Jerome Gambit: The Face Palm Variation

I need to spend a moment or two on a Jerome Gambit variation that has been bothering me for almost 20 years. (See "Another Way to Sacrifice the Knight" and "PSA 2.0" for a couple of rants.) A disreputable line in a disreputable opening, it keeps showing up in games. I would like to call it the Face Palm Variation.

SPOKLECHAT - anzali
5 0 blitz, FICS, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

 4...Kxf7 5.Ng5+

This line does not have a name that I am aware of. It is based on a tactical shot that may be clever, but not convincing. (I gave a warning about a decade ago in the post "Public Service Announcment".)

The Database has 568 games with the line, with White scoring 23%. The earliest games that I have (6 losses) feature TiFoZi, at FICS, in 1999. I will try to message him there, but, according to the site, the last time he visited was October 22, 2001.

I can understand that a Jerome Gambit player might try the line on a lark, especially at blitz or lightning time controls; I noticed Jerome regulars such as COMTIBoy, DragonTail, drumme, HauntedKnight, JKELSEY, majorminor, MyGameUMove, Petasluk, snthor, sTpny, superpippo, Teterow, thmavz, ZahariSokolov, and yorgos, have given it a try.

5...Qxg5 

Of course.

The Database shows that this capture occurred 415 times, that is, in 73% of the games. (White scored 16%.)

6.d4 

The idea: the pawn attacks Black's Bishop, while uncovering an attack on Black's Queen.

One of the reasons that White fares so poorly in this line is that White played this thematic move in less than half of the games where Black had grabbed the Knight. But, why offer the piece unless you had this surprise in store? Another way of offering "Jerome Gambit odds"? Inattention?

One downside of the whole idea is that Stockfish 11 now rates Black's advantage to be about the equivalent of two Rooks and a piece...

6...Bxd4 

Out of 195 games, 16 times Black fell for this "trap". That is not very often (8% of the time after 6.d4; 3% of the games where White plays 5.Ng5+), although, when it did happen, White scored 69%.

In 147 of the games, Black played 6...Qxg2, and White still scored 11%, which is kind of amazing.

For the record, 6...Qxg2 crushes. After 7.Rf1 (best) Qxe4+ (capturing on d4 is fine, too) 8.Be3 (8.Qe2 does not provide any relief: 8...Qxe2+ 9.Kxe2 Nxd4+ 10.Kd1 d6 11.Be3 Bf5 11.Na3 Nf6 is gruesome) Nxd4 9.Nc3 Bb4 10.Qd3 (Stockfish 10 prefers castling-by-hand with 10.Kd2 and 11.Kc1, but, really) Bxc3+ 11.Qxc3 Nxc2+ and that should be convincing enough.

But, in the game we are looking at, Black fell down the well...

7.Bxg5 h6 

Black has 2 pieces for his Queen, and might as well try his luck with 7...Bxb2, going after the enemy Rook. Things can get a little complicated after 8.Na3 Nd4, but 9.0-0 Bxa3 10.f4 puts the heat back on the Black King.

After 7...Bxb2, there is also 8.Qh5+ g6 (8...Kf8 9.Na3 Bxa3 [9...Bxa1 10.Nb5] 10.Qf3+ Ke8 11.Qxa3) 9.Qf3+ Kg7 10.Nc3 Bxa1 11.Nd5 and Black will not be able to hold onto his Rook and two piece compensation for his Queen, e.g. 11...d6 12.Bf6+ Nxf7 13.Qxf6+Kg8 14.Nxc7 and White is not only threatening to win the Rook, he threatens to move the Knight to e8 to aid in checkmate.

Again, back to the game.

8.Qf3+ Nf6 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Qh5+ Kg7 

11.Nd2 Bxb2 12.Rb1 Bd4 13.Nf3 Bb6 

Black has secured most of his pieces, but he has left one at risk - his King.   

14.Nh4 d6 

Defense is hopeless. For example, 14...Ne7, 15.Rb3 with the idea of moving over to g3.

15.Qg6+ Kf8 16.Qxf6+ Kg8 17.Ng6 Black resigned

The Rook at h8, and possibly the one at a8 as well, will soon be leaving the board.

Hats off to SPOKLECHAT, who took great risks, but also took advantage of his opportunities.

Jerome Gambit: Tumblr?

I recently discovered "A  Jerome  Gambit  miniature" on tumblr.com, of all places, at "Coach Tortise's Adventures in Chess". Apparently the game was played via iPhone, at the Chess.com website. 

The Jerome Gambit. It's everywhere you want to play chess - apparently.

CoachTortise - kiwikiwi4
Chess.com, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf6 7.f4 Qe7 8.Qf5 checkmate

And that's that... Nice work, Coach.

(I was surprised that, according to The Database, there is only one anticipation, a 5-minute game, Petasluk - givemeabreak, blitz, FICS, 2017.)

Jerome Gambit Declined: Grumping, Yet

While I'm on the topic of the Jerome Gambit Declined, I thought I would dig a little deeper...

MrJoker - david2play
2 12 blitz, Internet Chess Club, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kf8 

The Jerome Gambit Declined.

Certainly, strongest for Black was 4...Kxf7, but on rare occasions the defender decides If you want me to take the Bishop, I won't take the Bishop. That being the case in this game, the Black King is probably better off on f8 as opposed to e7.

5.Bxg8 

The typical argument can otherwise ensue, where best to retreat the Bishop, d5, c4 or b3?

MrJoker's solution, of course, is playable. I will leave the discussion of 5.b3, 5.c3, 5.Nc3, 5.d3, 5.d4, 5.Nxe5, 5.Qe2, 5.0-0, 5.Ng5 and 5.Bh5 (all are in The Database) for later posts.

5... Kxg8 6.O-O 

A reasonable move, played by HauntedKnight, Petasluk, shugart, Superpippo, Wall, and others, as well.

6...d6

For 6...Qf6 see Wall, Bill - Guest558953, PlayChess.com, 2017 (1-0, 15).

Looking at the diagram, you can ask yourself What does Black have for his gambitted pawn? Not very much - but he is playing his own game.

7.c3 h6 8.d4 exd4 9.cxd4 Bb4 

Better to have retreated the Bishop, as White shows.

10.Qb3+ Kh7 11.d5 Ba5 12.dxc6 bxc6 13.Nc3 Re8 14.Bd2 Bb6 15.Rad1 Ba6 

Black is developing, but White, as a Jerome Gambit player, must enjoy being the player with the extra piece.

16.Rfe1 Qf6 17.Be3 Ba518.Bd4 Black forfeited on time

Black's future was not bright, anyhow.

Jerome Gambit: Faux Defense

In the Jerome Gambit, White sacrifices a couple of pieces. Most of Black's defenses are based upon returning a piece. Sometimes Black just develops a piece, saying, in effect "You choose the piece that you want back, I'm too busy with my other pieces."

The following game follows that defensive scenario, although Black's choice at move 7 gives back 2 pieces - leaving White up a couple of pawns. There are some interesting tactics following, but the defender's overwhelming advantage at move 4 has become a significant advantage for the attacker, three moves later.

Bullet chess - and the Jerome Gambit - is like that.

angelcamina - alphastar
1-0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Nf6 

At first glance - if only a glance - this move looks fine. In bullet chess you don't always get more than a glance. Still, this is not an effective defense, and The Database points out that in 62 games, White scores 72% against it.

8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qe3

A bullet chess game is truly an event that took less time than it takes to tell...

The next time angelcamina plays this line, though, he might try 10.Qb5 here, instead, as against the move in the game, Black can grab back a pawn with 10...Nxe4, since the lined-up White Queen and King on the e-file do not allow the first player to recapture.

It is no big deal that White did not see that tactic, playing at that speed - Jerome Gambit regulars such as blackburne, MrJoker, and Petasluk, among others, playing much more slowly, missed it, too; and none of the defenders found 10...Nxe4!?, any way. (Hmm... This should be added to my series of "Jerome Gambit Secrets".)    

10...Qe7 11.d3 Re8 12.O-O Ng4 

When in doubt, or at a loss for an idea, harass the enemy Queen.

13.Qg3 Qd7 14.h3 Nf6 15.e5 

Standard Jerome Gambit attacking motif. Black gets to snap off a pawn (more solid, but less incisive, was 15.b3 followed by 16.Bb2), but that takes thinking time to figure out, and time is precious.

15...dxe5 16.fxe5 Qd4+ 17.Kh1 Rxe5 

My preference is to capture with the Queen, but perhaps Black wanted to keep the piece on the board and not allow it to be exchanged.

18.Nc3 Be6 19.Bf4 Rf5 20.Bxc7 Rxf1+ 21.Rxf1 Rc8 

22. Be5 Qe3 

An oversight that ends the game. Time pressure?

23.Qxe3 Black resigned

Even without the slip, Black was in a bad way, faceing a 2-pawn deficit and very uncomfortable pressure on his Knight (and the King behind it). 
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Jerome Gambit: Over the Rainbow (Part 1)

Over the years, I have loosely classified Jerome Gambit games by strategy: "White attacks aggressively", "Black counter-attacks aggressively", and "Black counters well, so White adopts a slow, solid, come-get-me approach". That covers a lot of games in The Database.

Then there are games like the following, however, which might as well be classified as "somewhere over the rainbow". 

Wall, Bill - Guest4105968
PlayChess.com, 2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Ke6

The move appears in 28 games in The Database (updated). It is somewhat understood, after some serious blog coverage, here - the most recent being in another of Bill Wall's games from 2 years ago (see "Jerome Gambit: This Is How It's Done"), where I wrote

This move follows the "psychology" of "If you want me to take the Knight, then I won't take the Knight", but it is simply not a good move. It is relatively rare: The Database has 24 games, with White scoring 65% . 

Still, it is worth knowing the followup, as this "defense" has shown up in the games of Jerome Gambit regulars: blackburne, MrJoker, Petasluk, stretto, UNPREDICTABLE, and ZahariSokolov. I have faced it a couple of times and come away with wins. 

In fact, I have posted a disproportionate number of times on the line - although, in fairness, they were all interesting posts, going back to "You, too, can add to Jerome Gambit theory" and including "A Strange, But Intriguing Path, Parts 1, 2, & 3" and "Still Strange, Still Intriguing Parts 1, 2, 3 & 4." The most recent post on the line is "We Know What We're Doing (Sort of)".  

Curiously enough, there is still more to learn about the variation, as we shall see.

6.Qg4+

This move, Stockfish 9's preference, is probably the best move, although it has appeared only 5 times in The Database before the current game.

Actually, computer analysis is only slightly helpful in choosing the proper move. Some examples are: 6.d4, evaluated as 0.00 by Stockfish 9 at 35 ply, is seen as the second best move; while the retrograde 6.Nf3!? (no games in The Database), evaluated as -.28 by Stockfish 9 at 35 ply, is seen as the third best move.

Certainly 6.0-0 (no games in The Database) should be playable, although Stockfish 9 at 35 ply evaluates it as -.65 - what's 2/3 of a pawn between friends, right? The game should continue  6...Nxe5 (the only move for advantage) 7.d4 d6.

Most popular for White, and probably most thematic, has been 6.Nxc6, which Stockfish 9 evaluates (at 35 ply) as -.81 after 6...dxc6. A mistake is 6...bxc6?, as it is strongly met by 7.Qg4+!. Black can mix everything up by not capturing the Knight and playing, instead, 6...Qh4!? although Stockfish 9 rates the position after 7.Qe2, then, as roughly even, +.10 (at 35 ply).

With Stockfish 9 pontificating as usual, it is important to remember that we are usually talking about games between club players, and Geoff Chandler's humorous but accurate blunder table always needs to be taken into account - especially because we are talking about the Jerome Gambit! Play what you feel comfortable playing.

6... Kxe5 7.d4+! Bxd4 8.Bf4+! Kf6 9.Bg5+! Kf7 10.Bxd8 Nxd8

Okay, White has played the "best" moves, and now has a Queen and a pawn for three pieces. As Dorothy said, in "The Wizard of Oz", "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

Indeed, the position looks like a challenge to play. Nobody is going to attack or counter-attack aggressively, and it looks like it would be to White's disadvantage to sit back and do nothing.

(By the way, the snarky 10...Bxb2?!, instead of capturing the Knight at d8, would be met by 11.Qf3+! Ke8 12.Bxc7, when, after 12...Bxa1 13.Na3, White would have an advantage in development and King safety to offset the material imbalance [Q + P vs R + B + N]. White can respond to either 13...d5 or 13...Nf6 with 14.0-0 and Black will not be able to get his defenders out fast enough, as they will also have to run the risk of going to the wrong square and being picked off by the enemy Queen with a checking fork. This is a return to the Jerome theme of "White attacks aggressively".)

Looking for guidance, I discovered that the venerable Basic Chess Endings by Reuben Fine (1941) has about 1/4 of a page covering "QUEEN vs THREE PIECES", which can easily be summarized

Without Pawns this is drawn, but there are a few positions where the pieces win... With Pawns the two forces are roughly equivalent. However, with no other material Q + P vs 3 pieces is drawn, while 3 pieces + Pawn win vs Queen. 

The newer Fundamental Chess Endings (2001) by Karsetn Mueller and Frank Lamprecht has about a page of coverage, devoted to the analysis of two game examples, and the terse bit of advice

Outposts, king security and passed pawns again play a major role

 I then checked out the internet to see what was available. One such article that I found to be helpful is here.

All of this information is enlightening, but, in the meantime, two people were playing the game.

[to be continued]

The Database Upgrade

I recently upgraded The Database with games from the online playing site FICS through August, 2018, bumping the number of games it contains to just above 59,000.

With almost 20 years of games from FICS, I have a pretty good representative sample (not just wins, but losses and draws as well) of how online club players play the kind of openings this blog covers.  

There are Jerome Gambit and Jerome-related games, including:

14,353 games with the Jerome Gambit, proper, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5, 4.Bxf7+ (White scores 46%);

2,614 games with the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ (White scores 38%);

204 games with the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ (White scores 64%);

144 games with the Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.Bxf7+ (White scores 65%); and

6,064 games with the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+ (White scores 56%).

In addition, there are some miscellaneous lines, including 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 4.Bxf7+ (2,406 games, White scores 72%); 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.Bxf7+ (2,061 games, White scores 40%); and various reversed Jerome-style openings, e.g. 1.e4 e5. Nf3 Bc5 3.Nxe5 Bxf2+.

So, who plays the Jerome Gambit?

The player with the most games in The Database (White and Black) is DragonTail (1,452), although I note that his last game is from 2012. Likewise, kingmaple appears 619 times, but his last game is from 2010. yorgos has 600 games, but his last game is from 2014.

As for "active" players, Bill Wall now leads the pack with 842 games in the Database, followed by perrypawnpusher with 592 games - closely followed by drumme with 553 games and Petasluk with 521. I am sure that there are others not yet on my "radar" (e.g. ZahariSokolov with 331 games and rising quickly).

Jerome Gambit: Been Around A While

It can be fun to play over the games of experienced Jerome Gambit players and watch their struggles, successes and failures. The games of Petasluk show up in The Database starting in 2004 - he has been around the Jerome universe for quite some time.

The following game shows how a deadly center break-through and attack on the King can proceed when Black discontinues his defenses prematurely.

Petasluk - valli
5 0 blitz, FICS, 2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

A solid defense that avoids the risks of 6...Kf6. If Black wishes to develop his Rook at h8, however, the King will need to move again.

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6 9.d3 Kf7 

There are 19 games in The Database with this position. White scores 53%. White's Queen puts pressure on the Kingside, even as Black prepares to castle-by-hand (something he never accomplishes).

Petasluk has had significant experience with other defensive tries by Black:

9...h6 10.O-O Be6 (10...Kf7 11.Nc3 Rf8 12.Be3 Bb6 13.d4 Kg8 14.f4 Qe8 15.e5 dxe5 16.fxe5 Nd7 17.Bxh6 Rxf1+ 18.Rxf1 Qe7 19.Bg5 Bxd4+ 20.Kh1 Qxe5 21.Bf4 Qf6 22.Nd5 Qa6 23.Re1 Qxa2 24.Re8+ Kf7 25.Re7+ Kg8 26.Nxc7 Rb8 27.Ne6 Qb1+ White resigned,  Petasluk - leninas, FICS, 2013) 11.Nc3 c6 12.Bd2 b5 13.a3 a5 14.Ne2 Qb6 15.c3 d5 16.e5 Ng4 17.d4 Be7 18.h3 Nxe5 19.Qxe5 Bf7 20.Ng3 Bf6 21.Qf5 Re8 22.Rae1 c5 23.Rxe8+ Kxe8 24.Qc8+ Bd8 25.Re1+ Kf8 26.Nf5 cxd4 27.Nxd4 g6 28.Nc6 Kg7 29.Nxd8 Rxd8 30.Qg4 h5 31.Qg3 Rf8 32.Be3 Qf6 33.Bd4 Qxd4 34.cxd4 b4 35.Re7 bxa3 36.bxa3 Kh6 37.Qf4+ Kg7 38.Qe5+ Kg8 39.g4 hxg4 40.hxg4 a4 41.f4 Kh7 42.f5 Kh6 43.fxg6 Bxg6 44.Qe3+ Rf4 45.Qxf4 checkmate, Petasluk - caryoscelus, FICS, 2016; 

9...Be6 10.Bg5 Bf7 11.c3 h6 12.Bxf6 Qxf6 13.O-O Kg8 14.d4 Bb6 15.f4 Kh7 16.Nd2 Rhf8 17.e5 dxe5 18.fxe5 Qg6 19.Nf3 Bd5 20.Nh4 Qxg3 21.hxg3 Rae8 22.Kh2 c6 23.Nf5 Be6 24.Nd6 Rxf1 25.Rxf1 Re7 26.Rf4 Bxa2 27.g4 Bb1 28.c4 Ba5 29.Rf1 Bg6 30.Rf2 Be1 31.Re2 Bh4 32.g3 Bg5 33.Rf2 a6 34.Rf3 b5 35.cxb5 axb5 36.b4 h5 37.gxh5 Bxh5 White forfeited on time, Petasluk - wsilaenchess, FICS, 2014;

9...Qd7 10.h3 Kf7 11.Nc3 c6 12.Bd2 Rf8 13.O-O Kg8 14.Kh1 Qe7 15.f4 Nh5 16.Qf3 Qf7 17.Ne2 Qg6 18.f5 Qf7 19.g4 Nf6 20.c3 h6 21.Nf4 Re8 22.b3 d5 23.Rae1 dxe4 24.dxe4 Bd7 25.e5 Nd5 26.e6 Qe7 27.exd7 Qxd7 28.Ne6 Bb6 29.c4 Nf6 30.Bc3 Qf7 31.h4 Re7 32.g5 hxg5 33.Nxg5 Qf8 34.Ne6 Qf7 35.Re2 Rae8 36.Rfe1 Qh5 37.Qxh5 Nxh5 38.Bd2 Ng3+ 39.Kg2 Nxf5 40.Nf4 Nxh4+ 41.Kg3 Nf5+ 42.Kg4 Nh6+ 43.Kg5 Rxe2 44.Rxe2 Rxe2 45.Nxe2 Bd8+ 46.Kh5 Nf7 47.Kg4 Kh7 48.Nf4 Nh6+ 49.Kf3 g5 50.Ne6 Be7 51.Bxg5 Nf7 52.Bxe7 Ne5+ 53.Ke4 Ng6 54.Ba3 Kh6 55.Nd8 Kh5 56.Nxb7 Kg4 57.Nd8 Black forfeited on time Petasluk - Vukasin, FICS, 2014;

9...Ng4 10.O-O Bd4 (10...h5 11.h3 h4 12.Qf4+ Nf6 13.Nc3 c6 14.Be3 Bxe3 15.fxe3 Qe7 16.d4 Kg8 17.e5 dxe5 18.dxe5 Nd5 19.Nxd5 cxd5 20.Rad1 Be6 21.Rd2 Rf8 22.Qa4 Rxf1+ 23.Kxf1 Qg5 24.Qe8+ Kh7 25.Qxe6 Qxe3 26.Qxd5 Rf8+ White resigned, Petasluk - UNPREDICTABLE, FICS, 2011) 11.h3 Be5 12.Qf3+ Nf6 13.c3 d5 14.Bg5 h5 15.Nd2 Bg4 16.Qe3 dxe4 17.d4 Bd6 18.Nxe4 Bf5 19.f3 h4 20.Rae1 Bg3 21.Re2 Qd7 22.Nc5 Qf7 23.Bxf6 gxf6 24.b3 Bd6 25.Nxb7 Kg7 26.Nxd6 cxd6 27.Qd2 Rag8 28.Rfe1 Kh7 29.Re7 Qxe7 30.Rxe7+ Rg7 31.Rxg7+ Kxg7 32.Qf4 Black forfeited on time, Petasluk - UltraMN, FICS, 2014;

9...c6 10.O-O Qb6 11.Nc3 Kf7 12.Na4 Qa5 13.Nxc5 Qxc5 14.c3 h6 15.Be3 Qe5 16.f4 Qh5 17.Rae1 Rf8 18.e5 Nd5 19.Bd2 Qg4 20.Qf2 Bf5 21.h3 Qg6 22.g4 Bxd3 23.f5 Qh7 24.e6+ Ke7 25.Qh4+ Nf6 26.Rf3 Be4 27.Rfe3 d5 28.c4 Rh8 29.Bb4+ Ke8 30.cxd5 cxd5 31.Rc1 h5 32.g5 Qxf5 33.gxf6 gxf6 34.Rf1 Rg8+ 35.Kh2 Qxf1 36.Rg3 Qh1 checkmate, Petasluk - Reisswolf, FICS, 2011;

9...Qe7 10.O-O Kf7 (10...Bd7 11.Nc3 Re8 12.Bg5 h6 13.Nd5 Qe6 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Nxc7 Qg8 16.Nxe8 Qxg3 17.hxg3 Kxe8 18.Kh2 h5 19.f4 h4 20.gxh4 Rxh4+ 21.Kg3 Rg4+ 22.Kf3 f5 23.Rae1 Bc6 24.c3 fxe4+ 25.dxe4 Bb5 26.Kxg4 Black resigned Petasluk - Schallopp, FICS, 2008) 11.Nc3 c6 12.Bg5 Rf8 13.Bxf6 Qxf6 14.Kh1 Kg8 15.f4 Qg6 16.Qh4 Qg4 17.Qxg4 Bxg4 18.h3 Bd7 19.g4 h6 20.f5 Rae8 21.Rae1 Kf7 22.Ne2 Rh8 23.c3 d5 24.d4 Bb6 25.e5 g6 26.e6+ Bxe6 27.fxe6+ Kxe6 28.Nf4+ Kd6 29.Nxg6 Rxe1 30.Rxe1 Rg8 31.Nf4 Rf8 32.Ng6 Rf3 33.Kg2 Rd3 34.Nf4 Rd2+ 35.Re2 Rxe2+ 36.Nxe2 c5 37.Kf3 Ke6 38.h4 Kf6 39.dxc5 Bxc5 40.Nd4 Bxd4 41.cxd4 b6 42.b4 a5 43.bxa5 bxa5 44.a4 Kg6 45.Kf4 Kf6 46.g5+ hxg5+ 47.hxg5+ Kg6 48.Kg4 Kg7 49.Kf5 Kf7 50.g6+ Kg7 51.Kg5 Black resigned, Petasluk - pavlo, FICS, 2009;

9...h5 10.Bg5 h4 11.Qf4 Qe7 12.Nc3 Bd4 13.Nd5 Qf7 14.c3 Be5 15.Qd2 Nxd5 16.exd5 Bf5 17.d4 Bf6 18.Bxf6 Qxf6 19.O-O Re8 20.Rfe1 Kf7 21.Re3 Rxe3 22.fxe3 Qg5 23.Rf1 Kg6 24.Qf2 Re8 25.Qxf5+ Qxf5 26.Rxf5 Kxf5 27.Kf2 g5 28.h3 Ke4 29.Ke2 Rf8 30.c4 c6 31.dxc6 bxc6 32.b4 a6 33.a4 Rb8 34.b5 cxb5 35.axb5 axb5 36.cxb5 Rxb5 37.Kf2 Rb3 38.g3 hxg3+ 39.Kxg3 Rxe3+ 40.Kg4 Kxd4 41.Kxg5 Rxh3 42.Kf5 Re3 43.Kf4 Re8 44.Kf5 Kc4 45.Kf4 d5 White resigned, Petasluk - fluigi, FICS, 2009;

9...Nh5 10.Qf3+ Nf6 11.O-O h6 12.Qe2 Bg4 13.Qd2 Ke7 14.h3 Be6 15.Nc3 Qd7 16.Kh2 Raf8 17.f4 Kd8 18.f5 Bf7 19.a3 Kc8 20.b4 Bd4 21.Bb2 Be5+ 22.Kh1 Nh5 23.Rf3 g5 24.Rb1 g4 25.hxg4 Ng3+ 26.Kg1 h5 27.g5 Bd4+ 28.Kh2 h4 29.Nd5 Bxd5 30.Bxd4 Nxf5 31.Bxh8 Ne3 32.Rxf8+ Black resigned, Petasluk - brittaundvolker, FICS, 2009;

9...g6 10.O-O Kg7 11.Qf4 Nh5 12.Qh6+ Kf7 13.Nd2 Qf8 14.Qxf8+ Rxf8 15.Nf3 Kg7 16.d4 Bb6 17.c3 Bg4 18.Nd2 Rae8 19.f3 Bd7 20.Nc4 Rf7 21.Bd2 Bb5 22.b3 Bxc4 23.bxc4 c6 24.a4 a6 25.Rab1 Ba7 26.g3 Ref8 27.Kg2 Nf6 28.Rbe1 Nd7 29.h4 Re8 30.Bf4 d5 31.cxd5 cxd5 32.e5 Re6 33.Bd2 Rfe7 34.f4 Rc6 35.g4 Rc4 36.a5 Bb8 37.f5 gxf5 38.gxf5 Kf8 39.Bh6+ Ke8 40.f6 Rf7 41.Bg7 Nf8 42.Bxf8 Kxf8 43.e6 Rfc7 44.e7+ Kf7 45.e8=Q checkmate, Petasluk - Chaarl, FICS, 2009;

and 9...Qe8 10.O-O Qg6 11.Qf4 Bh3 (11...Qg4 12.Qd2 Ke7 13.Nc3 Be6 14.d4 Bb4 15.e5 Ne4 16.Nd5+ Bxd5 17.Qxb4 a5 18.exd6+ cxd6 19.Qe1 Kd7 20.f3 Qg6 21.fxe4 Bxe4 22.Qg3 Qxg3 23.hxg3 Rhf8 24.Bf4 h6 25.c4 g5 26.Be3 Bd3 27.Rxf8 Rxf8 28.c5 d5 29.b3 Kc6 30.Rd1 Be4 31.a3 Bc2 32.Rd2 Bxb3 33.Rb2 a4 34.Rf2 Rxf2 35.Kxf2 Bd1 36.Ke1 Bg4 37.Kd2 Kb5 38.Kc3 Bd1 39.Bf2 Be2 40.Be3 Bf1 41.Kd2 Bxg2 42.Ke2 Be4 43.Kd2 Kc4 44.Bf2 Kb3 45.Be1 Kxa3 46.Kc3 Ka2 47.Kb4 Bc2 48.Bc3 Bd3 49.Ka5 a3 50.Kb6 Kb3 51.Kxb7 Kxc3 White forfeited on time, Petasluk - juany, FICS, 2007) 12.Qf3 Bg4 13.Qf4 Re8 14.Nc3 Re7 15.Kh1 Rf7 16.f3 Bd7 17.Bd2 Nh5 18.Qh4 Nf6 19.f4 Qg4 20.Qe1 Nh5 21.f5 Ke8 22.Nd5 Kd8 23.Ne3 Bxe3 24.Qxe3 Rhf8 25.Rf2 a6 26.Raf1 g6 27.fxg6 Qxg6 28.Rxf7 Rxf7 29.Rg1 Rg7 30.g3 Nf6 31.Qa7 Ng4 32.Qxb7 Bc8 33.Qd5 Qf6 34.Kg2 Ne5 35.Rf1 Qg6 36.Qb3 drawn, Petasluk - godelllll, FICS, 2009. 

10.Nc3 

Or 10.O-O, which transposes, 10...Rf8 11.Nc3 Kg8 (11...a6 12.Bg5 Kg8 13.Kh1 Qe8 14.f4 Nh5 15.Qf3 h6 16.g4 hxg5 17.gxh5 Rxf4 18.Qg2 Qxh5 19.Nd5 Bh3 20.Nxf4 gxf4 21.Qf2 Bxf1 22.Qxf1 Be3 23.d4 Rf8 24.Re1 Rf6 25.Re2 Rg6 26.Rg2 Rxg2 27.Qxg2 Qd1+ White resigned, Petasluk - mattzig, FICS, 2014) 12.Bd2 Kh8 13.Kh1 Nh5 14.Qg5 Qxg5 15.Bxg5 Rxf2 16.Nd5 Rxf1+ 17.Rxf1 Bd7 18.Nxc7 Bc6 19.Nxa8 Black resigned, Petasluk - jinhuan, FICS, 2016. 

10...c6 11.O-O Bb6 

12.Bg5 Bc7 13.f4 h6 14.Bh4 Qd7 15.h3 b5 

Black has reinforced his center and decides to expand on the Queenside, perhaps as a diversion. He is overlooking White's growing menace.

16.Rae1 a6 

This encourages White to break in the center.

17.e5 dxe5 18.fxe5 Qd4+ 19.Kh1 Be6 

Black will have to give back his extra piece, and his King is in trouble.

20.Re4 Qd7 21.Bxf6 Kg8 22.Ne2 Rf8

Black is defending, but is handicapped by his undeveloped Rook at h8.

23.d4 Bd8 24.Ref4 Rf7 

He could have tried 24...Rh7, but 25.Bxg7 would have led to a series of exchanges that would have left White simply a handful of pawns ahead, e.g. 25...Rxf4 26.Bxh6+ Qg7 27.Qxg7+ Rxg7 28.Nxf4.

25.Bxd8 Rxf4 26.Nxf4 Qxd8 27.Nxe6 

The smoke has cleared. Whie is a piece and a couple of pawns ahead, with a deadly attack.

27...Qe7 28.Rf8+ Kh7 29.Qd3+ g6 30.Rxh8+ Kxh8 31.Qxg6 a5 32.Qxh6+ Kg8 33.Qg6+ Kh8 Black resigned