Here we have another Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game (see "Ending in the Wilderness") that concludes with an unusual and instructive endgame.Once again, the Jerome Gambit has lessons to teach.
perrypawnpusher - jonathankochems
2 12 blitz FICS, 20101.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8
Certainly a good defense for Black, one of the many refutations of the Jerome Gambit. It was given by Jerome in his July 1874 article in the Dubuque Chess Journal. He also played the defense in two correspondence games against Daniel Jaeger in 1880, winning both.
7.Qxe5 Qe7
Putting immediate pressure on the e-file and on the pawn at e4 in particular, as well as offering to exchange Queens to extinguish White's attack.
8.Qf4+ Nf6 9.Nc3 d6
Jerome played 9...c6 in each of his games, winning both.
10.0-0 Kf7
The text is stronger than 10...Bd4, which appeared in perrypawnpusher - ERICOLSON, blitz FICS, 2007: 11.d3 a6 12.Ne2 c6 13.Nxd4 b5 14.Nxc6 Qe6 15.Nd4 Qe7 16.Bd2 Kg8 17.Nf5 Qc7 18.Qxd6 Qxd6 19.Nxd6 Be6 20.f4 g6 21.Bc3 Nd7 22.Bxh8 Kxh8 23.f5 gxf5 24.exf5 Bd5 25.Rae1 Nf6 26.Ne4 Bxe4 27.dxe4 Rc8 28.e5 Nd5 29.e6 Rxc2 30.e7 Nxe7 31.Rxe7 Rxb2 32.f6 Rd2 33.Re8 checkmate
11.d3 Rf8 12.Nd5 Qe5
Black is happy with his game: he is about to complete castling-by-hand, and he hopes to trade off White's attacking Queen, the one dangerous piece that his opponent has deployed.
13.Nxc7 Qxf4 14.Bxf4 Rb8
15.Nd5
After the game, Rybka recommended instead 15.d4 Bxd4 16.Bxd6 Nxe4 17.Bxf8 Kxf8 18.c3 Bb6 19.Nd5 Bd8 20.Rfe1 Nf6 21.Rad1 Kf7 22.Nxf6 Bxf6 which it judged as equal. White has a Rook and two pawns to Black's two Bishops.
analysis diagram
15...Nxd5 16.exd5 Bf5 17.Rae1
17...Bb4
Black's Bishop and White's Rook play hide-and-seek. The play for the next few moves is understandable, but could be improved upon.
18.Re2 Rbc8 19.a3 Bc5 20.b4 Bd4 21.Bxd6
This is probably one of those positions where it would be better to leave a weakness (the Black pawn at d6) in place than to actually capture it.
Black now has the simple (although neither jonathankochems nor I saw it at the time) 21...Rfd8 which allows for the capture of the White pawn on d5 – all White has accomplished is to open the position favorably for Black's pieces.
21...Rfe8 22.Rfe1 Bc3
This move is a double slip. First, Black should have punished his opponent's last move with 22...Rxe2 23.Rxe2 Bxd3 since the Bishop cannot be captured unless White wishes to allow a back rank mate. Second, White now has a nifty move that was hard to see – literally.
23.Rxe8
This move allows for the exchange of heavy pieces, and a generally even endgame. Instead, moving the Rook one step less – 23.Re7+ – was the right idea: 23...Rxe7 24.Rxe7+ Kf6 25.Rxb7 when White would have 5 pawns to balance Black's Bishop.
23...Rxe8 24.Rxe8 Kxe8
It is a bit unusual to have an endgame with 8 pawns on one side, except in problems or compositions. Rybka sees the game as even. White has what winning chances there are in the position; and of course if he can exchange Black's dark-squared Bishop for a few pawns, he has the sanctuary of a Bishops-of-opposite-colors ending to seek out.
25.Bc5 a6 26.Kf1 Bb2 27.a4 Bd7 28.a5 Ba4
The Bishops work together, herding the pawns.
29.c4 Bc2 30.Ke2 Bc3 31.Ke3 Kd7 32.Ke4
32...Be1 33.f4 Bc3 34.Bd4
An oversight. I had calculated only as far as 34...Bxb4 35.Bxg7. Perhaps White can hold the draw after 35...Bxa5 35.f5 followed by c4-c5 and a general pawn advance on the Kingside – but this was sloppy play, which I immediately corrected.
34...Bxb4 35.Bb6
Not too much damage done.
35...Kd6 36.f5 Bc3 37.g4
37...Bf6 38.Ke3
Unpinning the pawn at d3, but giving Black chances. Rybka suggested 38.Bd4 instead, keeping the game balanced.
38...Ke5
There are a couple of things wrong with this move. First, 38...Bd1 39.h3 h5 40.Kf4 hxg4 41.hxg4 Bc3 42.g5 Bd2+ was the way to play for advantage.
39.Bc7 checkmate
That's the second thing wrong with the move.
