Ooooops...

It can be a lot of fun showing off my Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games – even the losses – or, as in the case below, my Jerome-ized games, but it's a little embarassing to find in the middle of a "good" win a really bad move...


perrypawnpusher - Cibola
blitz FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

The Semi-Italian Game, not necessarily safer than 3...Bc5.

4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6

8.Qd5+ Ke8

Or 8... Kf8 as in perrypawnpusher - pascalwilliams, blitz 3 0, FICS, 2007 (1/2-1/2, 32) and abhailey - cumelin, net-chess.com, 2008 (1-0, 21).

9.Qxc5 Qe7 10.Qe3 Nf6 11.Nc3 c6 12.f4 b6


Up to here we have a pretty normal Jerome Gambit-style scenario: White hopes he can use his two extra pawns to create mischief before Black can get his extra piece to settle things.

13.f5

Fritz 8's suggestion is interesting, suggesting play across the whole board, and a balanced game after: 13.Qg3 Nf8 14.e5 Nh5 15.Qf3 g6 16.d4 Ba6 17.Rd1 Ng7 18.Ne4 Kd8 19.d5 Kc8 20.a4

13...Ne5 14.d4 Ba6


If you can counter a tactical threat with a stronger one of your own, that is a good thing: so Black threatens my Rook while I "merely" threaten his Knight – well, not exactly, but that was what my opponent was thinking. Instead, the Knight should retreat to f7.

15.dxe5 Qxe5



If 15...Bxf1 then 16.exf6 Qxf6 17.Kxf1. Now I have my piece back, and am up a pawn.

16.Re1 Kf7 17.Qf3 Rhe8 18.Bf4 Qc5+ 19.Be3 Qb5


Clearly a case, Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Pete Banks ("blackburne") would say, of serious shock and awe.

20.Bd4

Clearly a case of "short attention span chess". When I looked closer at the board after my move (most experts recommend looking at the board before you move) I was appalled at my oversight. Oooops...

20...Qxb2



Well, I suppose it would be too much to expect him to let me have a second chance to capture his Queen... I do have a lot of pawns and pieces pointed at his King, however.

21.e5 Nd5

This falls in with White's plans. Better was 21...Qb4, attacking the Bishop on d4. White's attack can then proceed, but slower: 22.Rad1 Kg8 23.Qg3 Nd5 24.Ne4 Qf8 25.Nd6 followed in a few moves with the pawn break f5-f6.

22.e6+



22...Kg8 23.Qg4 Nxc3

Ending the game, but 23...Re7 24.Nxd5 lead to only misery as well after 24...Qxd4+ 25.Qxd4
cxd5 26.Qxd5 Bb7 (what else??) 27.Qd6

24.Qxg7 checkmate

Fried Jerome Attack

Not everyone is interested in facing the Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ (see, for example "It's a good thing I read this blog"). One way to avoid it is to play Philidor's Defense, 2...d6, instead of allowing the Italian Game with 2...Nc6. Still, one shouldn't provoke too much of an attacking spirit in the heart of the Jerome Gambiteer...


perrypawnpusher - azzaonnet
blitz 5 12 FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Nf6
An unusual, but playable, variation of the Philidor.

4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5

With this move Black allows his opponent to play an attack similar to the Fried Liver Attack in the Two Knights Defense: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxe5 6.Nxf7 – only in this case Black has not developed his Queen's Knight.

In one of his Gambit Cartel columns for ChessCafe, "Going Fishing," Tim McGrew (see "A Few Words With...Tim McGrew") points out that the proper move in this line of the Philidor is 5...h6, after which "The similarities to the Elephant [Gambit] line [which he discusses] are striking."

6.Nxf7

Of course. Never mind that the last time I played the Fried Liver Attack was 30 years ago. Or that the move 6.d4, similar to the Lolli Attack in the Two Knights (not to be mistaken for the Wild Muzio Gambit, mind you: see "Wild!", "Wilder!" and "Wildest!") was probably stronger.
6...Kxf7 7.Qf3+ Ke6

Black's King must venture into danger to hold onto the piece: 7...Ke8 8.Qxd5 Qxd5 9.Bxd5, as in perrypawnpusher - xPOGOx, FICS 2009, simply leads to a Queenless middlegame a pawn down.

8.Nc3

An alternative was 8.0-0 c6 9.d4 Qf6 10.Qe2 Ke7 11.dxe5 Qf5 12.f4 Be6 13.Bd3 Qg4 14.Rf3 g6 15.h3 Qh5 16.Bd2 Kd8 17.c4 Bc5+ 18.Kf1 Ne7 19.b4 Bd4 20.Bc3 Bxc3 21.Nxc3 a6 22.Rd1 Kc7 23.b5 axb5 24.cxb5 Nd7 25.a4 Rhf8 26.Qd2 g5 27.Be4 Nd5 28.Nxd5+ Bxd5 29.Bxd5 Nxe5 30.fxe5 Rfd8 31.Rf7+ Qxf7+ 32.Bxf7 Rxd2 33.Rxd2 Rxa4 34.e6 Black resigned, Eliason - Leow, Berlin 1856.

8...c6 9.d4 exd4

Or 9...b5 10.Bb3 b4 11.Nxd5 cxd5 12.dxe5 Nc6 13.c4 Ne7 14.cxd5+ Nxd5 15.0-0 h5 16.Rd1 Bb7 17.Bg5 Qxg5 18.Bxd5+ Bxd5 19.Qxd5+ Kf5 20.Qxa8 Qe7 21.Qf3+ Kg6 22.Rd6+ Kh7 23.Qf5+ Kg8 24.Rad1 g6 25.Rxg6+ Bg7 26.Rd7 Qf8 27.Rgxg7+ Qxg7 28.Rd8+ Black resigned, abhailey-vkroll, net-chess.com 2007.


10.Qe4+

Rybka 3 turns its nose up at this move, preferring the further piece sacrifice: 10.Bf4 dxc3 11.0-0-0 after which it sees White as having a winning game. Amazing!

10...Kd6

This is not accurate, either: the King should be one step further back.

11.Nxd5

I admit that I was at a bit of a loss for a plan, here. Later Rybka 3 suggested capturing with the other minor piece: 11.Bxd5 Kc7 12.Qxd4 b6 13.Nb5+ Kb7 and White has the advantage.

11...Be6

Wow. Clearly my opponent was seeing something that I wasn't seeing. Later the computer suggested that Black would be better after 11...cxd5 12.Qxd5+ Kc7 13.Bf4+ Bd6 14.Qxd4 Qe7+ 15.Be2 Rd8 16.0-0-0 Nc6.

Now the game ends quickly.

12.Bf4+ Kc5


Or 12...Kd7 13.Nc7, which turns out badly.


13.b4+ Kxc4 14.Qd3+ Kxd5 15.c4 checkmate

Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter XVII

At this point in the tournament I had two games left to complete, both against brain50. That made this game my last chance with the White pieces and the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+)


perrypawnpusher - brain50
JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net, 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Nf6

A move seen on this blog before in perrypawnpusher - MsD, FICS rated blitz game, 2007 (see "Les Femmes des Echecs...& the Jerome Gambit") and which I'd faced a few years earlier, perrypawnpusher - Alternative, FICS rated blitz game, 2005: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Nf6 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Re8 10.d3 Kg7 11.0-0 d5 12.Qh6+ Kg8 13.exd5 Nxd5 14.Nc3 Nxc3 15.bxc3 Qf6 16.Bd2 Qg7 17.Rae1 Rxe1 18.Rxe1 Qxh6 19.Bxh6 Bf5 20.Re7 Rc8 21.Bf4 Kf8 22.Rxc7 Rxc7 23.Bxc7 Ke7 24.Kf1 Kd7 25.Be5 Kc6 26.Bd4 a6 27.c4 b5 28.cxb5+ axb5 29.a3 Be6 30.Ke2 Bd5 31.g3 Ba2 32.c3 Kd5 33.Ke3 Bb1 34.Bg7 Ba2 35.f4 Bb1 36.h3 Bc2 37.g4 Ke6 38.Ke4 Kf7 39.Bd4 h6 40.f5 g5 41.Kf3 Bxd3 42.Kg3 Be2 43.h4 Bd1 44.hxg5 hxg5 45.Be3 Kf6 46.Bb6 Ke5 47.Bd8 Ke4 48.Bxg5 Kd3 49.Bf6 Kc4 50.g5 Kb3 51.g6 Bh5 52.Kf4 Kxa3 53.Kg5 Bd1 54.Kh6 Bb3 55.Kg7 b4 56.cxb4 Kxb4 57.Kf8 Kc5 58.Be7+ Kd5 59.f6 Ke5 60.g7 Kf5 61.g8Q Bxg8 62.Kxg8 Kg6 63.f7 1-0

By playing 7...Nf6, Black gives back the sacrificed piece, leaving White a pawn up in a balanced position. That's more than I usually get with 1.e4 e5 and a whole lot more than what I usually get with the Jerome Gambit.

Black should have played 7...Qe7, Whistler's Defense, as I did against blackburne ("Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter VIII") and as my buddy A. B. Hailey faced ("Beware: Mad Dog!").

8.Qxc5 d6

Black could have tried 8...Nxe4 on this or the next move: the open e-file leading up to White's King makes this possible.

9.Qe3

Vazquez played 9.Qc3 in his match game against Carrington (see "Flaws (Part II)").

9...Be6 10.0-0 Rf8 11.Nc3 Kg7 12.d3


Brain 50 has castled-by-hand, and has an edge in development, while I have a couple of extra pawns. No need for me to do anything exciting, just slowly build my advantage.

12...c513.f4 Ng4 14.Qg3 Rc8
After the game Rybka suggested 14...h5 15.h3 h4 16.Qe1 Nh6 17.Bd2 Bd7 18.Qe3 Re8 19.Nd5. The waves are still going to break over the Black King's head.
15.f5 gxf5 16.h3


Better here was 16.exf5, as 16...Bxf5 would have been answered by 17.Rxf5 Rxf5 18.Qg4+. Black now went in for a series of exchanges.

16...f4 17.Bxf4 Rxf4 18.Rxf4 Qg5 19.Rxg4 Bxg4 20.Qxg4 Qxg4 21.hxg4



White's extra piece will prevail.

21...Kg6 22.Rf1 Rh8 23.Rf5 a6 24.Nd5 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter XVI

Here is my favorite game of the tournament.


I had White, playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).


I lost.

Hats off to Temmo for a fascinating game!


perrypawnpusher - Temmo
JG3 thematic http://www.chessworld.net/ 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+



As played against me by drewbear ("Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter II") and Kevin the fruitbat ("Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter XIII") in this tournament, and James042665 ("Fools walk in...") more recently.

The line has lots of confusion for White, and a possible Black Queen sacrifice (i.e. abhailey - peonconorejas, net-chess.com, 2008, "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter II") to keep things lively.

9.g3

No more innovations like 9.Kd1, perrypawnpusher - drewbear, JG3 thematic, http://www.chessworld.net/, 2008 (0-1, 10)

9...Nf3+ 10.Kf1 Qh6


If you happen to have the quirky tome Unorthodox Chess, by the pseudonymous Some Loser, you would find the alternative 10...Nxh2+ in one of his games: 11.Kg2 Qd8 12.Qd5+ Ke7 13.Qxc5+ d6 14.Qg5+ Ke8 15.Qxd8+ Kxd8 16.Rxh2 Nf6 17.d3 Ng4? 18.Rh4 Nf6 19.Be3 Bg4?! 20.Bd4 Bd1? 21.Na3 Be2 22.Kf2 Bxd3 23.cxd3 c5 24.Bxf6+ gxf6 25.Nc4 Ke7 26.Ne3 Kf7 27.Rah1 Kg6 28.Rh6+ Kg7 29.Nf5+ Kg8 30.Rxf6 d5 31.Nh6+ Kg7 32.Rf7+ Kg6 33.e5 Rhg8 34.Rf6+ Kg7 35.Nf5+ Kh8 36.Rxh7+ Kxh7 37.Rh6 checkmate Some Loser - NN.

11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.Qxc5+ Qd6 It's probably better to leave the Queens on the board with 12...d6. It doesn't look like a big deal, but if the analysis given below of a 14th move alternative for White is accurate, then it is here that Black loses his advantage.

13.Qxd6+ cxd6

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
(from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1872)

Is the Knight at f3 vulnerable? If so, then White probably will find an even – if unclear – game.

Is the Knight Black's only source of worry? What about the a1-h8 diagonal?

After the hammering White took in the game perrypawnpusher - James042665, Chess.com 2008, we will probably see 10...Qf6 far more often than this game's 10...Qh6, so there may not be other games to address these (and other) questions.

Pity.

14.c3

Played to keep the Knight from running away, but Rybka gives an interesting alternative in 14.b4!? -- when best play has the piece staying a moment, as 14...Nd4 15.Bb2 Ne6 16.f5 seems to require the answer 16...Nf6, when 17.Bxf6 (better than the pawn capture) gxf6 18.fxe6 dxe6 gives White a small advantage.

After 14.b4!? b6 15.Kf2 Nd4 it's still an unclear game: 16.Bb2 Nxc2 17.Bxg7 Nf6 18.Bxh8 Nxe4+ (better than the immediate capture of the Rook with 18...Nxa1) 19.Kf3 Nc5 (an amazing move; Black also has 19...Bb7 20.Rc1 Nc5 21.Ke2 Ba6+ leading to a draw by repetition) 20.Ke2 Bb7 21.Rc1 Ba6+ 22.Kd1 Nxb4 23.Bd4 Ncd3 where Rybka suggests as best that Black can force a draw.

14...g5

On a rescue mission!

15.Kf2

The King is probably better-placed after 15.Kg2, after which the battle over the knight would continue with 15...g4 16.h3 d5 17.exd5 d6 18.hxg4 Bxg4 although Black would have an edge after 19.Rf1 h5 20.Rxf3 Bxf3 21.Kxf3 h4 22.gxh4 Rxh4 – White has three pawns for the exchange, but Black's development would more than compensate.

15...g4 16.h3 d5 17.hxg4

Capturing the d-pawn first was better.

17...dxe4 18.d3 d5 19.g5

Giving up on the "undermining" mission, and seeking to delay the development of the other Knight, which would in turn delay the development of a Rook.

19...h6

Black understood what I was getting at, and worked to counter it; but the more straight-forward 19...Bf5 would have helped his development

20.dxe4

If first 20.c4 Bg4 21.dxe4 dxe4 22.Nc3 Re8 23.Nxe4 the pawn center would have been destroyed, and White would have crept closer to equality.

20...dxe4 21.Nd2 Nxd2 22.Bxd2 Bg4 23.Be3

White had the interesting 23.Rh4 instead, although after 23...h5 24.Rah1 Bf3 25.R1h2 Ke6 26.g4 Bxg4 27.Rxg4 Nf6! Black wins the exchange and retains the better game.

23...Ke6 24.Rh4 Kf5

Here Rybka comes up with another interesting idea for White: sacrificing the exchange! 25.Rxg4 Kxg4 26.Rh1 Kf5 27.Rh4 Rd8 27.g4 Kg6 28.g4 Kg6 29.Ke2 a6 30.f5 Kg7 31.gxh6 Nxh6 32.Bd4 Rxd4!? 33.cxd4 Rc8 and too many of White's pawns look like targets.

25.Bd4 Rh7 26.Rah1 h5 27.Ke3

Rybka suggests the exchange sacrifice again, 27.Rxg4 etc. to reduce Black's advantage. Once Black gets his pieces untangled, the game more and more favors him. His King easily handles the White pawns.

27...Ne7 28.R4h2 Nd5+ 29.Kd2 b6 30.Re1 Re8 31.Be3 Rd8 32.Kc2 Rc7 33.a3 Rcd7 34.Bd4 b5 35.Be5 Rc8 36.Kb1 a5 37.g6


A frail whisp of hope. A mirage.

37...b4 38.axb4 axb4 39.g7 b3 40.Bd4 Kg6 41.Kc1 Kf5 42.Rhh1 Nb4 43.Kd2 Rxd4+
White resigns.


What a game!

Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit

I have a habit of giving the "Jerome Gambit treatment" to related openings, if I think I can get away with it (see "Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit" and "Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit 2").


Take the "semi-Italian" opening, as referred to by Euwe, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6, and played at times by GM Pavel Blatny (and many nervous club players who fear Nf3-g5).

perrypawnpusher - bergeruw
blitz game FICS, 2007
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6


4.0-0

One early morning on FICS I was in such a hurry to Jerome-ize this opening that I fired off 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Ke7 8.Qxe5+ Kf7 only to realize (of course) that there was no enemy Bishop on c5 to pick up! So I had to weasel my way out: 9.Qd5+ Ke8 10.0-0 c6 11.Qd4 c5 12.Qc3 d6 13.f4 Be7 14.d4 b5 15.dxc5 dxc5 16.Qxg7 Bf6 17.Qg6+ Ke7 18.Nc3 Bb7 19.e5 Qd4+ 20.Kh1 Bh4 21.Qg7+ Ke8 22.Qxh8 Kf7 23.Qh7+ Kf8 24.Qf5+ Bf6 25.exf6 Nxf6 26.Nxb5 Be4 27.Nxd4 Black resigns, perrypawnpusher - marapr, FICS, 2007

4...Bc5 5.Bxf7+

I think that adding 0-0 to the regular Jerome Gambit line is more helpful to White than adding ...h6 is to Black. In any case, the game is no longer the quiet affair hoped for by the second player.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Kf6

Black moved his King, instead, to e6 in a humorous gamelet of mine, where both sides were plagued by nerves from the onset, and I foolishly forced a draw in a won position: 7...Ke6 8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.d4 Qf6 10.dxe5+ Qxe5 11.Rd1+ Bd4 12.Qf8+ Ke6 13.Qe8+ Kf6 14.Qf8+ Ke6 15.Qe8+ Kf6 Game drawn by mutual agreement.. perrypawnpusher - Joyus, blitz game, FICS, 2007

Black can, as an alternative, block the check: 7...Ng6 8.Qd5+ ( 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qc4+ Be6 10.Qe2 Nf6 11.f4 Re8 12.f5 Bxf5 13.Rxf5 d5 14.e5 Qd7 15.Qh5 c6 16.Nc3 Qc7 17.d4 c5 18.Nxd5 Qd8 19.exf6 gxf6 20.Rxf6+ Qxf6 21.Nxf6 Black lost on time in a busted position, abhailey - cumelen, net-chess.com 2008) 8...Kf8 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qe3 N8e7 11.d4 Kg8 12.Nc3 Kh7 13.f4 Rf8 14.f5 Nh8 15.g4 Kg8 16.g5 hxg5 17.Qxg5 Nf7 18.Qg3 Nc6 19.f6 g5 20.Bxg5 Nxg5 21.Qxg5+ Kf7 22.Qg7+ Ke6 23.d5+ Ke5 24.Qg3+ Kd4 25.Qd3+ Ke5 26.Qg3+ Kd4 27.Qd3+ Ke5 28.Qg3+ Kd4 29.Qd3+ Ke5 30.Qg3+ Kd4 31.Qd3+ Ke5 32.Qg3+ Kd4 in time trouble, with a winning position, I forced the draw, perrypawnpusher - pascalwilliams, blitz game, FICS 2007

8.Qf5+ Ke7 9.Qxe5+ Kf7 10.Qd5+ Kf6


11.e5+ Kg6 12.Qxc5 d6 13.exd6 Qxd6 14.Qxd6+ cxd6



Black is simply two pawns down, and his King's increased activity is not sufficient compensation.
15.Nc3 Bf5 16.d3 Rc8 17.Be3 a6 18.Bd4 Nf6 19.Rae1 Rhe8 20.f3 Kh7 21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.Kf2 Kg6 24.Re1 Rc8

A further ten moves has not improved Black's lot.

25.Re7 Rb8 26.Ne4 Bxe4 27.fxe4 b5 28.Rd7 Rb6 29.c3 b4 30.c4 b3 31.a3 f5 Black resigns

Beware: Mad Dog!

My buddy A B Hailey
likes to adopt the nickname "Mad Dog"
when he's playing chess.

He's partial to the Evans Gambit and the Sicilian Dragon.

He's been known to ball-bat my Blackmar Diemer Gambits and Latvian Gambits, too. (One of our games shows up in Tony Kosten's The Latvian Gambit Lives!)

Somehow "Mad Dog" got interested in playing the Jerome Gambit... Probably the bad influence of good friends, or something like that.

I like to refer to him as the "unluckiest Jerome Gambit player in the world."

You've seen his first effort in "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter II," abhailey - peonconorejas, net-chess.com, 2008 (0-1, 20) -- just his luck to find someone with the calculating skills of a computer to overturn past theory and execute a nifty Queen sac!


Does "Mad Dog" give up? Of course not!

He comes right back with another Jerome:


abhailey - cruciverbalist
net-chess.com, 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7
Yippie...

By accident or design Black plays Whistler's Defense -- one of the numerous refutations of the Jerome Gambit.

8.Qf4+ Nf6

He, he, he...

One of the "problems" with a refutation, though, is you have to play it properly. After 8...Qf6 "Mad Dog" can finish his day playing "World of Warcraft." After the text, he's back in the game.

9.e5 Re8 10.d4 Bxd4 11.Qxd4 Qxe5+ 12.Qxe5 Rxe5+ 13.Be3 Nd5

Oddly enough, up until this point the game has been following Jerome - Jaeger, correspondence, 1879 which continued with the inaccurate 13...Ng4, but then Black simply outplayed White: 14.0–0 d5 15.Nc3 c6 16.Bd4 Re7 17.h3 Nh6 18.g4 b6 19.f4 Bb7 20.b4 Rc8 21.Na4 Re4 22.c3 Ba6 23.Rf2 Bb5 24.Nxb6 axb6 25.Bxb6 Rce8 26.Kg2 Ke6 27.a4 Ba6 28.Bc5 Kd7 29.Rb1 Rb8 30.Kg3 Rc4 31.Rc1 Ng8 32.f5 Nf6 33.Ba7 Rbxb4 34.Kg2 Ne4 35.Rf3 Rb2+ 36.Kh1 Rxa4 37.fxg6 Raa2 38.Bg1 hxg6 39.Re1 Nf2+ 40.Bxf2 Rxf2 41.Rg3 Be2 42.Kg1 Bf3 43.Re3 Be4 44.c4 Rh2 45.Kf1 Jaeger announced a mate in three at this point. 0–1

In our game, the attacker chomps on and does not let go.




14.0–0 Nxe3 15.fxe3+ Kg7 16.Nc3 a6 17.Rf3 b5 18.Raf1 Bb7

My analysis buddy Rybka sees the position as equal, and recommends a line where White forces the draw: 18...b4 19.Rf7+ Kg8 20.Rf8+ Kg7 21.R1f7+ Kh6 22.Rh8 bxc3 23.Rhxh7+ Kg5 24.h4+ Kg4 25.Rf4+ Kg3 26.Rf3+ Kg4 27.Rf4+ etc.

19.Rf7+ Kh6 20.Rxd7 Rxe3 21.Rxc7 Be4 22.Re7 Rd8 23.Rxe4 Rxe4 24.Nxe4

The extra piece and pawn are enough to win.

24...Rd4 25.Re1 a5 26.h3 a4 27.c3 Rd5 28.Rf1 Re5 29.Nd6 Re2 30.Rf2 Re1+ 31.Kh2 Re7 32.Nxb5 g5 33.c4 Kh5 34.c5 Re8 35.c6 Rc8 36.c7 h6 37.Rf7 Kg6 38.Rd7 Kh5 39.Rd8 Rxc7 40.Nxc7 Kh4 41.Rd6 g4 42.g3+ Kg5 43.h4+ Kf5 44.Rxh6 Ke5 45.Re6+ Kf5 46.h5 a3 47.bxa3 Kg5 48.h6 Kf5 49.h7 Kg5 50.h8Q Kf5 51.Qf6 checkmate

Later "Mad Dog" even "Jerome-ized" a semi-Italian opening by meeting 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 with 4.Bxf7+ -- but that is a story for another time,

(Mad dog, sheriff artwork compliments of Jeff Bucchino, "The Wizard of Draws")