Some players who essay the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) have adopted the Jerome "attitude" of Attack-Attack-Attack. Others have opted for Creep-Creep-Pounce.
While I try to learn from others, my own "Jerome Attitude" seems too often to be Attack-Run-Hide. The following win (yes, win; I still take 8 out of 10 games) is a light example
perrypawnpusher -Tensecterror
blitz 2 10, FICS, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening. A couple weeks ago, an earlier game had continued along regular Jerome Gambit lines, i.e. 3...Bc5 4.Bxf7+ in perrypawnpusher - Tensecterror, blitz, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 45). This time my opponent was taking precautions.
4.O-O Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Kf8
The retreat from the Knight check is certainly an interesting defensive idea in the regular Jerome Gambit. In the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit, however, it has a flaw.
7.Ng6+
Much better than my silly 7.Nxc6 in perrypawnpusher - acwizard, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 18).
7...Kf7 8.Nxh8+ Ke7 9.Ng6+
Take the Rook and run.
Stronger and more adventurous was 9.Qh5.
9...Kf6 10.Qh5
Now that my Knight was safe, I was willing to play this move, as it has several positives: it protects the Knight, it attack's Black's Bishop at c5, and it threatens Qh5-f5+.
However, Black's response eliminates these threats.
Had my attitude been Attack-Attack-Attack, I would have looked at the more efficient 10.Qf3+, since 10...Ke6 11.Qf5+ Kd6 12.Qd5 is checkmate. This would have required me to see that "saving" the Knight was unnecessary, as 10.Qf3+ Kxg6 falls directly to 11.Qf5 checkmate.
10...d6 11.Nf4
More retreat from danger. A bit pluckier was 11.Nc3.
11...Ne5 12.Nd3
And, finally, the poor Knight is safe. Too bad that he missed 12.Nd5+ Ke6 13.Qf5 checkmate.
See what I mean about "attitude"?
12...g6 13.Qh4+ g5 14.Qg3 Nxd315.Qxd3 Be6
White is ahead the exchange and two pawns, but he still has work to do before he is comfortable.
16.b4 Bb6 17.Bb2+ Ke7 18.Qc3
Looking to infiltrate Black's Kingside. (I admit, I anticipated Black's next move, too, which he played too quickly.)
18...Nf6 19.Qxf6+ Kd7 20.Qxd8+ Rxd8
White is now up a Rook and two pawns. "Game over", right? My timid play encourages Tensecterror to continue: he dreams of using his "two Bishops" and Rook against my King.
21.d4 g4 22.Nd2 h5 23.f4 h4 24.f5 Bf7 25.a4 a6 26.c4 h3 27.c5 dxc5 28.dxc5 Ba7
We both have used pawn moves for our own plans: Black, to storm my Kingside; White, to stifle Black's dark-squared Bishop; and to unleash the "Jerome pawns".
29.e5 Bd5 30.e6+ Ke7 31.g3
A bit stronger was 31.Rae1 directly
31...b6 32.Rae1 bxc5 33.f6+ Ke8
The "Jerome pawns" will win this duel.
34.f7+ Ke7 35.Bf6+ Kf8 36.e7+ Kxf7 37.exd8=Q cxb4+ 38.Rf2 Bxf2+ 39.Kxf2 Black resigned
Sometimes it is a little bit too easy for me to post other people's games here, with commentary, pointing out good moves and bad moves. I tend to forget that playing the game can be much more challenging. The following wretchedness is another opportunity for others to look at my play and laugh their heads off. Turn about is fair play.
perrypawnpusher - Tensecterror
blitz, FICS, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf6
This is an example of the defender relaxing a bit too soon. Certainly he should feel confident, as he is two pieces ahead. He has every reason to believe that White, having played foolishly, will continue in his bizarre ways. Yet, a bit of care in analyzing the position would have shown that the attacker can now regain significant material.
7.d4
A strange, if optimistic and almost understandable, move. Having quickly gained the advantage in three earlier games with 7.Qf5+ Ke7 8.Qxe5+ followed by 9.Qxc5+ I had no need to "innovate" with the text move, but should have followed perrypawnpusher - Leontes, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 11); perrypawnpusher - badhorsey, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 30); and perrypawnpusher - chingching, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 36).
7...Bxd4
My pawn strike was designed to win a piece, because it threatened to win Black's Queen. This is already faulty thinking, as the note to my 7th move shows that there were two pieces to grab.
On top of this, Black could have defended here with 7...Bb4+ 8.Nc3 (8.c3 Nd3+) Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Nf7 opting to give back a piece after 10.e5+ Ke7 11.Bg5+ Nf6 12.exf6+ gxf6.
8.Qg5+ Kf7 9.Qxd8 Nc6 10.Qh4
White has a Queen for two pieces, but should not relax, either.
By the way, retreating the Queen was best, as 10.Qxc7? Be5 would have immediately been embarassing.
10...Nb4 11.Na3 Bf6 12.Qf4 d6
Black's pieces are swarming, but only a truely careless move will break White's attack which comes after 13.e5, winning a piece.
13.c3 Nd3+ 14.Ke2 Nxf4+ 15.Bxf4 Ne7
And, just like that, I was down a piece for a pawn. How embarassing!
My only other "compensation" is hard to see, but my opponent was running short of time, doing most of his thinking on the 10 second increment. I decided to keep firing off moves to keep the pressure on, as the worst that I could do at this point was lose a lost game...
16.Rhd1 Ng6 17.Be3 Ne5 18.h3 Be7 19.f4 Nc6 20.Nb5 Bd8 21.g4 a6
Tensecterror is playing carefully. There is no need to risk right now, and he can go on the offensive as soon as he's gained on his clock.
22.Na3 Re8 23.Kf3 g6 24.Re1 b5 25.Nc2 Bb7 26.Bd4 Na5 27.b3 Bh4 28.Re2 Re7 29.Ne1 Rae8 30.Ng2 Bxe4+
Neither of us is playing particularly well, but this move allows me to cut the material deficit a small bit.
31.Rxe4 Rxe4 32.Nxh4 Re2 33.Ng2 Rc2 34.Ne3 Rh2 35.Kg3 Rd2
Would I have accepted the repetition of position draw that might have come with 35...Rc2 ? Sheepishly, I admit I would have.
My opponent, instead, stumbles along; and I, along with him.
36.Kf3 Nc6 37.Rd1 Nxd4+ 38.cxd4 Rxa2 39.Rd3 a5 40.Rc3 Rc8 41.Nd5 c6 42.Ne3 b4 43.Rd3 Ra3
Black has done a remarkable job of thinking and moving quickly, and he is only a few moves away from victory. He needs only to return the exchange...
44.Nc4 Ra2 45.Nxd6+ Black resigned
