I believe that it was GM Andy Soltis, long ago, who wrote that it can be difficult to decide, when there is a choice of either Rook to move to a square, which one to choose. He even humoursly suggested that, regardless of which one the player chooses, the annotator would be able to to kibitz "Wrong Rook".
That assessment is at the heart of this game (even though, here, it is a matter of choosing which of two Rooks should be moved, each to a different square), but it probably should be written "WRONG ROOK!" and placed against the background of a ticking clock...
perrypawnpusher - pitrisko
blitz, FICS, 2011
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 Qf6
In a game that we played 3 days earlier (see "Like the Big Boys"), my opponent had tried the very reasonable 9...Nf6.
10.Nc3
I've played a couple of games with 10.0-0; see perrypawnpusher - TJPOT, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 48) and perrypawnpusher - LeiCar, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 25).
Louis Morin ("mrjoker") has played a couple with 10.d4; see guest2199 - guest401, ICC, 2004 (1-0, 87) and mrjoker - Igor77, ICC, 2008 (1-0, 70).
10...c6 11.0-0 N8e7 12.f4 Rf8
This is Black's idea: with the King Knight on e7, he can double the heavy pieces on the f-file. He will have four pieces trained on the f5 square.
13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4 15.Qd3 b5
I've seen similar Knight vs Queen face-offs, for example perrypawnpusher - saltos, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 28).
16.b3 Nb6 17.Bb2
I liked this move, both kicking the enemy Knight and preparing to put my Bishop on the long diagonal.
Yet, Rybka 3, after the game, preferred the same move that I've been wrestling with, in different settings, recently (see "What does the Jerome Gambit deserve?" and "Like the Big Boys"): 17.e5
The main idea is the clearance sacrifice, 17...dxe5 18.Ne4. The secondary idea is that if Black advances his Queen, instead, with 17...Qh4, White will advance his pawn with 18.f6. There is also the ugly 17...Bxf5 18.exf6 Bxf6 19.cxd3 Rxf6 20.Rxf6 gxf6 Ne4 where White will have an edge in the endgame.
I guess when I better understand e4-e5, I'll have a better handle on the Jerome Gambit.
17...Kf7
It's never to late to castle-by-hand.
18.Ne2 Nd7 19.Rae1 a5 20.Nf4 Kg8
Things seem to be going as planned: I have plenty of development as compensation for my sacrifice, I am about to drop a knight into an outpost at e6, and my opponent is running short of time.
21.Ne6 Rf7 22.e5
Give yourself credit if you saw the Bishop-and-Knight-tour: 22.Bc1 h6 23.Nc7 Ra7 24.Ne8 Qh4 25.Nxd6 winning a pawn.
22...dxe5
pitrisko's time was running out, so he overlooked the better 22...Qh4, which left White with only a small edge.
23.dxe5 Qh4 24.Rf4
All together now: WRONG ROOK!
Of course, after 24.Re4, Black's Queen is in danger of being trapped, and his best move, 24...Qh5, allows 25.Nf4 followed by 26.e6.
What a sad way to mess up a relatively well-played game by White!
24...Qxe1+ 25.Rf1 Qh4 26.Nc7 Nxf5 27.Nxa8 Nc5 28.Qc3
Here, much to my relief, Black forfeited on time.
Another example of the equalizing injustice of chess.
I like playing over the Jerome Gambit games of Bill Wall, mrjoker and axykk. They look like patient predators, sitting, waiting, waiting, waiting... and then pouncing on their prey.
The following game of mine is a little like that. Except for the "pouncing" part.
perrypawnpusher - pitrisko
blitz, FICS, 2011
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
I have had this position in over 30 games, scoring over 80%. I don't have it quite mastered, but I can get to it quickly (and that counts in blitz).
10.0-0 Ng4 11.Qg3
Surprisingly bad is 11.Qe2 which unravels quickly: 11...Qh4 12.h3 Nf4 13.Qf3 Ne5 14.Qc3 Ne2+ 'Nuff said.
11...Qh4
Forcing the exchange of Queens. For 11...h6 see perrypawnpusher - lorecai, blitz, FICS, 2011, (1-0, 14) and for 11...h5 see perrypawnpusher - Riversider, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 18)
12.Qxh4 Nxh4
I don't play the Jerome Gambit with a Queenless middlegame in mind, but it can't be helped. I decided a while back that in this position it didn't pay to spend any time (on the clock) worrying, I needed to make the swap and then move on.
13.f4 Nf6 14.Nc3 Ng6 15.f5 Ne5
This gives away more tempos to the "Jerome pawns", and White is now close to having full compensation for his sacrificed piece.
16.d4 Nc6 17.e5
It was easier to decide on this move here than it was in my game against mtibuk.
17...dxe5 18.dxe5
18...Ng4
Black does not want to give the piece back with 18...Nxe5 19.Re1, etc., when White would have an edge; but perhaps he should have.
19.e6
This move is okay, but after the game Rybka 3 preferred 19.Nb5 Kf8 20.e6 b6 21.Nxc7 Rb8 22.Bf4 with the idea 22...Bb7 23.Bd6+ Ne7 when White will be able to win the exchange with 24.Nd6, adding to his three-pawns-for-a-piece material balance and Black's blocked King Rook.
This is certainly a position I need to return to and study some more.
19...Rf8
Instead, Black had a chance to prepare a better defense by playing 19...Ne7, so that if 20.Nb5, then 20...Nd5.
20.h3
Missing 20.Nb(or d)5 entirely. It could also be played on my next move, with advantage.
20...Nf6
21.Bf4
I was happy with my game so far. I had kept everything in balance,
keeping a roughly even game, just like the "big boys", and all I needed was a slip by my opponent to take advantage of.
21...Nb4 22.Bxc7 Nxc2 23.Rac1
Sensible.
Rybka 3's suggestion shows chess being played at a higher level than either my opponent or I were capable of in this game: 23.Rad1 (attacking the back rank) Bxe6 (forced, but useful) 24.fxe6 Ne3 (has White blundered??) 25.e7 Rg8 26.Rd8+ Kxe7 27.Rxa8 Rxa8 (White's "Jerome pawns" have disappeared, but that is all that he has to regret) 28.Re1 Kd7 29.Rxe3 Kxc7 30.Re7+ Kc6 31.Rxg7. White has won a pawn, but the endgame looks tricky.
Strong chess players can get blood from a stone.
23...Ne3 24.Rf3 Ned5 25.Nxd5 Nxd5 26.Bd6 Ne7
Finally Black slips, and it is time to pounce!
27.Rfc3
No, this not it. It is a paw swipe, not a pounce.
With the pressure from 27.Rc7 Black is forced to liquidate with 27...Nxf5 28.Bxf8 Bxe6 29.Bxg7 Rd8 30.g4 Nxg7 31.Rxg7 Rd7 32.Rxd7 Kxd7 and White is up the exchange and a pawn.
That is not a lot, but it is enough to win the endgame.
Black now wisely gives back his extra piece for the two "Jerome pawns" and the game slides into a draw...
I pursued things for a while, waiting for another chance to "pounce" but it was not to be.
27...Rxf5 28.Bxe7 Kxe7 29.Rxc8 Rxc8 30.Rxc8 Kxe6 31.Rc7 Rf7 32.Rxf7 Kxf7 33.Kf2 Ke6 34.Ke3 Kd5 35.Kd3 h5 36.h4 Ke5 37.Ke3 Kf5 38.Kf3 g5 39.hxg5 Kxg5 40.Kg3 Kf5 41.Kh4 Kg6 42.g4 hxg4 43.Kxg4 Kf6 44.Kf4 Ke6 45.Ke4 Kd6 46.Kd4 Kc6 47.Kc4 b6 48.a4 a6 49.b3 b5+ bxa4 51.bxa4 Kb6 52.a5+ Kc6 53.Kc4 Kd6 54.Kd4 Game drawn by mutual agreement
