An Okay Game

I don't think that I will ever play a "great" or "wonderful" game (especially as long as I play the Jerome Gambit), but I sometimes aspire to play "an okay game" of some sort or another. With the following game, I'm getting a bit closer, I think.


perrypawnpusher - Tjofs
blitz, FICS, 2012


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

The Italian Four Knights Game. 


Instead, 4...Nxe4 would have initiated the "fork trick". Now I get to play the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.


5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Qe7 

Black has a 4:1 advantage in development, plus two extra pieces. The game is practically won...


8.dxc5 Qxc5 9.Be3 


Sharp, and suggesting that I know what I am doing.


Previously 9.O-O was tried in perrypawnpusher - barbos, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 49).


9...Qb4

Or 9...Qd6 as in perrypawnpusher - braunstein, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 54) or 9...Qe7 as in perrypawnpusher - Gibarian, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 37).


My opponent was pretty sure it was time to counter-attack.


10.O-O Nxe4


Consistently "moving forward", but erronious. 


11.Qd5+ Kg6 12.Qxe5 Nxc3 13.bxc3 Qg4 

14.f3


Stronger was the more direct 14.Bd4 Rg8 15.Qxc7


14... Qe6 


I think that time was already beginning to affect us. Simplest was 14...d6


15.Qg5+ Kf7 16.Rfe1 


Likewise, getting the Bishop to d4 right away was the correct idea.


16...Qg6 17. Qf4+ Kg8 18.Qxc7 h6 19.Bd4 Kh7 

Well, I've played the "right" moves, even if not in the "right" order. 


Even though White's material advantage is only one, isolated, pawn (and this against the background of a possible Bishops-of-opposite-colors drawish endgame) Black's lag in development and unsafe King clearly gives the first player the advantage.


20.Re7 Rg8 21.Qe5 d6 22.Qg3 


Looked like a good idea at the time. Cutting off counterplay??


22...Qxg3 23.hxg3 Bf5 

24.Rxb7 a6 25.Re1 Bxc2 26.Ree7 Kg6 

White's pieces are in place, and this escape only helps.


27.Rxg7+ 


Fair enough, although 27.g4 would lead to mate.


27...Rxg7 28.Rxg7+ Kf5 29.g4+ Kf4 30.Rf7+ 


Again, quicker would be: 30.Kf2 Bg6 31.Rxg6 Rh8 32.g3#


30...Kg3 31.Bf2 checkmate

I had my chances...

I had my chances in the following game. The opening that I chose, the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit (a form of the "modern" Jerome Gambit) was odd and new enough to get me a very playable position. My opponent, however, was the one who played well enough to win.


perrypawnpusher - braunstein
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 Gambit.

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

7...Qe7 8.dxc5 Qxc5 9.Be3 Qd6

Or 9...Qc6, as in the tortured and tortuous perrypawnpusher -barbos, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 49)

10...a6

Protecting the Queen from attack by Nc3-b5, but probably a developing move like 10...Re8 was better. White cannot afford to waste time on such simple threats.

11.f4 Neg4 12.e5 Qe6 13.0-0 Nxe3 14.Qxe3 Ng4 15.Qc5

15...Qb6 16.Qxb6 cxb6 17.Rae1 Re8

White has about equalized. Any troubles from now on are not the fault of the Jerome Gambit.

18.h3 Nh6 19.Nd5 Ra7 20.Nxb6 Nf5 21.c3 a5 22.g4 Ne7 23.f5 Nc6

White even has an edge here. His plan should be to advance his pawns, starting with 24.e6, with the idea of infiltrating both Rooks to the 7th rank.

24.Nxc8 Rxc8 25.e6+ dxe6 26.fxe6+ Kg8 27.Rf7 Re8

By exchanging his active Knight for Black's passive Bishop, White removed an attacker as well as a target. The more simplified position holds little prospect for advantage.

28.Ref1

White needed to be precise: 28.Rc7 instead prevents Black's next move and allows for Re-d1-d7, abandoning the e-pawn for doubled Rooks on the seventh.

After this move, I was steadily out-played by my opponent.

28...b6 29.Rxa7 Nxa7 30.Re1 Nc6

 

With the e-pawn about to fall, and with little counter-play as compensation for the Knight, the game is essentially over. I played on for a couple dozen more moves in the vain hope that my opponent might slip up. That never happened.

31.Kf2 Kf8 32.Kf3 Nd8 33.e7+ Rxe7 34.Rxe7 Kxe7 35.Ke4 Ke6 36.c4 Nf7 37.b3 Ng5+ 38.Kf4 Nxh3+ 39.Kg3 Ng5 40.Kf4 h6 41.a3 Nf7 42.b4 axb4 43.axb4 Nd6 44.c5 g5+ 45.Kf3 bxc5 46.bxc5 Nc4 47.Ke4 Ne5 48.c6 Nxc6 49.Kf3 Ne5+ 50.Kg3 Kd5 51.Kh3 Ke4 52.Kg3 Nd3 53.Kg2 Kf4 54.Kh3 Ne5 White resigned

A very steady game by my opponent!

A Long Time Getting There

Some things take time. Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games, for example, should be won or lost with a *bang* – leaving plenty of time for other things.

Sometimes, though they drag on and on. 

By the end of this post, readers familiar with the stories of the science fiction writer Ben Bova will understand why I wanted to title this "Pawns, Won't You Hide Me?"

perrypawnpusher  - barbos
blitz FICS, 2010

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

The Italian Four Knights Game, soon to become the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, a variation of the "modern" Jerome Gambit.

5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4

7...Qe7

Great move. I really enjoy it when my opponents play thoughtfully. Did I really sacrifice two pieces just so I could be behind in development 4:1?

8.dxc5

This capture seems like the right one to me, but a trip to the New Year's Database shows that the other has been played as well: 8.dxe5 Qxe5 9.Be3 (9.0-0 Rf8 10.Nb5 Kg8 11.g3 Bxf2+ 12.Rxf2 Qxb5 13.e5 Qxe5 14.Bf4 Qc5 15.Qd2 Ne4 16.Qe2 Nxf2 17.Qxf2 Qxf2+ 18.Kxf2 g5 19.Kg2 gxf4 20.Rd1 White resigned, jwilled - kalimaa, FICS, 2006; or 9.f4 Qe7 10.e5 Ne8 11.Qd5+ Kf8 12.Ne4 Bb4+ 13.c3 c6 14.Qb3 Ba5 15.0-0 Bb6+ 16.Kh1 d5 17.Ng5 h6 18.Nf3 Bg4 19.c4 Bxf3 20.Rxf3 dxc4 21.Qxc4 Qc5 22.Qf1 Qg1+ 23.Qxg1 Bxg1 24.Kxg1 g5 25.f5 Rh7 26.Rd3 Nc7 27.Be3 b6 28.Rd6 Nd5 29.Rb1 Nxe3 30.f6 Ke8 31.Re1 Rd8 32.Rxe3 Rxd6 33.exd6+ Kd7 34.Re7+ Rxe7 35.fxe7 Ke8 36.Kf2 b5 37.Ke3 c5 38.Ke4 a5 39.Kd5 c4 40.Ke6 b4 41.d7 checkmate, Oak - danielleshark, FICS, 2009) 9...Bxe3 10.fxe3 d6 11.0-0 d5 12.Nxd5 Qxe4 13.Nxf6 gxf6 14.Qe2 Bg4 15.Rxf6+ Kxf6 16.Rf1+ Bf5 17.Qd2 Rhg8 18.Qc3+ Ke6 19.g3 Bh3 20.Rf4 Qg2 checkmate, theep - alexmdc, FICS, 2000.

8...Qxc5 9.0-0

The New Year's Database contains 533 games by yorgos, so his alternative play must be taken seriously: 9.Be3 Qc6 10.0-0 Nxe4 11.Nxe4 Qxe4 12.Qh5+ Ng6 13.Rad1 d6 14.Bg5 Be6 15.f3 Qxc2 16.f4 Bf5 17.g4 Be4 18.Qh3 Rae8 19.f5 Ne5 20.Rd2 Qc6 21.Qh5+ g6 22.fxg6+ Kg7 23.Qh6+ Kg8 24.Bf6 Nf3+ 25.Kf2 Qc5+ 26.Kg3 Re7 27.Bxe7 Nxd2 28.Qf8 checkmate, yorgos - smartvikings, FICS, 2009.

9...d6

Or 9...Re8 10.Be3 Qc6 11.Bd4 Nxe4 12.f4 Nxc3 13.fxe5+ Kg8 14.Bxc3 d6 15.exd6 cxd6 16.Rf2 b6 17.Qd4 Re7 18.Rd1 Bb7 19.Qxd6 Qxd6 20.Rxd6 Rae8 21.h3 h6 22.Bb4 Re2 23.Rd7 Rxf2 24.Kxf2 Be4 25.Bc3 Rf8+ 26.Ke3 Bf5 27.Rxg7+ Kh8 28.Rxa7+ Kg8 29.Rg7+ Kh8 30.Bd4 Re8+ 31.Re7+ Black resigned, Wall - Cinthia, chess.com, 2010;

Or 9...Rf8 10.Be3 (10.Bg5 Kg8 11.Bxf6 Rxf6 12.Qd5+ Qxd5 13.Nxd5 Rc6 14.Ne7+ Kh8 15.Nxc6 bxc6 16.f4 Ng4 17.Rae1 Rb8 18.h3 Nf6 19.b3 Ba6 20.c4 d5 21.e5 Ne4 22.e6 Re8 23.f5 h6 24.Rf3 Kh7 25.cxd5 cxd5 26.Rc1 c5 27.Kh2 Bb5 28.a4 Ba6 29.Rd1 Be2 30.Rfd3 Bxd3 31.Rxd3 d4 32.g4 Kg8 33.Kg2 Kf8 34.Kf3 Nd6 35.Kf4 Ke7 36.Ke5 Rc8 37.Kd5 Rd8 38.Kc6 Rc8+ 39.Kd5 Rd8 40.Ke5 Rc8 41.Rf3 a5 42.f6+ gxf6+ 43.Rxf6 Ne8 44.Rf7+ Kd8 45.Rd7 checkmate, stretto - samepate, FICS, 2007) 10...Qd6 11.Bd4 Kg8 12.Nb5 Qe6 13.Nxc7 Qg4 14.Nxa8 Qxd1 15.Raxd1 Neg4 16.Bxf6 Rxf6 17.Nc7 d6 18.Nd5 Rh6 19.Ne7+ Kf7 20.Nxc8 Nxh2 21.Rfe1 Ng4 22.Rxd6 Ne5 23.Rxh6 gxh6 24.Nxa7 Black resigned,  yorgos-nerdlinger, FICS, 2009

10.Be3 Qc6 11.f4 Neg4

12.Qd3 Re8 13.e5 dxe5 14.fxe5 Rxe5 15.Bd4 Bf5

Play is heating up.

16.Rxf5

Thinking that I was winning a piece.

After the game Rybka suggested that the win of the exchange was all that was available: 16.Qg3 Rae8 17.h3 Ne3 18.Rfe1 Nc4 19.Bxe5 Qc5+ 20.Kh1 Rxe5 21.Rxe5 Qxe5 22.Qxe5 Nxe5 23.Nb5 a6 24.Nxc7 Bxc2, leaving White with a Rook for two pieces.

analysis diagram






16...Rxf5 17.Qxf5 Rd8

This is what I saw, and apparently what my opponent saw as well.

We both missed 17...Qd6 instead, when Black is able to torture two pawns out of the position: 18.Qd3 Qxh2+ 19.Kf1 Re8 20.Bg1 Qh1 21.Qh3 Ne3+ 22.Kf2 Qxh3 23.gxh3 Nxc2

analysis diagram






18.Bxf6 Nxf6

We have reached an even position. That should have been satisfactory for me, having started with a Jerome Gambit, but it was not. Of course, having let me escape my just fate, barbos was not finished, either.

19.Rf1 Rd2 20.Rf2

A slip. I should have been happy with 20.Ne4 Rxc2 21.Qxh7 Kf8 22.Qh8+ Kf7 when we both should have been pleased to repeat the position with 23.Qh7 Kf8 24.Qh8+, etc.

20...Qb6

21.g4

It is a question of which pawn to surrender.  Rybka preferred the b-pawn with: 21.h3 Rxf2 22.Qxf2 Qxb2.

21...Rxf2 22.Qxf2 Qxf2+ 23.Kxf2 Nxg4+

24.Kg3 Ne5 25.Kf4 Ke6

26.Nb5 Ng6+ 27.Ke4 Kd7

28.Nd4 c6 29.Nf5 h5

By keeping my King and Knight active, I've edged into an even position, and here Black slips.

Rybka suggested that he needed to find one retro move, 29...Nh8, surrendering the pawn, although then he could use similar piece activity to keep the game even, 30.Nxg7 Nf7 31.Nf5 Ke6 32.Nd4+ Kf6 33.Kf4 Ne5.

30.Nxg7 h4 31.Nf5

It was better for the King to go to this square.

31...Ke6 32.h3 b5

33.b4

Even at blitz speed, this endgame could have been played better. 33.Nd4+ would have pried open an entry to the Kingside for my King:  33...Kd6 34.Kf5 Ne5 35.Kg5 Nc4 36.Kxh4.

33...Kf6 34.Nd4 Ne7 35.a3 a6 36.c3 Kg5

Allowing 37.Nf3+ Kf6 38.Nxh4 which should be enough to win.

The draw came after 36...Nd5 37.c4 bxc4 38.Nf3 c3 39.Kd3 Ke6 40.Nxh4 Nxf4+ 41.Kxc3 Kd5.

analysis diagram







37.Ne6+

Pawns, won't you hide me?? 

37...Kf6 38.Nc5 Nf5

Better: 38...Nd5 39.Nxa6 Nxc3+ 40.Kf4 Nb1 41.Nb8 Nxa3 42.Nxc6 Ke6 43.Kg4 Nc2 44.Kxh4 Kd5 45.Na7 Nxb4 46.Nxb5 Nd3 and White's extra pawn means nothing.

39.Nxa6 Ng3+

Barbos and I have been wobbling back and forth, but finally I've got an advantage that I won't fumble back. Mostly.

40.Kf3 Ke5 41.Nb8 Kd5

A bit stronger defense was 41...Kd6.

42.Kg4 Kc4 43.Kxh4 Nf5+ 44.Kg5 Ne3

45.Nxc6 Kxc3 46.h4 Kb3 47.Nd4+ Kxa3 48.Nxb5+ Kxb4 49.Nd6

Here, with no small irony, Black forfeited on time. Neither his King nor his Knight can stop White's remaining pawn from Queening.