In any event, his use of the "fork trick" to deprive me of the opportunity to play an Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit was timely (given yesterday's post and my recent coverage of the tactical motif) if a bit existentially challenging. After all, he was choosing to play a line that leads to a small advantage for White, instead of choosing to play a line that refutes the first player's opening.
Oh well, as they say a difference of opinion is what makes a chess game...(or was that "a horse race"?)
perrypawnpusher - JTIV
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6
It could be my imagination, but I think that I have been seeing this move more often since this blog's series on "The Jerome Gambit vs Two Knights Defense (Part 1)" (Part 2), (Part 3) and (Part 4).
My opponent has won at least one Jerome Gambit: JTIV - NyteFork, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 14).
He and I have also previously contested a very exciting game: perrypawnpusher - JTIV, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 32).
4.Nc3 Nxe4
The "fork trick".
With White, JTIV had less success after 4...Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.0-0 Re8 7.Ng5+ Kg8 8.Nb5 a6 9.Nc3 d6 10.a3 Ng4 11.Nh3 Nd4 12.Nd5 c6 13.Ne3 Nxe3 14.fxe3 Bxh3 15.exd4 Bxd4+ 16.Kh1 Be6 17.c3 Ba7 18.Qf3 Rf8 19.Qxf8+ Qxf8 20.Rxf8+ Rxf8 21.h3 Rf1+ 22.Kh2 Bb8 23.g4 d5 24.exd5 Bxd5 25.Kg3 e4+ 26.Kh4 h6 27.g5 hxg5+ 28.Kxg5 Bf4+ 29.Kf5 Bxd2+ 30.Ke5 Bxc1 31.Kd6 Re1 32.b3 Bd2 33.Ra2 Bxc3 34.Rf2 Rb1 35.Ke7 Rxb3 36.Rf8+ Kh7 37.h4 e3 38.Re8 e2 39.Kf8 e1Q 40.Rxe1 Bxe1 41.a4 c5 42.h5 c4 43.Ke7 c3 44.Kd6 Bh1 45.Ke5 c2 46.Kf5 c1Q 47.Ke6 White resigned, JTIV - drkljenko, FICS, 2010.
5.Nxe4 d5
6.Bxd5
I am not quite sure why I played this move, instead of the recommended 6.Bd3. Things turned out okay in this instance, but I will probably not repeat my "experiment".
6...Qxd5 7.Nc3 Qc4
This is an interesting idea, aimed at interfering with White's castling (I think) but Black's Queen can go just about anywhere (d6 may be best) and maintain the second player's edge.
8.d3 Qg4 9.0-0 Bd6
10.Ne4 Qg6 11.Be3
After the game Fritz8 suggested 11.Nh4 Qe6 12.f4 with equal play.
11...Bh3 12.Ng3 Bg4 13.h3 Bxf3 14.Qxf3
Black has not gained much from his Bishop maneuvers; neither has he lost much. The following pawn sacrifice seems to gain little and lose more.
14...e4 15.Qxe4+ Qxe4 16.Nxe4 Be5 17.c3 0-0-0 18.d4 Bf6
Black is willing to give up his Bishop for a Knight and the opportunity to attack along the g-file. I am happy to have more targets.
19.Nxf6 gxf6 20.Bf4 Rhg8 21.Rae1 h5 22.Re3 Rg7 23.Rg3
23.Rfe1 was playable as even after 23...h4 White's Bishop allows him to play g2-g3 now or after Black doubles Rooks on the g-file.
23...Rxg3 24.Bxg3 Ne7
White is ahead a pawn, has a Bishop vs a Knight, and has 2 solid pawn islands vs Black's 3 (including 3 isolated pawns). At our level of play, especially in blitz, it would be presumptious so say the win "is only a matter of technique."
25.Re1 Nf5 26.Bf4 a5 27.g3 h4 28.g4 Ng7 29.Bd2 c5 30.Re4 f5 31.gxf5 Nxf5 32.Rf4 Ne7
33.Rxh4 b5 34.Be3 Nf5 35.Rf4 Rd5 36.dxc5 Nxe3 37.fxe3 Rxc5 38.Rxf7 Rg5+ 39.Kh2 Re5 40.Rf3 Rd5 41.Rf2 Kc7 42.h4 Kc6 43.Re2 Kc5
44.e4 Rd1 45.e5 Kc4 46.e6 Kd3 47.e7
After 47...Kxe2 I had already seen the mindless 48.e8Q+ Kd2 49.Qd7+ Kc1 50.Qxd1+ Kxd1 51.h5 etc, although there are smarter ways for White to win, too.
47...Re1
A slip. Black resigned
