Tossed Back And Forth

Here is the second kind of Jerome Gambit game that I encounter, where my opponent and I toss the game back and forth, and there are plenty of chances for me to take the advantage and run.

Sometimes, like in the following game, I do so.

perrypawnpusher  - charlyeliot
blitz, FICS, 2013

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 

A familiar position - I've been here over 40 times, scoring over 80%.

10.0-0 Bd7 11.f4

Standard pawn play for me, but perhaps 11.d4 was a bit better.

11...Bb5

Or 11...Qe7 as in perrypawnpusher - peroneal, blitz, FICS, 2009 (½-½, 56).

12.d3 Ng4 13.Qg3 Nf6 

The Knight returns home. From a different perspective, 13...Qh4, looking to exchange Queens, was playable. (Curiously, an almost identical position after 13...Qh4 occurred in Wall, B. - Guest3312852, Playchess.com, 2012 [1-0, 26], only Black's Bishop was on c4 and White's Knight was on c3.)

14.Nc3 Qd7

I occasionally use Houdini 3 to help me understand what is going on. Using "blunder check" set at 5 minutes per move, the program boiled the game down to the basics: 14...Bc6 15.f5 Nf8 16.d4 h5 17.Re1 Kf7 18.Bg5 Kg8 19.e5 dxe5 20.dxe5 h4 21.Qf4 Nd5 22.Qd2 Qd7 23.e6 Qd6 24.Nxd5 Qxd5 25.Qxd5 Bxd5 26.e7 Bc6 27.exf8Q+ Rxf8 28.Re5 Rh5 29.f6 gxf6 30.Bxf6 where White has a small, but perhaps not decisive edge.

Who knew?

15.f5

This move is okay, but I missed 15.e5 dxe5 16.fxe5 Nd5 17.e6!? which sets up the tactical shot 17...Qc6 18.Nxd5 Qxd5 19.c4 winning a piece.

15...Ne5 16.d4

This exchange sacrifice is not good.

16...Nh5

Trying to complicate things, when 16...Bxf1 17.dxe5 dxe5 18.Qxe5+ Kf7 19.Kxf1 Rhe8 20.Qf4 Qe7 would leave Black with an edge. 

17.Qg5 Bxf1 18.Qxh5+

This allows Black's other Knight to escape directly, whereas Houdini 3's choice was: 18.dxe5 g6 19.e6 Qg7 20.Kxf1 c6 21.Kg1 h6 22.Qg4 Nf6 23.Qf3 Rg8 24.h3 Rd8 25.Ne2 gxf5 26.exf5 Ke7 27.g4 Nd5 28.c4 Nb4 with advantage to White. 

18...Nf7 19.Kxf1 Qc6 

The smoke is clearing, and White has two pawns for the exchange.

20.Be3 Qa6+ 21.Kg1 Qc6 22.e5 dxe5 23.dxe5 g6 24.fxg6

Stronger was 24.Qh3 gxf5 25.Rf1.

24...Qxg6 25.Qxg6

Exchanging favors. Black should have captured on g6 with the pawn, and White had a much better choice in 25.Qe2!?

25...hxg6 26.Bd4 Rh6 27.Nd5 

There is still a fight going on. Black should now protect his c-pawn with his Rook, as his choice of moves allows another tactical shot (which I missed).

27...Kd7 28.Rd1 

Instead, 28.e6+!? wins material.

28...Kc6 29.Nb4+ Kb5 30.Nd3 a6 

More slipping and sliding.

31.Nf2

Missing a chance to show some cooperation among my pieces, winning material: 31.a4+ Kxa4 (31...Kc6 32.e6 Kd5 33.Nf4+ Ke4 34.exf7 Kxf4 35.Bc3 Rh7 36.Rf1+ Ke4 37.f8Q Rxf8 38.Rxf8 ) 32.b3+ Kb5 33.c4+ Kc6 34.e6 Nd8 35.Nb4+ Kd6 36.Bg7+ Kxe6 37.Bxh6.

31...Rd8 32.h3 

And the game is about even.

32...Kc4 33.Bc3 Re8 

Exchanging Rooks was the right idea. Now Black gives back the exchange, and White starts pushing things.

34.Ng4 Rh5 35.Nf6 Rd8 36.Rxd8 Nxd8 37.Nxh5 gxh5

38.Kf2 Ne6 39.Kg3 b5 40.Bd2 Kd5 41.Bf4 Nxf4 42.Kxf4 c5 43.g4 hxg4 44.hxg4 c4 45.g5 b4 46.g6 c3 47.b3 Ke6 48.g7 Kf7 49.Kf5 Kxg7 

50.Ke6 Kf8 51.Kd7 a5 52.e6 Kg7 53.e7 Kf7 54.e8Q+ Kg7 55.Ke7 Kh7 56.Qf8 Kg6 57.Qf6+ Kh7 58.Qg5 Kh8 59.Kf7 a4 60.Qh6 checkmate

Huntin'

I guess it's a good thing that I read this Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) blog – every once-in-a-while there's something here that I can use in my own games...

perrypawnpusher - avgur
blitz 5 5, FICS, 2009

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6
10.0-0
Up to here, this is the same as perrypawnpusher - peroneal, blitz, FICS, 2009, which I analyzed a few days ago. My hope was that I had learned something.

10...Be6 11.f4 Bc4
This Bishop maneuver is reminiscent of perrypawnpusher - Kotimatka, blitz, FICS 2009, (also covered less than a week ago) but in that case I had already played d2-d4, so I didn't have the helpful reply I have here.

12.d3 Bb5 13.c4
A bit of over-thinking, here. The idea was to chase the enemy Bishop off of the a6-f1 diagonal, so I could play f4-f5 and answer Black's ...Ne5 with d3-d4. Ooops! That would leave the same c4-pawn vulnerable to capture... Luckily, I figured that out – right after I played the move, of course.

I probably would have had the same success (or more) with 13.Nc3, which also attacks the Bishop.
13...Bc6 14.f5 Ne5 15.Nc3 Qd7 16.b3 Qf7 I'm not sure what Black is doing with his Queen maneuvering, but I'm ready to get the "Jerome pawns" moving.

17.d4 Neg4 18.Qe2
Wouldn't you know it, after the game Rybka 3 preferred 18.Qg3! (Am I ever going to put the Queen on the right square?) Then Black can't win the White e-pawn without leaving his Knight on g4 hanging, while the protective 18...h5 lets White get in 19.e5. Thank you, Rybka.

18...Qe7 19.Bg5 h6 20.Bxf6
Keeping the pin with 20.Bh4 was stronger.

20...Nxf6 21.Rae1


Getting the last piece into place before advancing the pawns. White is close to even.

21...h5

Understandably, Black does not want another pawn joining the party with g2-g4, but moving the King (21...Kf7) might have been safer. Also, if the center opens up, Black's Rooks will wind up there, which means that later the h-pawn could be at risk.

It's not just White who can have a hard time choosing moves!

22.e5 dxe5 23.dxe5 Ng4 24.h3 Nh6
White finally gets the advantage. Black had an interesting save of his Knight, instead of the retreat: 24...Qc5+, since after 25.Kh1 the g4 Knight can't be captured because White would get checkmated.

25.Qf2
White should have grabbed the pawn at h5 instead.

25...Kd7

Black's King and Queen have had a horrible time deciding where to go. This continues to help White.

26.Qd4+
One of the things that I've discovered while going over this game and the several prior ones is that getting the "Jerome pawns" to the 5th (or 5th and 6th) rank is more of a strategic victory than a tactical conclusion – White has more space, and can use it; he can even conjure up threats; but there's still a lot of work to do.

26...Ke8

Taking refuge with 26...Kc8 was relatively safer, but Black is still troubled.

27.f6 Qe6 28.fxg7 Rg8 29.Rf6 As per the note after White's 26th move.
29...Qd7 30.Qxd7+ Kxd7 31.e6+ Kd6 32.e7+ Kc5
Wandering off. The fresh air doesn't help.

33.Rxh6 Rxg7 34.Rxh5+ Kd4
His Majesty has his own plans.

35.Nb5+ Kd3 36.g4 Rag8
Black's counter-attack comes too late.

37.Rhe5 Rh7 38.e8Q Bxe8 39.Rxe8
Time was running down on our clocks. Time to wrap the game up.
39...Rgg7 40.Rd8+ Kc2 41.Re2+ Kc1 42.Na3 Rxh3 43.Rc2 checkmate

I apologize, Jerome Gambit

One of the "benefits" of playing an off-beat opening like the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is that it has a built-in excuse for any loss: Of course I would have crushed him if I had been playing the Catalan...

Sometimes, though, even a disreputable opening like the Jerome – given enough cooperation by the opponent, of course – delivers a game that is quite playable, if not downright winable; and at that point, success or failure depends upon the player, not the opening. For the following game, I have to say: I apologize, Jerome Gambit...

perrypawnpusher - peroneal
blitz 10 0, FICS, 2009

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

7.Qd5+ Ke8

Worth mentioning here is the game perrypawnpusher - hogmaster, chessworld, 2008 which is referred to in the note after move 10: 7...Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.0-0 b6 11.f4 Bb7 12.d3 Qe7 13.Nc3 Re8 14.Bd2 h6 15.h3 Qd7 16.Qg3 Ne7 17.e5 Nfg8 18.Rae1 Nf5 19.Qf2 Nge7 20.g4 g6 21.gxf5 gxf5 22.Re3 Rg8+ 23.Rg3 Kf7 24.Ne2 h5 25.Kh2 Rg6 26.Rfg1 Reg8 27.Nd4 dxe5 28.Rxg6 exd4 29.Rxg8 Nxg8 30.Qg3 Ne7 31.Qg7+ Ke6 32.Re1+ Kd6 33.Qe5+ Kc6 34.Qxe7 Qxe7 35.Rxe7 Kd6 36.Re5 Bc8 37.Kg3 Black resigned

8.Qxc5 d6

Also relevant to the next note, perrypawnpusher - Lark, blitz, FICS, 2009 continued: 8...N8e7 9.0-0 b6 10.Qe3 Rf8 11.f4 d6 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Nc4 14.Qg3 Rf7 15.Nc3 Kf8 16.Bg5 h6 17.Bc1 Bb7 18.f6 Rxf6 19.Rxf6+ gxf6 20.Bxh6+ Ke8 21.Qg7 Kd7 22.Qg4+ Ke8 23.Qg7 Nd2 24.Qxf6 Bxe4 25.Nxe4 Nxe4 26.Qh8+ Kd7 27.Qxd8+ Rxd8 28.Re1 Nf5 29.Rxe4 Nxh6 30.Rh4 Nf5 31.Rh7+ Kc6 32.c3 Re8 33.Kf2 a5 34.b3 Rf8 35.Ke2 Re8+ 36.Kd2 Ne3 37.Rg7 Nf1+ 38.Kd3 Nxh2 39.g4 Nf3 40.g5 Nh4 41.c4 Nf5 42.d5+ Kb7 43.Rh7 Re7 44.Rxe7 Nxe7 45.Ke4 Ng6 46.Kf5 Nh4+ 47.Kf6 Kc8 48.g6 Nxg6 49.Kxg6 Kd7 50.Kf6 c6 51.Kf7 cxd5 52.cxd5 b5 53.a3 Kc7 54.Ke7 b4 55.a4 Kb6 56.Kxd6 Ka6 57.Kc6 Ka7 58.Kc7 Ka6 59.d6 Black resigned

9.Qe3 Nf6

Okay, I've been here before. This is my 6th game (up until now 3-1-1) with this position which was first seen, according to my database, in Charlick - Mann, correspondence 1881 (1-0, 71).

10.0-0 Bd7

A new move, with the idea of putting the Bishop on the a8-h1 diagonal, to pressure the e4 pawn. Other players, like hogmaster and Lark (above) have fianchettoed the Bishop at b7.

11.f4 Qe7 12.Nc3 Bc6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4

This kind of Knight attack on the Queen has happened a lot recently: see my games against DysonLin, episodeninetynine, Joejox and Lark.

15.Qd3

Where should the Queen go? Probably 15.Qe2 was a bit better. Proper positioning of the heavy pieces behind the "Jerome pawn" center will be an important test of the middlegame play – a test that I barely passed, with a "D".

15...Bb5 16.b3

Shoot. Me. Now.

Just like in my previous game, my opponent hangs a piece – and I miss it!

16...Ne3 17.Qxb5+ c6 18.Qd3 Nxf1 19.Kxf1 Rd8

White has two pawns for the exchange. Considering Black's King stuck in the center of the board, White has to have the advantage.

20.Bg5 Rf8 21.Qe3

In this position Fritz8 prefers 21.Re1, if only to answer 21...h6 with the surprising 22.Nd5 – after 22...cxd5 23.e5 dxe5 24.dxe5 hxg5 25.exf6 Rxf7 26.Rxe7+ Kxe7 White should have the advantage. I think 21.Re1 is good for calmer lines, too.

21...h6 22.Bh4 Qd7

It might have been time to put the King on that square, instead, and continue with him to c8 – castling-by-hand on the Queenside.

23.Kg1 Rc8 24.e5

Breaking in the center – probably too early. White's Rook could have gone to f1 or e1 first.

24...Nd5

After 24...dxe5 25.dxe5 Ng4 26.Qxa7 White would be better – for example, after 26...Rxf5 27.Rd1 followed by Nc3-e4 – but things would be messy; and the result would be better than after the text.

25.Nxd5 cxd5 26.exd6+ Kf7

What now?

White should be winning, and there should be some kind of "killer" move here – but I couldn't find it during the game.

Fritz 8 suggests 27.Be7! Then, if 27...Rfe8, White calmly plays 28.Re1 and his threat to infiltrate with the Queen forces Black to liquidate to a lost ending: 28...Rxe7 29.Qxe7+ Qxe7 30.Rxe7+ Kf6 31.Rxb7. Totally beyond my calculation at the time, as well, was if Black played the odd 27...Ke8 (Fritz 8's second choice) then White has 28.f6. All a bit too beyond me.

My move leads to an equal game.

27.Qe6+ Qxe6 28.fxe6+ Kxe6 29.Re1+ Kxd6

Wait a minute! With 29...Kd7 Black probably keeps the game a draw. The text move returns a favor.

30.Be7+ Kd7 31.Bxf8 Rxf8

All Rook endgames are drawn, right? Actually, I thought I had good chances to win this one.

32.c3 Rc8 33.Re3 Kd6 34.Kf2 a6 35.Ke2 b6 36.Kd3 g6 37.c4 dxc4+ 38.bxc4 Rf8

So far, so good. My extra pawn is protected and passed.

39.d5 Rf2 40.Re2

White's job is simplified if he can exchange Rooks.

40...Rxe2 41.Kxe2 b5

Black's last gasp.

I looked at 42.cxb5 Kxd5 43.bxa6 and even though Black can catch the forward White a-pawn, there's still the other a-pawn to be distracted by, while White's King feasts on the Kingside pawns... With only that amount of thought, I played

42.cxb5

only to see instead

42...axb5

Oooops...

The game is now drawn. The winning move, of course, was 42.Kd3.

43.Kd3 Kxd5 44.a3 Kc5 45.Kc3 g5 46.g4 Kb6 47.Kb4 Kc6 48.h3 Kb6 49.Kb3 Kc5 50.Kc3 Kb6 51.Kb4 Kc6 52.Kb3 Kb6 53.Kb4 Kc6 54.Kb3 Kc5 55.Kc3 Kb6 56.Kb4 Kc6 Game drawn by repetition

Nice work, peroneal!

Another game like my last two, and the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde might suspend my membership!