Jerome Gambit: Just Play It!

A recent game illustrates why people play the Jerome Gambit - it just moves along, with various tactical ideas and traps that are often hidden to the defender, until it's too late...

Wall, Bill - Guest5463336
PlayChess.com, 2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb6 

This move seems perfectly reasonable, although 6...Bxd4 is considered the strongest response.

7.dxe5 Ne7

This is a position familiar to those who play the Jerome Gambit, in
particular (according to The Database) jfhumphrey, frizerkaHR, ndrwgn, HauntedKnight, chessmanjeff - and, of course, Bill Wall.

8.Qf3+ Ke8 

Bill has also faced 8...Kg8, e.g. 9.Qb3+ Kf8 10.O-O d5 11.Nc3 Be6 12.Bg5 c6 13.Rad1 Qd7 14.Bxe7+ Qxe7 15.exd5 cxd5 16.Nxd5 Qf7 17.Qa3+ Black resigned Wall, B-Guest6791785, PlayChess.com, 2018.

In the game position, Black is still doing fine. However, as White is still making moves, he has to come up with some kind of plan.

9.O-O Ng6 

Very good: go after the pawn at e5. Also tried: 9...Rf8 10.Qh5+ g6 11.Qxh7 g5 12.Qh5+ Rf7 13.Bxg5 c6 14.Nd2 Qc7 15.Nc4 a5 16.Nd6+ Black resigned, Wall,B -WGMS, FICS, 2017. 

10.Nc3 Rf8 11.Qe2 Nxe5 

Mission accomplished. The biggest danger for Black at this point is "relaxing" too early, as the e8-h5 diagonal often brings destruction.

12.Qh5+ Rf7 

Oh, no. Suddenly worried about his Kingside, Black chooses a defense that will at least protect the g-pawn. This leaves his Knight on e5 hanging, but that is not his greatest worry.

13.Bg5 Black resigned

Never mind the Knight; White goes after the Queen.

The Delayed Pie-in-the-Face

The difference between a very strong counter in the Jerome Gambit at move 6 and an ineffective defensive line (the same move one tempo later) shows the problem with delaying an active riposte. 

Wall, Bill - Guest6766281
PlayChess.com, 2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb6

Black can decide which piece to save, the Bishop or the Knight. The text is a reasonable line.

Of course, Black's strongest response is to ignore both of the pieces and play 6...Qh4!?, what I have referred to as a pie-in-the-face variation.

7.dxe5 Qh4

A delayed pie-in-the-face? Tossing pies is very much a part of slapstick humor - and timing is always critical in comedy.

This line has been faced by Jerome Gambiteers chessmanjeff, frizerkaHR, GOH, HauntedKnight, jfhumphrey, ndrwgn, stretto, Wall and yorgos. As a group, they have not been impressed.

8.Qf3+ Ke7

A slightly better retreat is 8...Ke8, e.g. 9.Nc3 (9.O-O Ne7 10.Nc3 Rf8 11.Qe2 g5 12.Be3 Ng6 13.Nd5 Kd8 14.Qd2 h6 15.Bxb6 axb6 16.Nxc7 Kxc7 17.Qd6+ Kd8 18.Qxg6 Re8 19.Qxb6+ Ke7 20.Qf6 checkmate, Wall,B - Guest2616286, PlayChess.com, 2017) 9...Ne7 (9...Bxf2+ 10.Qxf2 Qxf2+ 11.Kxf2 Nh6 12.Nd5 Ng4+ 13.Kg3 Kd8 14.Bg5+ Nf6 15.exf6 h6 16.fxg7+ Ke8 17.gxh8=Q+ Kf7 18.Rhf1+ Kg6 19.Qxh6 checkmate, Wall,B - Shillam, lichess.org, 2016) 10.g3 Qh3 11.Be3 d6 12.Bxb6 cxb6 13.exd6 Ng6 14.Nd5 Qd7 15.Nc7+ Kd8 16.Nxa8 Qxd6 17.Rd1 Ne5 18.Rxd6+ Ke7 19.Qc3 Kxd6 20.Qd4+ Ke6 21.Nc7+ Kf7 22.Qxe5 Rd8 23.Nb5 Bg4 24.Qf4+ Kg8 25.Qxg4 a6 26.Qe6+ Kh8 27.Nd6 Rb8 28.Nf7+ Kg8 29.Nh6+ Kh8 30.Qg8+ Rxg8 31.Nf7 checkmate, Wall,B - Itboss, lichess.org, 2016.

9.Nc3

Or 9.O-O Nh6 10.Nc3 Rf8 11.Nd5+ Kd8 12.Qxf8 checkmate, Wall,B - Guest2293428, PlayChess.com, 2017.

9...Nh6 10.Nd5+ Kd8

Once again, e8 is the better square for the King.

11.O-O

White also has the sneaky 11.h3!? threatening g2-g3, winning the Queen. Black could escape by returning a piece for two pawns, i.e. 11...Bxf2+ 12. Qxf2 Qxe4+ but White would be better.

For the record, 11.g3?! directly could be answered by 11...Qg4 and White does not gain much by exchanging Queens, while he would lose time if he movee his Queen to avoid the swap.

11...Bd4

Looking to grab the pawn at e5, but he is overlooking a few things. He could have maintained an even game with 11...c6 12.Nxb6 axb6.

12.g3 Qh3

Why was e8 the better square for Black's King to retreat to (as suggested in the note to move 10)?

Why was the Black Bishop's trip to d4 problematic (as mentioned in the note to move 11)?

Why couldn't Black retreat his Queen to g4 (as in the note to move 11), instead of h3?

13.Bg5+ Ke8 14.Nxc7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Made for Blitz

The attacking mayhem of the Jerome Gambit was made for blitz play. Often the defender who is unaware of best play will first slip, and then slide, and then take a fall.

ndrwgen, with White in the following miniature, is familiar with the Jerome Gambit - in fact, he has 165 games in The Database.

ndrwgn - abogatyrev
5 0 blitz, FICS, 2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.O-O 

A move in the Two Knights that has "more going for it than is generally realized" as I have noted elsewhere in this blog.

4...Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

When Black captures the Bishop, the game will transpose into a "modern" Jerome Gambit variation, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.0-0 Nf6.

The Database contains 1072 games with this position, with White scoring 41%.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 

ndrwgn has a good bit of experience with this move. The Database shows he has a record of 23-22-1. 

7...Nxe4

Black realizes he will lose a piece, and decides not to worry
about it - he will grab a pawn, instead. A slightly stronger move move here, 7...d5, is based on similar reasoning - let White choose what piece he wants, while Black plans to grab a pawn with a subsequent ...dxe4.

8.dxc5

Also: 8.dxe5 d6 9.Qd5+ Be6 10.Qxe4 dxe5 11.Qxe5 Bd6 12.Qh5+ g6 13.Qf3+ Kg7 14.Bd2 Re8 15.Bc3+ Kg8 16.Qf6 Qxf6 17.Bxf6 Kf7 18.Bg5 h6 19.Bd2 Rad8 Black resigned, ndrwgn - Vuquoclong, FICS, 2013.

8...Qf6

ndrwgn also faced: 8...Nxc5 9.Qd5+ Kf6 10.Qxc5 d6 11.Qc3 Re8 12.f4 Bf5 13.fxe5+ dxe5 14.Nd2 Qd4+ 15.Qxd4 exd4 16.Nf3 Bxc2 17.Nxd4+ Ke5 18.Nxc2 Rad8 19.Bf4+ Kd5 20.Bxc7 Re2 21.Bxd8 Rxc2 22.Rfd1+ Ke4 23.b3 Re2 24.Re1 Kd3 25.Rxe2 Kxe2 26.a4 Ke3 27.b4 h5 28.Ra3+ Ke4 29.Be7 g6 30.Rg3 Kf5 31.Bc5 b6 32.Bd6 g5 33.Be7 g4 34.h3 a5 35.bxa5 bxa5 36.hxg4+ hxg4 37.Bd8 Ke4 38.Bxa5 Kf4 39.Rc3 Ke4 40.Rc4+ Kf5 41.g3 Kg5 Black resigned, ndrwgn - LochChessMonster, FICS, 2013.

Probably best was 8...d5.

9.Qd5+ Ke7 

White will collect the Knight at e4, with advantage. (That was quick.)

10.Qxe4 Re8 11.f4 d5 

Very often Black's last move is part of a good counter-attack for Black in the Jerome Gambit (see the note to move 8 for example) but in this case - a blitz game - the defender has overlooked something.

12.cxd6+

The capture with check makes all the difference in the world.

12...cxd6 13.fxe5 Qxe5 14.Bg5+ Kd7 15.Rf7+ Re7 

A visual (the Rook is actually attacked 3 times and only defended 2) or clock error. After 15...Ke6 16.Qxe5+ dxe5 17. Rxg7 Black would still be lost.

16.Rxe7+ Qxe7 17.Qxe7+ Kc6 18.Nc3 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Past is Prologue

Here is a game from the first round of the Jerome Gambit tournament at RedHotPawn.com. Both White and Black clearly have a grasp of the opening, and the battle is an entertaining one. The outcome is an indication of how the second round - and the tournament - will turn out. 

SeinfeldFan91 - ZorroTheFox
Giuoco Piano Jerome Gambit Tournament
RedHotPawn.com, 2016

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4 

7.O-O Ng4 8.h3 Bd6 9.e5 Be7 

Recommended,but there are no other examples in The Database.

Alternatively:

9...Nxe5 Giving the piece back is "scientific" but leads to an equal game according to Stockfish 7. 10.dxe5 Bxe5 11.Qd5+ (11.f4 Bd6 12.Qd5+ Kf8 13.Nd2 Nf6 14.Qd3 b6 15.Ne4 Bb7 16.Nxd6 cxd6 17.Qxd6+ Kf7 18.Qd3 Rhe8 19.Bd2 Kg8 20.f5 Nh5 21.Bc3 Nf4 22.Qc4+ Kh8 23.Rxf4 Qh6 24.Rg4 Rg8 25.f6 g6 26.f7+ Rg7 27.Qb4 d5 28.f8=Q+ Rxf8 29.Qxf8 checkmate, Darthnik - aufdermaur, FICS, 2011) 11...Kf6 (11...Kf8 12.Qxe5 d6 13.Bg5 Qxf2+ 14.Rxf2+ Black resigned, ndrwgn - balahap, FICS, 2013) 12.Re1 d6 13.Rxe5 dxe5 14.Qd8+ Ne7 15.Qxh8 Qe4 16.Qf8+ Ke6 17.Bg5 Qb4 18.Qxg7 Bd7 19.Qf6+ Kd5 20.Nc3+ Kc4 21.b3+ Kxc3 22.Qxe5+ Qd4 23.Bd2+ Kxd2 24.Qxd4+ Kxc2 25.Rd1 Black resigned, Wall,B - Anonymous, lichess.org, 2016; or

9...Bxe5 10.dxe5 Nxe5 (10...N4h6 11.Nc3 Ne7 12.Re1 Rf8 13.Re4 Qxe4 14.Nxe4 Kg8 15.Bxh6 gxh6 16.Nf6+ Kh8 17.Qd3 Ng6 18.Qc3 c6 19.Nh5 Rf5 20.e6+ Ne5 21.e7 Black resigned, iconsisonline - atizzle, FICS, 2010) 11.Qd5+ Kf6 12.f4 Ng6 13.Nc3 d6 14.Be3 Ke7 15.Rae1 Kd8 16.Nb5 Nf6 17.Qc4 Ne8 18.Bf2 Qf6 19.Bd4 Qh4 20.Rxe8+ Kxe8 21.Nxc7+ Kf8 22.f5 Ne5 23.f6 gxf6 24.Qd5 Kg7 25.Qxd6 Rg8 26.Rxf6 Qxf6 27.Bxe5 and White won, Sorensen,S - X, Denmark, 1888; or

9...Nxf2 10.Rxf2+ Nf6 11.Rf4 Qg3 12.Rf3 Qg6 13.exd6 cxd6 14.c3 b6 15.Qb3+ Ke7 16.Re3+ Kd8 17.Na3 Bb7 18.Re2 Nh5 19.Nb5 Ng3 20.Rf2 Ne4 21.Re2 Rf8 22.Be3 Ng3 23.Rd2 Qe4 24.Re1 Rf3 25.Bg5+ Black resigned, Darthballz - Leftang, FICS, 2011. 

10.hxg4 Nh6

Reasonable and straight-forward, especially since White's response "forces" Black to make a move he wants to make, anyhow; but 10...d6 was deeper and better. 

11.g5 Ng4  

Of course. Still, taking the g-pawn was better, as now the game has equalized - although that may not be apparent at first glance. 

12.Qf3+ Ke8 13.Qh3 Bxg5 14.Bxg5 Qxg5 15.Nc3 d5

15...h5!? was a thematic alternative. 

16.f4 Qg6

Thinking "attack" when "defense" was better attended to by 16...Qd8. 

17.Nxd5 Kd7 18.f5 Qg5 19.e6+ Kc6 

The alternative 19...Ke8 20.Rae1 is pretty bad for Black, but everything else leads to mate. 

20.Qc3+ Kxd5 21.Qc5+ Ke4 22.Rae1+ Ne3 23.Qe5 checkmate

A Tale of Two Knights

The following game has a Knight sortie for Black, and one for White. One is effective, one is not. The "Jerome pawns" join in the fun for White.

Wall, Bill -Guest293396
PlayChess.com, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.O-O Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

We have seen this position recently in another of Bill Wall's games, vs Mydrik.

5....Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bd6 8.dxe5 Bxe5 9.f4 Bd4+ 

Possibly a slip on Black's part, although the move has been seen before, so perhaps he was looking for a simple way to return the sacrificed piece. Still, 9...Bd6 10.e5 Bc5+ looked like a better choice, leading to an even game. 

10.Qxd4 Re8

Others:

10...d6 11.e5 dxe5 12.Qxd8 Rxd8 13.fxe5 Bg4 14.exf6 gxf6 15.Nc3 Rd7 16.Ne4 f5 17.Bg5 Kg6 18.Nc5 Rd5 19.Ne6 Re8 20.Nxc7 Black resigned, Fietsenzo - oritelgavi, FICS, 2014;

10...c6 11.e5 Nd5 12.c4 Qb6 13.c5 Qb4 14.Qf2 Rf8 15.Bd2 Qxb2 16.Bc3 Qxf2+ 17.Rxf2 b6 18.Bd4 Kg8 19.Nc3 Nxc3 20.Bxc3 bxc5 21.Rb2 Rxf4 22.Rf1 Rxf1+ 23.Kxf1 Ba6+ 24.Kf2 Rf8+ 25.Ke3 Bb5 26.Ba5 Rf5 27.Bc7 Rf7 28.Rd2 h6 29.h4 Re7 30.Bd6 Re8 31.Ke4 c4 32.Bc5 a6 33.Rxd7 c3 34.Rd1 c2 35.Rc1 Ba4 36.Kf5 Rd8 37.Be3 Rd1 38.Ke6 Rd3 39.Bf4 Bb5 40.Rxc2 Rd4 41.g3 Bd3 42.Rd2 Bc4+ 43.Kf5 Rxd2 44.Bxd2 Bxa2 45.Bb4 Kf7 46.g4 Be6+ 47.Kf4 Bd5 48.g5 hxg5+ 49.hxg5 Ke6 50.g6 Bc4 51.Bd6 a5 52.Ke4 a4 53.Kd4 Bb5 54.Kc3 Be2 55.Kb4 Bh5 56.Kxa4 Bxg6 57.Kb4 Bf5 58.Kc5 Be4 White forfeited on time, ndrwgn - lobisonte, FICS, 2013;

10...Qe7 11.e5 Nh5 12.f5 Re8 13.Qd5+ Kf8 14.Bf4 Nxf4 15.Rxf4 Qxe5 16.Qxe5 Rxe5 17.f6 gxf6 18.Rxf6+ Kg7 19.Rf1 b6 20.Nc3 Ba6 21.Rfd1 Rae8 22.Rxd7+ Kg8 23.Rxc7 Rf8 24.h3 Ref5 25.Kh2 Rf2 26.Ne4 Rxc2 27.b4 Rxc7 28.a4 Rc4 29.b5 Rxe4 30.bxa6 Rf2 31.Rc1 Rxa4 32.Rc8+ Kg7 33.Rc7+ Rf7 34.Rb7 Rxa6 35.Rb8 Ra2 36.Re8 b5 37.Re3 b4 38.Rb3 a5 39.h4 Ra3 40.Rb2 b3 41.h5 a4 42.h6+ Kg6 43.g4 Ra2 White resigned, HauntedKnight - JustaHobby, FICS, 2010. 

11.e5 Ng4

This "attack" is brushed off, but the retreat 11...Ng8 also has its difficulties, e.g. 12.Qd5+ Kf8 13.Nc3 d6 14.Qe4 Qh4 15.g3 Qh5 16.Qb4 c5 17.Qe4 h6 18.Nb5 Qf7 19.Nxd6 Qe6 20.Nxe8 Kxe8 21.f5 Qe7 22.Be3 Rb8 23.Rae1 b6 24.Bf4 Bb7 25.Qa4+ Kf8 26.f6 Qe6 27.fxg7+ Kxg7 28.Qxa7 Qd5 29.Qxb7+ Rxb7 30.e6 Qxa2 31.Be5+ Kg6, White forfeited on time, frizerkaHR - cebop, FICS, 2013. 

12.h3 Nh6 13.f5 

The "Jerome pawns" are in their glory.

13...Ng8 14.Nc3 c6 15.Ne4 Qb6 16.Ng5+ 

This Knight will win material, and usher in the pawns.

16...Kf8 17.Nxh7+ Ke7 18.f6+ gxf6 19.exf6+ Nxf6 20.Qxb6 axb6 21.Nxf6 Black resigned

White is up a piece and a pawn, as well as having the safer King.

"Reality" vs "the Book"

Working on the previous blog post, I noticed that the defender (counter-attacker) had played that variation a few years earlier. The game was interesting enough to share, especially since the defender seemed conversant in Jerome Gambit strategies.. Again, however, "reality" outplayed "the book".

iconsisonline - atizzle
blitz, FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4 

7.O-O

This is stronger than 7.dxc5 of Sutarsa - atizzle, blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 19).

7...Ng4 8.h3 Bd6 9.e5 Bxe5

Following Sorensen - NN, Denmark, 1888, pragmatically returning the extra piece for a pawn (or two). Alternatives:

9...Nxf2 10.Rxf2+ Nf6 11.Rf4 Qg3 12.Rf3 Qg6 13.exd6 cxd6 14.c3 b6 15.Qb3+ Ke7 16.Re3+ Kd8 17.Na3 Bb7 18.Re2 Nh5 19.Nb5 Ng3 20.Rf2 Ne4 21.Re2 Rf8 22.Be3 Ng3 23.Rd2 Qe4 24.Re1 Rf3 25.Bg5+ Black resigned, Darthballz - Leftang, blitz, FICS, 2011; and

9...Nxe5 10.dxe5 Bxe5 11.f4 (11.Qd5+ Kf8 12.Qxe5 d6 13.Bg5 Qxf2+ 14.Rxf2+ Black resigned, ndrwgn - balahap, standard, FICS, 2013) Bd6 12.Qd5+ Kf8 13.Nd2 Nf6 14.Qd3 b6 15.Ne4 Bb7 16.Nxd6 cxd6 17.Qxd6+ Kf7 18.Qd3 Rhe8 19.Bd2 Kg8 20.f5 Nh5 21.Bc3 Nf4 22.Qc4+ Kh8 23.Rxf4 Qh6 24.Rg4 Rg8 25.f6 g6 26.f7+ Rg7 27.Qb4 d5 28.f8Q+ Rxf8 29.Qxf8 checkmate, Darthnik - aufdermaur, blitz, FICS, 2011

Black's best defense seems to be 9... Be7 10.hxg4 d6. 

10.dxe5 N4h6

Sorensen's opponent tried 10...Nxe5, which is playable, if risky, after 11.Qd5+ Kf6. 

11.Nc3 Ne7 12.Re1 Rf8 

Again, Black shows his understanding of the "big issues" in the defense, as he prepares to castle-by-hand.

Unfortunately, the move allows his Queen to be trapped.

White follows up quickly.

13.Re4 Qxe4 14.Nxe4 Kg8 15.Bxh6 gxh6 16.Nf6+ Kh8 17.Qd3 Ng6 18.Qc3 c6 19.Nh5 Rf5 20.e6+ Ne5 21.e7 Black resigned

Pie-in-the-Face Examples

Sometimes the best way to get the sense of an opening variation is to choose a player, and play through a series of games that he has played with it. Below, we look at several games played by ndrwgn in 2013 against a selection of opponents.

ndrwgn -  balahap
standard, FICS, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4 

This is Black's strongest response to 6.d4, yet it is not well known. Of 1,0331 relevant games in The Database, only 214 (16%) show 6...Qh4. 

As a personal example, Bill Wall has played 6.d4 16 times, and faced 6...Qh4 on only 4 occasions. To be fair he was "only" 3-1 against the "best" move, while he was 12 - 0 against alternatives.

See the early "A Pie-in-the-Face Variation" and the recent "Going All Henry Joseph Blackburne" for additional information.

7.O-O 

The best move in a tricky position. ndrwgn had trouble with 7.dxc5 on several occasions: 7...Qxe4+ 8.Be3 Qxg2 (8... Nf6 9.O-O Rf8 10.Nc3 Qg4 11.Nd5 Qxd1 12.Raxd1 Nxd5 13.Rxd5 Nc4 14.Bd4 c6 15.Rg5 g6 16.f4 d5 17.cxd6 Nxd6 18.Bc5 Nf5 19.Bxf8 Kxf8 20.g4 Ne3 21.Re1 Nxg4 22.Rd1 Bf5 23.c3 Re8 24. h3 Ne3 25.Re1 Bxh3 26.Re5 Rxe5 27.fxe5 Nf5 28.Kh2 Bg4 29.Rf1 Ke7 30.Rf4 h5 31.Kg1 Ke6 32.Re4 Bf3 33.Re3 Nxe3 White resigned, ndrwgn - chesslayman, FICS, 2013) 9.Qh5+ Ng6 10.Rf1 Nf6 11.Qf5 d5 (11...d6 12.Qd3 dxc5 13.Nc3 Qf3 14.Bxc5 Re8+ 15.Kd2 Bg4 16.Rae1 Red8 17.Bd4 Qf4+ 18.Re3 Rxd4 White resigned, ndrwgn - balahap, FICS, 2013) 12. Nc3 Bxf5 White resigned, ndrwgn - balahap, FICS, 2013.

ndrwgn was able to outplay his opponent in a 7.Be3  game: 7...Bb4+ 8.c3 Qxe4 9.Qb3+ Kg6 10.Nd2 Qxg2? (10...Nd3+!) 11.O-O-O Nd3+ 12.Kb1 Bxc3 13.bxc3 d5 14.Rhg1 Qg4 15.Rxg4+ Bxg4 16.Rg1 h5 17.Qxd5 Re8 18.h3 Nf6 19.Qg5+ Kf7 20.hxg4 Re6 21.Nc4 hxg4 22.Ne5+ Nxe5 23.dxe5 Rh5 24.Qf4 Rhxe5 25.Rxg4 a5 26.Bd4 Re1+ 27.Kc2 R6e2+ 28.Kd3 Re4 29.Qxe4 Nxe4 30.Rxe4 Rd1+ 31.Ke2 Ra1 32.Rf4+ Ke6 33.Re4+ Kf7 34.Rf4+ Ke6 35.Bxg7 Rxa2+ 36.Kd3 a4 37.Rf6+ Ke7 38.Rf4 a3 39.Ra4 b5 40.Ra7 Rxf2 41.Rxc7+ Kd6 42.Ra7 a2 43.Bd4 Rh2 44.c4 Rh3+ 45.Kc2 Rh2+ 46.Kb3 Rh3+ 47.Kb4 bxc4 48.Rxa2 Kd5 49.Bc3 Rd3 50.Ra5+ Ke4 51.Kxc4 Black resigned,  ndrwgn - lattakiaaa, FICS, 2013, 

7... Ng4 

Again, this move is best - keep the attack going. Black had less success after 7...Bd6 8.dxe5 Bxe5 9.f4 (9.Qd5+!) 9...Bd4+ 10.Qxd4 Nf6 11.e5 Ng4 12.h3 Re8 13.hxg4 Qxg4 14.Qd5+ Qe6 15.Qe4 d5 16.Qxh7 Qb6+ 17.Rf2 Be6 18.Nc3 Rh8 19.Qd3 c6 20.f5 Rh5 21.fxe6+ Kxe6 22.Qg6+ Kxe5 23.Qxh5+ Kd4 24.Qg4+ Ke5 25.Bf4+ Kf6 26.Be3+ Black resigned, ndrwgn - vepara, FICS, 2013. 

8. h3 Bd6

Not quite as good as 8...Bb6, although then Black still has to be careful: 9.hxg4 Nh6  10.Qf3+ Kg8 11.Bxh6 Qxh6 12.Qb3+ Kf8 13.c3 d6 14.Nd2 Bxg4 15.Rae1 Be6 16.d5 Bg4 17.Nc4 Qg6 18.Ne3 h5 19.f3 Bh3 20.Qc2 Qg5 21.Kh2 Bxe3 22.gxh3 Bf4+ 23.Kh1 Qg3 24.Qg2 Qxg2+ 25.Kxg2 h4 26.Rg1 g5 27.c4 Ke7 28.b4 a5 29.b5 Kf6 30.a4 Ke5 31.Re2 Kd4 32.Rd1+ Kxc4 33.Rc2+ Kb3 34.Rxc7 Rhc8 35.Rxb7 Rc2+ 36.Kf1 Rh2 37.Rb1+ Kxa4 38.Kg1 Rc2 39.b6 Rac8 40.Kf1 Rc1+ 41.Rxc1 Rxc1+ 42.Ke2 Rb1 43.Kd3 Rb3+ 44.Kc2 Rxf3 45.Rc7 Rxh3 46.b7 Rb3 47.Rc4+ Ka3 48.Rc3 Rxc3+ 49.Kxc3 h3 50.b8=Q h2 51.Qb3 checkmate, ndrwgn - balahap, FICS, 2013. 

9.e5 

Probably best is 9.Qxg4, which still leaves Black better. Instead,  9.Qf3+ N4f6 10.e5 Be7 11.exf6 Nxf6 12.Nc3 Rf8 13.Nd5 Bd6 14.Re1 Kg8 15.Nxf6+ Qxf6 16.Qd5+ Kh8 17.Bg5 Qxf2+ 18.Kh1 Qg3 did not work, in ndrwgn - MRKumar, standard, FICS, 2013

Nonetheless, Black's plan in the current game - return a piece for two pawns - accidentally becomes over-generous, and the game shifts in White's favor.

9...Nxe5 10.dxe5 Bxe5 11.Qd5+ Kf8 12.Qxe5 d6

13.Bg5 

A trap that Black falls into by grabbing the wrong pawn.

White should have simply retreated his Queen with 13.Qc3 and a small edge.

Black should now grab the h-pawn for a slight edge.

13...Qxf2+ 14.Rxf2+ Black resigned

The check gives White time to save his Queen.