In the first of my two Italian Game tournaments at Chess.com I have won one game and am near another win. Both of them are technical endgames.
In my second tournament, I suffered a loss when my "brilliant" Queen sacrifice did not lead to a back rank checkmate, after all... Awkward.
However, I have just completed a win with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), and that is enough for me to consider the tournament a success, already!
perrypawnpusher (1636) - Vaima01 (1773)
Italian Game - Round 1 Chess.com, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
This is a natural response, prudently returning one of the two sacrificed pieces; yet, I am always glad to see it, as it leads to interesting clashes between the "Jerome pawns" and Black's extra piece, and the chess engines usually show a gradual slip into an even game after about a dozen moves.
7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Qe7
10.Nc3
Or 10.d4, as in mrjoker - lilred, ICC, 2009 (1-0, 50); or 10.0-0 as in mrjoker - blind25, ICC, 2009 (0-1, 66) and perrypawnpusher - Edvardinho, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 57).
10...Nf6 11.0-0 Be6
A bit more active was 11...Rf8, as in perrypawnpusher - MRBarupal, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 31) and perrypawnpusher - chingching, blitz, FICS, 2011 (½-½, 36).
An alternate development of Black's Bishop was seen after 11...b6 in perrypawnpusher - Navarrra, blitz, FICS, 2011, (1-0, 24).
12.f4 Bf7
Black's move is sensible. There have been a variety of alternatives:
The frisky 12...Bc4 was seen in perrypawnpusher - ZhekaR, blitz, FICS 2011 (0-1, 36) and perrypawnpusher - tuffnut, blitz, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 62);
The retreat 12...Bd7 appeared in perrypawnpusher - Unimat, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 25);
The bold 12...Kd7 was tried in perrypawnpusher - Solaar, blitz, FICS, 2011 (33); and
The counter-attacking 12...Ng4 erupted in Wall,B - Hirami,Z, Chess.com, 2011 (1-0, 20).
13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc6 15.Qd3 Kd7 16.e5 Ne8
Black opts for the scientific solution of returning a piece for two pawns, with the goal of leveling out the position and the game.
After the game, however, Rybka suggested the way to do that would have been by 16...Nxe5 17.dxe5 Qxe5. It turns out that there is a glitch or two in giving back the Bishop.
17.e6+ Bxe6 18.fxe6+ Kd8
The second pawn is not easily taken, as after 18...Kxe6 there is 19.Qf5 checkmate; and after 18...Qxe6 White has 19.d5.
White is now better, but it took me a while to figure out how to proceed.
19.d5 Ne5 20.Qf5 h6 21.Bf4 Rf8 22.Qh3 Rf6
This helps, although in the end I decided to settle for the win of another pawn, with a strong position.
23.Ne4 Rf8 24.Bxe5 dxe5 25.Qg3 Nf6 26.Qxe5
26...Nxe4 27.Qxe4 Qc5+ 28.Kh1 Ke7 29.Rf7+
My favorite move of the game. It's success is based on finding a "quieter" move later on.
29...Rxf7
After the alternative, 29...Ke8, I had planned 30.Raf1 and Black does not have long to live.
30.exf7+ Kxf7
I was happy to see that after 30...Kf8 I would have the nice move 31.Re1
31.Qe6+ Kf8 32.Rf1+ Qf2 Black resigned
Assessing play against the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) can be a topsy turvy affair. Take the following game. Black was probably most in danger when his position was objectively winning. Likely, he felt more comfortable as his game became less and less in his favor. When he reached a drawn endgame – that's when his troubles really began.
mrjoker - lilred
blitz, 2 12, Internet Chess Club, 2009
White has just regained his sacrificed piece, and the game resembles the dreaded/revered "drawish" Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame that can come about in Jerome Gambit games.
White's passer can be blockaded by Black's King and/or Bishop. Black can create counter-play by working to get his own passer on the Queenside. The Kingside may or may not become critical.
Knowing how to play this kind of endgame (any endgame, really) is essential for Jerome Gambiteers. mrjoker does a great job, at blitz speed.
32.h3 h5 33.gxh5+ Kxh5 34.Kg2 Kh4 35.Bf2+ Kg5 36.Kg3 Kf5 37.Kf3 g5 38.Ke3 Bb7 39.h4 g4
Almost all of White's pawns are on the dark squares of his Bishop; all of Black's pawns are on the light squares of his Bishop.
None of the passers are likely to make progress any time soon.
Black should advance his Queenside majority and aim for another passer. He should advance his g-pawn when possible, if only to distract White.
The game is, and should remain, even. However, "even" endgames favor the more knowledgeable player.
40.Bg3 a5 41.a3 Bd5
He could also have continued with 41...b4 42.axb4 axb4 43.Bd6 c3 44.bxc3 bxc3 (or 44...b3) but each side will still be able to blockade the other's pawns and be unable to advance his own.
42.Bc7 Bc6 43.Bxa5
White has gained a pawn, but it is only symbolic, or, perhaps, psychological. The game is still even.
43...g3 44.Be1 Kg4
This looks like a logical followup to the previous move: advance the g-pawn then use the King to defend it while also attacking the enemy h-pawn. The problem is that Black need something to keep White distracted, lest he make use of his two passed pawns.
Therefore 44...g2 was called for, a move to tie up White's King while Black can use his King to blockade one enemy passer and his Bishop to blockade the other.
45.Bxg3
A shocker.
45...Kxg3
It is now only a choice between losing quickly and losing slowly.
After declining the Bishop with 45...Be8 46.Be1 White's King will eventually maneuver it's way to the Kingside to escort his h-pawn to the Queening square, winning Black's Bishop; or make his way to the Queenside and win Black's b-pawn, making his a-pawn a threat.
Now, without the distraction of a passed pawn, Black cannot hold back both of White's passers.
But, don't leave yet.
46.h5 Bd5 47.h6 Bg8 48.Ke4 Kg4 49.d5 Kg5
50.d6
A surprising slip. Instead, 50.Ke5, closing out the Black King and preventing the blockade of the d-pawn, wins.
It seems hard to believe, but Black now has an escape here with 50...Kf6, making sure that his King gets to the enemy d-pawn. After 51.Kd4 Ke6 52.Kc5 Kd7 53.Kxb5 Kxd6 White has several of paths to take, none of them yielding more that half a point.
He can give up his h-pawn for Black's c-pawn with 54.h7 Bxh7 55.Kxc4, but 55...Kc6 will put Black's King (along with his Bishop) in a favorable position to resist the advance of White's pawns.
He can keep his King ahead of Black's King in the race to a8, and move his a-pawn up as well, but 54.Kb6 Kd7 55.Kb7 Black will check him back with 55...Bd5+.
Finally, he can advance his a-pawn with 54.a4, but Black's King can quickly get in front of it.
50...Kxh6
Now the d-pawn simply advances and promotes.
Black resigned
