Jerome Gambit: First Blood

The Jerome Gambit has drawn first blood in the third round of the Chess.com Giuoco Piano thematic tournament. The game is not very exciting, however, and so games have been added in the notes to compensate.

perryawnpusher - AWARDCHESS
Giuoco Piano Thematic, Chess.com, 2017

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Kf6

Black's King usually retreats to the 8th rank.

8.Qxc5

Or 8.d4 Bxd4 (8...Bb4+ 9.c3 c6 10.Qg5+ Ke6 11.Qxd8 Nf6 12.Qc7 Bd6 13.Qa5 Kf7 14.e5 Re8 15.O-O Nxe5 16.dxe5 Rxe5 17.Qa4 b5 18.Qd4 Rd5 19.Qe3 Bb7 20.Nd2 c5 21.Nf3 Ng4 22.Qe1 Re8 23.Be3 Rh5 24.h3 Ne5 25.Nxe5+ Rexe5 26.Rd1 Bc7 27.Rxd7+ Re7 28.Rxe7+ Kxe7 29.Bxc5+ Kd7 30.Qe7+ Kc8 31.Qe8+ Bd8 32.Qxh5 Ba6 33.Rd1 Bc7 34.Qe8+ Kb7 35.b4 g5 36.Rd7 h5 37.Qf7 Kc8 38.Rxc7+ Kb8 39.Bxa7+ Ka8 40.Qe8+ Bc8 41.Qxc8 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, FICS, 2008; 8...h6 9.Qxc5 N8e7 10.e5+ Kf7 11.Qc4+ Kf8 12.O-O b6 13.f4 a5 14.f5 Ba6 15.fxg6+ Ke8 16.Qf7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - tjaksi, FICS, 2013; 8...d6 9.Bg5 checkmate, mrjoker - Taj, Internet Chess Club, 2009) 9.Qg5+ Ke6 10.Qxd8 N8e7 11.Qxc7 Ne5 12.Qa5 b6 13.Qd2 Bc5 14.Nc3 Ba6 15.Nd5 Rac8 16.Nxe7 Kxe7 17.Qg5+ Ke6 18.Qf5+ Kd6 19.Bf4 Rce8 20.O-O-O+ Kc6 21.Bxe5 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - alvarzr, FICS, 2014

8...d6

Not 8...Qe7 9.Qf5 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - zsilber, FICS, 2010.

9.Qe3

Or 9.Qc3+ Ne5 10.f4 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest4240618, PlayChess.com, 2015.

9...Nh6

The Knight can go elsewhere:

9...Ne5 10.d4 Ng4 (10...Nc4 11.Qg5+ Kf7 12.Qxd8 b5 13.Qxc7+ Ne7 14.a4 b4 15.Qxc4+ d5 16.exd5 Nxd5 17.Qxd5+ Be6 18.Qf3+ Ke7 19.Bg5+ Kd6 20.Nd2 Rhe8 21.Ne4+ Kd7 22.Nc5+ Kd6 23.Qf4+ Kc6 24.O-O-O Bd5 25.Na6 Kb6 26.Qd6+ Bc6 27.Nxb4 Rac8 28.d5 Red8 29.Bxd8+ Rxd8 30.Qxd8+ Kc5 31.Nxc6 a5 32.Qxa5+ Kc4 33.Qb4 checkmate, MrJoker - ipon, Internet Chess Club, 2011) 11.Qg5+ Kf7 12.Qxd8 Black resigned MrJoker - vicwill, Internet Chess Club, 2011;

9...N8e7 10.d4 Kf7 (10...c5 11.dxc5 Qa5+ 12.Nc3 Qxc5 13.Qf3+ Ke6 14.O-O Ne5 15.Qh3+ Kf7 16.Qh5+ N7g6 17.Be3 Qb4 18.f4 Nc4 19.f5 Nxe3 20.fxg6+ Kg8 21.gxh7+ Rxh7 22.Qe8 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - useche, FICS, 2010) 11.O-O Rf8 12.f4 Kg8 13.f5 Nh8 14.Nc3 c6 15.Qg3 d5 16.f6 Neg6 17.fxg7 Kxg7 18.Be3 Rxf1+ 19.Rxf1 Nf7 20.Qf3 Ng5 21.Bxg5 Qxg5 22.Qf7+ Kh6 23.exd5 cxd5 24.Nxd5 Bg4 25.Nf4 Rf8 26.Qxb7 Rxf4 27.Qxa7 Rxf1+ 28.Kxf1 Qf4+ White resigned, perrypawnpusher - wbrandl, FICS, 2011.

10.f4 Re8 11.O-O Qe7 12.Nc3 Bd7 13.Nd5+ Black resigned

Ouch. This kind of thing can happen, even in a slow game. Maybe the real world intruded. Maybe White's opening looked too innocuous to worry about in the early stages.

A Long Day In The Life of the Jerome Gambit

Sometimes Jerome Gambit games are easy, sometimes not. Sometimes they are pretty, sometimes pretty ordinary. Always they are complicated. Always they are exciting. Enjoy the following game, high notes and low.


Laaber - Ausxh,
blitz, FICS, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+

The text is thematic, but 6.Nxc6 is probably better: 6.Nxc6 dxc6 7.Qh5+ g6 (7...Kf8 8.Qxc5+ Qd6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.e5 Ng4 11.Qf4+ 1-0 Wall,B - Gebba, Chess.com, 2010) 8.Qxc5 Qe7 9.Qc3 Qxe4+ 10.Kf1 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest1609773, PlayChess.com, 2013;

Not 6.Nxc6 bxc6? 7.Qh5+ as seen in perrypawnpusher - rodrigojalpa, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 25); perrypawnpusher - zsilber, blitz, FICS, 2010 (½-½, 42);  Wall,B - Qwerty, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 9); and Wall,B - LFTN, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 20), for example.

Interestingly, Stockfish 6 prefers 6.Nxc6 Qh4!?

6...g6 7.Nxg6 Bxf2+

Best!?

8.Kd1 

8.Kxf2 is playable: Blackstone,J - Dommeyer,C, Campbell, CA 1960 (1-0, 13); Philidor 1792 - Guest834593, PlayChess.com, 2014 (1-0, 16); ZahariSokolov - naijachampion, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 34).

The alternative, 8.Kf1, doesn't work if Black follows up with 8...Nf6!?, but that hasn't shown up in The Database yet, only 8...hxg6?! in jecree - lhoffman, FICS, 2008. 

8...Nf6 9.Nxh8+

White is overlooking something.

9.Qf3 was seen in Petasluk  - Klonkku, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 57). 

9...Kf8 

Black, too: 9...Nxh5.

And some thing else.

10.Qf5

Missing: 10.Qf7 checkmate. 

10...d6 11.Qxf2 

White will be up the exchange and a couple of pawns once he gives back the Knight at h8.

11...Bg4+ 12.Ke1 Qe8

Trying to mix it up again.

13.d3 

There was nothing wrong with 13.Qxf6+.

13...Kg7 14.Bg5 Nxe4 15.dxe4 Qxe4+ 16.Be3 Nd4 

White is winning, but it may not feel that way to him.

17.Nc3 Nxc2+ 18.Kf1 Nxe3+ 

19.Kg1 Qe5 20.Re1 Rxh8 21.Rxe3 Qd4

The extra Rook will help White, once it gets free. But first White will take advantage of Black's last move and win the Queen.

22.Re7+ Kg6 23.Qxd4 Rf8 24.Qxg4+ Kf6 25.Qe6+ Kg5 26.h4+ Kf4 27.Nd5+ Kg3 28.Qh3 checkmate

Winning Fast or Losing Fast?

Knowing your chess opening and what you and others have played previously is a powerful weapon in a contest.

Bill Wall's games show up over 365 times in The Database; he has a lot of experience with the Jerome Gambit - usually a whole lot more than his opponents. (As a reference, The Database's  over 51,500 games is useful, too.)

It is no wonder that the following game ends quickly. 

Wall,B - Guest4240618
PlayChess.com, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Kf6 

8.Qxc5

MrJoker and I have explored 8.d4: perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 41); mrjoker - Taj, Internet Chess Club 2009 (1-0, 9); perrypawnpusher - tjaksi, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 16); and perrypawnpusher - alvarzr, blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 21).

8...d6

Not 8...Qe7 9.Qf5#  perrypawnpusher - zsilber, blitz, FICS, 2010. 

9.Qc3+

As opposed to the retreat 9.Qe3 seen in  perrypawnpusher - useche, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 22); perrypawnpusher - wbrandl, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 28); MrJoker - ipon, Internet Chess Club, 2011 (1-0, 33); and MrJoker - vicwill, Internet Chess Club 2011 (1-0, 12).

Now Bill is on his own, as there are no other examples of this move in The Database; but his opponent immediately helps him out.

9...Ne5 10.f4 Black resigned

A Second Chance to Decline

Here is a recent game played by Philidor 1792, from a cache of games he sent not long ago. His opponent declines the offer of a second piece with an inaccuracy that is worth knowing - and punishing. 

Philidor 1792 - Guest834593
3 0 blitz, PlayChess.com, 02.11.2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8

While declining the second piece is as old as Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, 1875 (1/2-1/2, 29), the safest place for Black's King to retreat to is f8, not e8.

6.Qh5+

It's possible that 6.Nxc6 is stronger, but who can resist checking the King?

On the other hand, White's Knight capture is tricky, as 6...bxc6? is not the correct response - see perrypawnpusher - rodrigojalpa, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 25); perrypawnpusher - zsilber, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1/2-1/2, 42); Wall,B - Qwerty, Chess.com 2010 (1-0, 9); and Wall,B - LFTN, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 20).

Neither is 6...dxc6? the right move - see Wall,B - Gebba, Chess.com 2010 (1-0, 11).

Although I have suggested the untried 6...Bf2+ in "Don't Drive Like My Brother", the best response for Black, still untried as far as The Database is concerned is 6...Qh4!?, as after 7.d4 Qxe4+ 8.Qe2 Qxe2+ 9.Kxe2 Bb6 10.Nb4 Bxd4 11.Nd5 Kd8 Black has an equal game. (Of course, he turned down a second piece to get there.)

6...g6

Silly alternatives: 6...Kf8 7.Qf7 checkmate,  perrypawnpusher - platel, blitz, FICS, 2011  and 6...Ke7 7.Qf7+ Kd6 8.Qd5+ Ke7 9.Nxc6+ Kf6 10.Qf5 checkmate, Kennedy - WeakDelphi, 2 12 blitz, 2008.

7.Nxg6 Bxf2+

Instead, 7...Qf6 was no solution in perrypawnpusher - schachix, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 10).

8.Kxf2 Qf6+

Black goes astray: 8...Nf6  was the way to keep an edge.

9.Nf4+ Kd8 10.d3 Nge7

Or 10...d6 11.Rf1 Qd4+ 12.Be3 Qf6 13.c3 Black resigned, Hultgren,R - Harrow, Campbell, CA 1960. 

11.Nc3 d6 12.Rf1 Ng6 13.Kg1

Usually it is Black who has to castle-by-hand. White is two pawns ahead, with a safer King.

13...Qd4+ 14.Kh1 Nge5 15.Nfd5 Be6 16.Be3 Black resigned

Black's Queen is trapped in the middle of the board!

Another Error, Another Win

Some day, maybe, I will get caught.

Oh, wait a minute. I already did get caught.

Some day, maybe, I will learn.

Oh, wait a minute, I once did know.

Well - next time I hope to remember...

In the meantime here's another Jerome Gambit game where I made what I knew was the wrong move, because I couldn't remember why it was wrong.

And I won in a near-miniature, anyhow.

perrypawnpusher - alvarzr
2 12, FICS, 2014

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Kf6

Last year my game against the same opponent continued 7...Ke8 8.Qxc5 Qe7 9.Qe3 Nf6  and I was out-played in a pitched battle, (missing one chance at a saving swindle) in perrypawnpusher - alvarzr, blitz, FICS, 2013, (0-1, 59). Hmmm... Looks like I haven't posted that game yet. My bad.

8.d4

I played this move even though I knew it was not the best move.

I had forgotten 8.Qxc5 d6 (8...Qe7 9.Qf5# perrypawnpusher - zsilber, blitz, FICS, 2010) 9.Qe3, with an edge for Black in perrypawnpusher - useche, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 22) and perrypawnpusher - wbrandl, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 28).

8...Bxd4

Black doubles my error and sends it back to me...

In a game six years ago my opponent back then played the correct 8...Bb4+!?, but after  9.c3 he tried 9...c6 and after 10.Qg5+ I was on my way to sweet victory in perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 41).

A more recent game - the analysis from this blog should still have been clear in my memory - saw 8...h6 9.Qxc5 with Black a bit better, in perrypawnpusher - tjaksi, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 16).

9.Qg5+ 

This is fine, but 9.Bg5 would have been checkmate. (And 10.Bg5 would have been checkmate against whitepandora, too!)

9...Ke6 10.Qxd8 

These kind of positions make me verrrrrrry nervous. Sure, White has a Queen and a pawn for only two pieces, but that's the problem - what if I get overconfident and blunder it all away? (Sure, that would be almost as bad as losing to the Jerome Gambit, right?)

10...N8e7 11.Qxc7 Ne5 12.Qa5 b6 13.Qd2 Bc5 14.Nc3

I briefly looked at 14.b4!? but quickly decided that I didn't need more material, I needed to escape with what I had and to find a settled position. (Thanks, Dan Heisman.)

14...Ba6 15.Nd5!? Rac8 16.Nxe7 Kxe7 17.Qg5+ Ke6 18.Qf5+ Kd6 19.Bf4 Rce8 20.0-0-0+ 

Hold the Xanax. I think I've got things under control now.

20...Kc6 21.Bxe5 Black resigned

Lost in the Maze; Then Just Lost

If, occasionally, both my opponent and I get lost in the maze of the Jerome Gambit, I feel reassured that it is my maze, and that I will still be able to find my way out, safely.

perrypawnpusher - tjaksi
blitz, FICS, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

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

7.Qd5+ Kf6 

Alert! Possible trouble on the d8-h4 diagonal!

8.d4 

Interestingly enough, Houdini shows about a half-pawn preference for 8.Qxc5 over the text. That is not immediately obvious, although both  MrJoker and I have generally had success with that move - perrypawnpusher - zsilber, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 9); perrypawnpusher - useche, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 22); perrypawnpusher - wbrandl, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 28); MrJoker - ipon, Internet Chess Club, 2011 (1-0, 33); and MrJoker -vicwill, Internet Chess Club, 2011 (1-0, 12).

8...h6

My opponent responds to the perceived threat. The computer prefers 8...Bb4+ 9.c3  and then 9...Ke7, allowing for the Black Knight to intervene at f6, e.g. 10.Bg5+ Nf6 when White will recover one of his two sacrificed pieces, but Black will still have the advantage.

Instead, 8...Bb4+ 9.c3 c6 was seen in perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 41); while 8...d6 9.Bg5 checkmate, from mrjoker - Taj, Internet Chess Club, 2009 also has to be mentioned.

9.Qxc5 N8e7 10.e5+ Kf7 11.Qc4+ Kf8 12.0-0 b6 

Black is preparing to take advantage of White's pieces on the a6-f1 diagonal. It was probably better to play the straight-forward 12...d5. 

13.f4 a5 14.f5 Ba6 

Much to my opponent's delight, I have fallen into his trap: the Black Bishop skewers my Queen. However, I've suggested in "BSJG: Don't Try To Out-Think Me", and here is another case of that. Instead, after the game Houdini recommended the related 14...Nxe5 15.dxe5 Ba6 when 16.Qe4 Bxf1 17.Kxf1 d5 18.exd6 cxd6 19.Nc3 d5 would be about equal, White having a pawn for the exchange.

While Black was planning his maneuver, I used my moves to allow a discovered check.

15.fxg6+ Ke8 16.Qf7 checkmate

Pay Attention

Even when facing a refuted opening such as the Jerome Gambit, Black must pay attention and remain serious until the point has been secured. If he simply "plays moves", expecting the game to win itself, he runs the risk of taking too many chances and winding up on the wrong side of a miniature.

MrJoker  - vicwill
blitz, 2 12, Internet Chess Club, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Kf6 

This is taking a bit of an unnecessary risk.

8.Qxc5 

Or the eyeblink game: 8.d4 d6 9.Bg5 checkmate, mrjoker - Taj, Internet Chess Club, 2009. 

8...d6 

Another quickie: 8...Qe7 9.Qf5 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - zsilber, blitz, FICS, 2010. 

9.Qe3 Ne5 

Another idea is 9...N8e7, e.g. 10.d4 Kf7 (10...c5 11.dxc5 Qa5+ 12.Nc3 Qxc5 13.Qf3+ Ke6 14.0-0 Ne5 15.Qh3+ Kf7 16.Qh5+ N7g6 17.Be3 Qb4 18.f4 Nc4 19.f5 Nxe3 20.fxg6+ Kg8 21.gxh7+ Rxh7 22.Qe8 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - useche, blitz, FICS, 2010) 11.0-0 Rf8 12.f4 Kg8 13.f5 Nh8 14.Nc3 c6 15.Qg3 d5 16.f6 Neg6 17.fxg7 Kxg7 18.Be3 Rxf1+ 19.Rxf1 Nf7 20.Qf3 Ng5 21.Bxg5 Qxg5 22.Qf7+ Kh6 23.exd5 cxd5 24.Nxd5 Bg4 25.Nf4 Rf8 26.Qxb7 Rxf4 27.Qxa7 Rxf1+ 28.Kxf1 Qf4+ White resigned, perrypawnpusher - wbrandl, blitz, FICS, 2011. 

Rybka suggests 9...Kf7. 

10.d4 Ng4 

Equally dismal was 10...Nc4, i.e. 11.Qg5+ Kf7 12.Qxd8 b5 13.Qxc7+ Ne7 14.a4 b4 15.Qxc4+ d5 16.exd5 Nxd5 17.Qxd5+ Be6 18.Qf3+ Ke7 19.Bg5+ Kd6 20.Nd2 Rhe8 21.Ne4+ Kd7 22.Nc5+ Kd6 23.Qf4+ Kc6 24.0-0-0 Bd5 25.Na6 Kb6 26.Qd6+ Bc6 27.Nxb4 Rac8 28.d5 Red8 29.Bxd8+ Rxd8 30.Qxd8+ Kc5 31.Nxc6 a5 32.Qxa5+ Kc4 33.Qb4 checkmate, MrJoker - ipon, Internet Chess Club, 2011.

Black needed to retreat the Knight to c6.

11.Qg5+ Kf7 12.Qxd8 Black resigned

Endgame Lessons

Transitioning to the endgame can be a powerful winning strategy, even in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). Of course, once you reach the endgame, it is still necessary to play it properly...

perrypawnpusher - zsilber
blitz, FICS, 2010


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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8

Black has a strong defense in 5...Kf8. See "Critical Line: 5...Kf8" Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Revisited.

The retreat to e8, however, has the weakness of keeping Black's King on the e8-h5 diagonal.

6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Qh5+

7...g6 8.Qxc5 Nf6 9.0-0 Bb7 10.d3 d6

11.Qc3 Rf8 12.Bg5

This is not best, as Black can now reply with 12...Nxe4, winning a pawn.

12...Kf7

Looking to safeguard his King by castling-by-hand. He gets his wish of King safety, but 13.Qb3+ (instead of what I played) would have cost him a piece.

13.Qxf6+ Qxf6 14.Bxf6 Kxf6

Winning this endgame should be "a matter of technique" for White. [Insert laugh track here.]

15.Nd2 Kg7 16.f4 c5 17.Rae1 Rae8 18.Nc4 Ba6 19.Ne3 Bb7

20.Nd5

Sloppy: White drops one pawn and doubles another in order to get Black to exchange the remaining pieces.

20...Bxd5 21.exd5 Rxe1 22.Rxe1 Rxf4 23.Re7+ Rf7 24.Rxf7+ Kxf7

The game is still a win for White. He has to properly manage the tempos in the position, however.

25.Kf2 Kf6 26.Ke3 Ke5 27.c4 h5

28.h4

It was important for White to see 28.d4+ cxd4+ 29.Kd3. Black's King will eventually have to move away from protecting the pawn at d4.

The text weakens White's Kingside, even if it does help in the battle of the tempos.

28...Kf5 29.Kf3 a5 30.b3 Ke5 31.Ke3 Kf5

32.Kf3

Something to be aware of here was the alternative 32.d4 as White can then get a passed pawn in the center or on the Queenside faster than Black can get one on the Kingside: 32...Kg4 33.dxc5 dxc5 34.Ke4 Kg3 35.Ke5 Kxg2 36.Ke6 Kh3 37.Kd7 Kxh4 38.Kxc7 etc. or 32...cxd4+ 33.Kxd4 Kg4 34.a4 Kxh4 35.b4 axb4 36.a5, etc.

Alas, I missed it. But that was not my only chance to win.

32...g5 33.g3

Static, stagnant and stultifying!

The proper route was 33.hxg5 Kxg5 34.Kg3 h4+ 35.Kh3 Kh5, when White can head for the strategy named above with 36.g4+ hxg e.p. 37.Kxg3 when White's King will head for e3 in order to play d3-d4.

Now the game is even.

33...gxh4 34.gxh4 Ke5

35.a3

Because White's last few moves have weakened his Kingside, he does not have the resources of d3-d4.

For example, 35.Ke3 Kf5 36.d4 Kg4 37.dxc5 dxc5 38.a3 Kxh4 39.b4 cxb4 40.axb4 a4 41.c5 a3 42.d6 cxd6 43.cxd6 a2 44.d7 a1/Q 45.d8/Q and the Q + P vs Q + P ending is likely drawn.

White had a swindle available, after 35.Ke3 Kf5 36.d4 Kg4. He could play 37.a4!? instead of 37.dxc5. If Black took the bait and played 37...Kxh4?, then White would Queen first with 38.dxc5 Kg5 (38...dxc5 falls to 39.b4 cxb4 40.c5, etc.) since 39.c6! allows White's pawns to advance and fall to clearance sacrifices.

However, if after 35.Ke3 Kf5 36.d4 Kg4 37.a4!? Black brings his King back with 37...Kf5, the game is drawn.

35...Kf5 36.a4 Ke5 37.Ke3 Kf5 38.Kf3 Ke5 39.Ke3 Kf5 40.Kf3 Ke5 41.Ke3 Kf5 42.Kf3 Game drawn by repetition