Into Each Life Some NimbusReign Must Fall...

A suspect opening.

A complicated game.

I got-out played.

It's amazing how easy it is to explain the following game.

perrypawnpusher  - NimbusReign
blitz, FICS, 2010


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5

The Italian Four Knights Game.

5.Bxf7+

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gamit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 d5

An adventurous move I had just recently first faced.

8.dxe5 Ng4

Two alternatives, one a little better and one a whole lot worse:

8...Nxe4 9.Qf3+ Kg8 10.Nxe4 dxe4 11.Qxe4 Qd4 12.Qxd4 Bxd4 13.f4 Kf7 14.c3 Bb6 15.Ke2 Bg4+ 16.Kd3 Rad8+ 17.Ke4 Ke6 18.f5+ Bxf5+ 19.Kf4 Rhf8 White resigned, Simavo - SeaDonkey, FICS, 2009; and

8...Bxf2+ 9.Kxf2 dxe4 10.exf6 Qxf6+ 11.Ke1 Re8 12.Rf1 Qxf1+ 13.Kxf1 b6 14.Qh5+ g6 15.Qxh7+ Kf6 16.Qh4+ Kg7 17.Bh6+ Kf7 18.Re1 Bf5 19.Nxe4 Rad8 20.Qf6+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Marcym, blitz, FICS, 2010

9.0-0 dxe4

After the game Rybka suggsted that Black bring more pressure t the f-file with 9...Rf8, giving a line that ends up still good for Black: 10.h3 Nxf2 11.Qxd5+ Qxd5 12.Nxd5 Ke8 13.Be3 Bxe3 14.Nxe3 Nxe4 15.Nd5 Rxf1+ 16.Rxf1 Rb8 17.Nxc7+ Ke7 18.Rf4 Nc5 19.Rc4 b6.

analysis diagram




10.Qe2 Bd4

This leads to about an even game. Rybka preferred 10...Qh4.

11.Nxe4 Qd5 12.c3 Bxe5

Rybka sees this position as roughly equal, and suggests the aggressive line of play: 13.h3 h5 14.c4 Bh2+ 15.Kh1 Qe5 16.g3 Bf5 17.Ng5+ Kg6 18.Qxe5 Nxe5 19.Kxh2 Rhf8 20.f4 Nxc4 21.b3.

analysis diagram

I was not thinking that deeply...

13...Ng5+ Kg6 14.h3 Re8

15.Qd2 Qxd2 16.Bxd2 Bf6 17.Nxh7 Kxh7 18.hxg4 Bxg4

The piece-down endgame holds no prospects for White, especially against the two Bishops.

19.f3 Be6 20.Kf2 Rad8 21.Rfd1 Kg6 22.b3 Bh4+ 23.g3 Bf6

24.Rac1 Rh8 25.Ke3 Rh2 26.f4 Bg4 White resigned

When I checked the New Year's Database to see if NimbusReign had ever played or faced the Jerome Gambit, I found no mention of him at all. Hats off to my opponent for delivering such a pounding on perhaps his first opportunity to do so!

Complications

Chess sparkles with complications. In the following game my opponent finds a way to complicate things in his favor, then almost immediately finds one to complicate it in my favor...

 perrypawnpusher  - Marcym
blitz, FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5

The Italian Four Knights Game. Not Black's only choice (see "Jerome Gambit vs Two Knights Defense Part 3" and "Part 4")

5.Bxf7+

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 d5

A good way to keep things complicated.

8.dxe5 Bxf2+

This is taking things too far, however. The proper continuation (the only other game with this line in the New Year's Database) was seen in Simavo - SeaDonkey, FICS, 2009: 8...Nxe4 9.Qf3+ Kg8 10.Nxe4 dxe4 11.Qxe4 Qd4 12.Qxd4 Bxd4 13.f4 Kf7 14.c3 Bb6 15.Ke2 Bg4+ 16.Kd3 Rad8+ 17.Ke4 Ke6 18.f5+ Bxf5+ 19.Kf4 Rhf8 White resigned.

9.Kxf2 dxe4

Instead, 9...Nxe4+ 10.Nxe4 dxe4 give White only a slight edge.

10.exf6 Qxf6+ 11.Ke1

11...Re8

Now things just keep going bad for Black.

12.Rf1 Qxf1+ 13.Kxf1 b6 14.Qh5+ g6 15.Qxh7+ Kf6 16.Qh4+ Kg7 17.Bh6+ Kf7 18.Re1

18...Bf5 19.Nxe4 Rad8 20.Qf6+ Black resigned