Qd3
Probably better was 10.Qc4+.
10...Ne5
Chasing the Queen to a better spot.
11.Qg3 d6 12.f4 Nc6 13.Bd2 Qe8
Black is taking steps against the threatened e4-e5 by White, but I think that his Rook needed to be doing this. That would also be preparation for castling-by-hand.
14.Rae1 Bg4
Black has made a series of small mistakes, and before this puzzling move the cost has been, at most, allowing White to claim (because of his development) a nearly equal game. Now the first player gets his attack on.
15.e5 dxe5 16.fxe5 Nxe5
I am not sure if this is an oversight or a miscalculation. Did my opponent not see that my Queen strikes at e5, or was he, perhaps, expecting to see 17.Qxe5 Qxe5 18.Rxe5 Rhe8 with an even game?
17.Rxe5
Of course.
17...Qd8 18.Rd5
I avoided the better 18.Qxg4 because of 18...Qxd2, but after the game Houdini pointed out that 19.Qe6+ Kg6 20.Rd5 would trap the Black Queen, i.e. 20...Rad8 (20...Qxc2 21.Rxf6+ gxf6 22.Qg4+ Kf7 23.Rd7+ Kf8 24.Qg7+ Ke8 25.Qf7#) 21.Rxd2 Rxd2.
18...Qe7 19.Re5
19...Qd6
It may look at first that Black would have done better by withdrawing his Bishop to shield the Queen, but after the game Houdini found that that led to a mate in 25: 19...Be6 20.Nd5 Qc5+ 21.Be3 Qd6 22.Nxf6 gxf6 23.Bc5 Qd7 24.Qf3 f5 25.Rd1 Qc8 26.Rde1 h5 27.c4 Rh6 28.Rxe6 Qxe6 29.Rxe6 Rxe6 30.Qxh5+ Kg7 31.Qg5+ Kf7 32.Qxf5+ Rf6 33.Qh7+ Ke6 34.Qe7+ Kf5 35.g4+ Kg6 36.Bd4 Raf8 37.h4 a6 38.h5+ Kg5 39.Bxf6+ Rxf6 40.h6 Kf4 41.Qxf6+ Ke3 42.h7 Kd2 43.Qf5 Kd1 44.h8Q c5 45.Qf1+ Kd2 46.Qc3#
Totally ridiculous, but it does show that White's attack is powerful.
20.Ne4 Qd4+ 21.Be3
21...Qxb2
Instead, 21...Qd7 would have provided a modicum of defense, although White's attack would cost Black significant material.
22.Nxf6 gxf6 23.Qf4
I was pretty sure that the Rook sac at f6 worked, but I couldn't figure it all out in my head until after the game: 23.Rxf6+ Kxf6 24.Qf4+ Kg6 25.Qxg4+ Kf6 26.Qf5+ Kg7 27.Re7+ Kg8 28.Qf7#
Pity. Bill Wall would not have missed that.
23...f5
24.Rxf5+ Bxf5 25.Qxf5+ Ke8 26.Qe6+ Kd8 27.Rd1+ Black resigned
perrypawnpusher - MrMef
blitz, FICS, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Re8
Recently seen in HauntedKnight - sfanel, FICS, 2011, (0-1, 13).
8.dxc5 Kg8
This is an improvement over both 8..Nc6 from perrypawnpusher - hudders, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 13) and 8...Nc4 from perrypawnpusher - TrentonTheSecond, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 9).
Curiously, the strongest move, 8...Qe7, appears in The Database in two losses for Black, natarajanm - jmarchetti, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 25) and ARUJ - cippolippo, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 19).
The Jerome Gambit: it's not rocket surgery.
9.0-0 b6 10.cxb6
Not actually necessary, as 10.f4 followed by 11.e5 will win a piece. The text should, too, but not the way it does.
10...axb6 11.f4 Neg4
12.e5
It is more complicated than this, as Black's advanced Knight covers the f2 square, so first it needs to be kicked with 12.h3.
12...Ba6 13.Re1
Since 13.Rf2 is not possible.
13...Nd5
Missing 13...Qe7, pinning the White e-pawn.
14.Nxd5 Qh4
Suddenly, it did not feel like I had won a piece, but, rather that my opponent had sacrificed one.
15.h3 Qf2+ 16.Kh1 Qh4 17.Kg1
I was ready to accept a repetition of position and a draw. Instead, 17.Qd2 would organize a defense for White, and his threats against the Knight at g4 as well as the pawn at c7 would show an advantage.
17...Qf2+ 18.Kh1 Bb7
MrMef does not want the draw.
19.hxg4
Time was running short (shorter for my opponent) so I grabbed the piece. Later, Rybka suggested protecting the advanced Knight with 19.c4 or challenging the enemy Queen with 19.Re2.
19...Bxd5
An oversight. Black would do best to continue his attack with 19...Re6, although 20.f5 is an effective answer, as long as White answers the further 20...Bxd5 with 21.Qe2.
20.Qe2
Totally missing that 20.Qxd5 would come with check.
20...Qh4+
Despite White's extra pawns, Black's active pieces give an equal game.
Time was growing shorter.
21.Kg1 Ra4 22.Qf2 Qxg4 23.b3 Raa8 24.c4 Bb7
25.Re3 d6 26.Rg3 Qf5
Not best.
27.Rg5
The same. White could copy Black's attack with 27.exd6 cxd6 28.Bb2
27...Qe4 28.Qg3
Counter-attacking, and offering a Rook, which, if taken, would allow White to force a draw.
28...g6 29.Bb2
29...dxe5 30.Bxe5
This capture gives Black a chance for a swindle.
30...Rxe5 31.Rxe5
After the better 31.fxe5, Black can win the Rook with 31...Qd4+ 32.Kh2 Qxa1, but 33.Rxg6+ will allow White to force a draw by repetition.
Neither of us had much thinking time left.
31...Qd4+ 32.Qe3
Losing. After the game Rybka suggested 32.Kh2 Qxa1 33.Qh3 Rf8 34.Re7 Rf5 35.Qxh7+ Kf8 36.Qxg6 Kxe7 37.Qxf5 when things are almost balanced, White's extra pawns vs Black's extra piece.
32...Qxa1+ 33.Kh2 Bc6
Protecting e8. Was 33...Kf8 better?
34.f5
After the game I could laugh at Rybka's suggestion that 34.Re6 still held a draw by picking on the defending Bishop: 34...Bd7 35.Re7 Bf5 36.Re8+ Rxe8 37.Qxe8+ Kg7 38.Qe7+ Kh6 39.Qh4+.
Maybe the Jerome Gambit is rocket surgery.
34...Qxa2 35.Qg3 Qb2 36.fxg6 Bxg2 37.gxh7+
One last, frantic try.
With more than mere seconds available, Black would find 37...Kh8, winning.
37...Kxh7 38.Rh5 checkmate
Egads...
