In our previous Jerome Gambit game, my opponent seriously out-played me and well deserved the full point. In this game, I didn't play any better, but my opponent didn't keep pace.
perrypawnpusher - mjmonday
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening.
4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5
The Semi-Italian Four Knights Game
6.Bxf7+
The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4
8...Bxd4 9.Qxd4 d6 10.f4 Nc6 11.Qd3 Re8
Black is very business-like in his play, staying out of mischief and preparing to castle-by-hand.
I also had difficulties after 11...Be6 12.Bd2 Nb4 13.Qg3 Nxc2 14.Rac1 Nd4 15.f5 Bd7 16.Qg6+ Kg8 17.Be3 Be8 18.Qg3 Nc6 19.Bf4 Nh5 20.Qe3 Nxf4 21.Rxf4 Qg5 22.Qf2 Ne5 23.h4 Qh5 24.Rd1 a5 25.f6 Ng4 26.Qg3 Qc5+ 27.Kh1 h5 28.Rxg4 hxg4 29.Qxg4 Rh7 30.Rd5 Qf2 31.h5 Qf1+ 32.Kh2 Qxf6 33.Rf5 Qd4 34.Qf3 Bd7 35.Rd5 Qf6 36.Qxf6 gxf6 37.Kg3 Rg7+ 38.Kf3 Bg4+ 39.Kf4 Be6 40.Rd2 Rg5 White resigned perrypawnpusher - HRoark, blitz FICS, 2010.
12.Bd2 Kg8 13.Rae1 Nb4
All of a sudden my opponent falls for an optical illusion... Attacking that Queen is so tempting.
Instead, 13...Kh8 was just fine for Black, as in perrypawnpusher - DeDaapse, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 24) and perrypawnpusher - JohnBr, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 31)
14.Qc4+ d5
Previously I had seen 14...Be6 in perrypawnpusher - Angstrem, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 35) and perrypawnpusher - amirelattar, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 50).
15.Qxb4 dxe4
16.Bc1 b6 17.Nxe4 Bb7 18.Nxf6+ Qxf6 19.Bd2 c5 20.Qc4+ Kh8 21.Bc3 Qg6
22.g3
The Bishops-of-opposite-colors are not yet drawish; instead, the player with the attack has the advantage. The move played is a blunder. White should not have further weakened the a8-h1 diagonal, and instead focused upon protecting g2.
22...Qg4
A missed chance: 22...Qc6 is deadly.
23.Qd3 Rxe1 24.Rxe1 Qh3
This looks like it puts pressure on White's King, but it allows the shot 25.Bxg7+. Too bad I missed it.
25.Qe2 a5
Black continues his play on the light squares, preparing for ...Ba6.
26.Qf2
Totally focused on defending, instead of the mentioned Bxg7+.
26...Kh7
Allowing me to finally bring an end to the game by glueing Black's Rook to g8 and exchanging Queens.
27.Re7 Rg8 28.Rxb7 Qg4 29.Qd2 Qf3 30.Qd3+ Qxd3 31.cxd3 Re8
An oversight.
32.Rxg7+ Black resigned
Here we have another example of that odd cousin of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit. I've begun to "just play it" with no more concern than a walk in the park.
perrypawnpusher - Avious
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
The updated New Year's Database has almost 200 games with this position, with White scoring 46%. (I guess my 3 wins and 2 draws helped.)
7...Bxd4 8.Qxd4 Nc6
This position – with 0-0 and ...h7-h6 added – has appeared twice in my games: perrypawnpusher - mjmonday, blitz FICS 2010 (0-1, 26 ); and perrypawnpusher - DeDaapse, blitz FICS 1010 (0-1, 19).
Instead of 8...Nc6, Black also had 8...Re8: 9.0-0 d6 10.f4 Nc6 11.Qd3 Kg8 12.Bd2 Nd5, b3 12...a6 13.Rae1 Kh8 14.Nd5 Nxd5 15.exd5 Rxe1 16.Rxe1 Na7 17.Qe4 Bg4 18.h3 Bh5 19.g4 Bf7 20.Bc3 Qe8 21.Qf5 Qf8 22.Qd7 Nb5 23.Re7 Nxc3 24.Rxf7 Qe8 25.Qxe8+ Rxe8 26.bxc3 Kg8 27.Rxc7 b5 28.Kf2 Re4 29.f5 Ra4 30.Rd7 Rxa2 31.Rxd6 Rxc2+ 32.Ke3 Rxc3+ 33.Kd4 Rc4+ 34.Kd3 Rc5 35.Rxa6 Rxd5+ 36.Ke3 Rd1 37.Rb6 Rb1 38.Kd4 Kf7 39.g5 Kg8 40.g6 Rd1+ 41.Ke5 Re1+ 42.Kf4 Re8 43.Rxb5 hxg6 44.fxg6 Rf8+ 45.Rf5 Rxf5+ 46.Kxf5 Kf8 47.Ke6 Kg8 48.Ke7 Kh8 49.h4 Kg8 50.h5 Kh8 51.Ke6 Kg8 52.Kf5 Kh8 53.Kg5 Kg8 54.Kf5 Kh8 55.Ke5 Kg8 56.Ke6 Kh8 57.Kd7 Kg8 58.Ke7 Kh8 59.h6 Kg8 60.h7+ Kh8 61.Kf8, drawn by stalemate, perrypawnpusher - KaZC, blitz FICS, 2010
9.Qc4+ Ke7
Instead, 9...d5 was a bit better.
10.0-0 Re8 11.Bg5 Kf8 12.f4 h6
This should lead to an even game, although it actually introduces a series of misplays by both sides.
After the game Rybka suggested an interesting line for Black, giving up two pieces for a Rook and coming out with a simplified position the exchange ahead: 12...d6 13.e5 Be6 14.Qb5 a6 15.Qxb7 Qd7 16.f5 Bxf5 17.Rxf5 Qxf5 18.Bxf6 gxf6 19.Qxc6 Qxe5.
analysis diagram
13.Bh4
Rybka's post mortem suggestion was: 13.Nd5 Rxe4 14.Qxe4 Nxe4 15.Bxd8 Nxd8 16.Nxc7 Rb8 when White has a Rook and a Pawn for Black's Knight and Bishop; about even.
analysis diagram
13...a6
More useful was 13...d6, but Black has decided to strike out on both wings.
14.e5 b5
See "Perhaps the best chess advice that I ever read..."
15.Qd3 g5
This is over-doing it, however, and should lead to disaster.
16.fxg5 Nxe5 17.Rxf6+
A few moves later, I wondered where my attack and advantage had gone. This move is a mistake, while 17.Qh7 would have been very strong.
17...Qxf6 18.gxf6 Nxd3 19.cxd3 Bb7
Black has the exchange for a pawn, and is better.
I couldn't believe that I had lost my way.
20.g4 Kf7 21.g5 hxg5 22.Bxg5 Rg8 23.h4
Establishing the two passed pawns. My plan looks frail, but it was the best that I could come up with.
23...d5 24.Re1 d4
Black has pawns that he wants to start moving, too. This move allows a critical tempo for me to get my Rook into the thick of things, though – something that 24...Rae8 would have prevented.
25.Re7+ Kg6 26.Ne2 Rae8
27.Nf4+ Kf5 28.f7 Rxg5+
29.hxg5 Rf8 30.g6 Kf6
31.Rxc7
After the game, Rybka pointed out that here I had a mate in 12 with 31.Re6+.
At the time I saw how to slowly improve my position, and I decided to grind things out, especially since my opponent was running low on time.
31...Bc8 32.Nd5+
32...Kg7 33.Ne7 Be6 34.Rc6 Bxa2
Readers may notice (I didn't) that this allows a creative mate in 3: 35.Nf5+ Kh8 36.g7+ Kh7 37.Rh6 #
analysis diagram
35.Rxa6
35...Bxf7 36.gxf7 Rxf7
A consequence of my un-hurried strategy, but the game is still well in hand for White.
37.Nd5 Rf3 38.Nb4 Re3 39.Kf2 Re5 40.Rd6
At this point Black lost on time.
Everyone who plays the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and related lines should keep in mind the old saying that goes: Sometimes you get the bear, and sometimes the bear gets you.
perrypawnpusher - DeDaapse
blitz 2 12, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening.
4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5
The Semi-Italian Four Knights Game.
6.Bxf7+
The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit (known to me personally as the Why-Am-I-Still-Playing-This Opening??).
6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4
For his sacrificed piece White will have a pawn, a semi-exposed King target – and a lot of high hopes.
8...Bxd4 9.Qxd4 Nc6
10.Qc4+ Kg6
Cue the ominous background violin music... This move was last seen in my debacle that was chronicled in "Bloodied but Unbowed".
11.f4
After the game Rybka suggested the sharper 11.Qd3, which is something that I will keep in mind if I ever pass this way again.
The idea is that after 11...Nb4 White can keep Black busy enough that the threat to c2 (and then the Rook at a1) never comes into play: 12.Qg3+ Kh7 13.e5 Ne8 14.f4 Qe7 15.f5 Qf7 16.Rf2 Rf8 17.Be3 d6 18.e6 Qh5 19.Raf1 Nf6 and Black's edge is small.
analysis diagram
11...Re8
An earlier game saw 11...Rf8 12.f5+ Kh7 13.g4 Nxg4 14.Qe2 Nf6 15.e5 Nd4 16.Qf2 Ng4 17.Qxd4 Qh4 18.Qf4 d5 19.f6 gxf6 20.Nxd5 fxe5 21.Qe4+ Kg7 22.Bxh6+ Qxh6 23.Qg2 Be6 24.h3 Bxd5 25.Qxg4+ Kh8 26.Kh2 Qd2+ White resigned, perrypawnpusher - mjmonday, blitz FICS, 2010.
Both Rook moves are fine. A bit stronger would have been 11...d6.
12.f5+
There is not much of a threat in this move – and White needs threats to stay in the game. He still had to try 12.Qd3, as 12...d6 13.e5+ Bf5 14.Qg3+ Kh7 15.exf6 Qxf6 left him only a pawn down.
analysis diagram
12...Kh7 13.Bf4 d6
White's "Jerome pawns" are frozen. Chances for the first player are dwindling.
14.Rae1 Ne5 15.Bxe5
A desperate kind of move that accomplishes nothing. I was getting seriously out-played.
15...Rxe5 16.Qd3 Qe7 17.Qg3
17...Bd7 18.Qg6+ Kh8 19.g4
The final mishap.
19...Be8 White resigned
