Jerome Gambit: Chess Is An Easy Game, After All

In the previous post, it was enjoyable to examine a line in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) through the games of a particular player.

So, let's do it again.

Intercrosse - PrashantKakade

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 

As I wrote years ago

As early as his first Jerome Gambit article (Dubuque Chess Journal April, 1874), Alonzo Jerome considered the possibility that Black might refuse to capture the second piece with 5...Nxe5, and instead play for King safety instead with 5...Kf8.
In a letter to the American Chess Journal, March 1877, Jerome wrote

5...Kf8 leaves White's pawns intact while Black has lost two strong pawns and doubled another. This defense was adopted by G.J. Dougherty of Mineola, NY, a strong amateur, against whom I first played the opening, and I think he will agree that 5...Kf8 is not a good defense. He generally played 6.bc and that was the play of Mr. J. C. Young of Danville, KY, who subsequently abandoned the game. Why, I do not know, as it was not necessarily lost to either of us. It is a question with which Pawn it is best to take.

The earliest game example that I have of this line is Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, USA, 1875 (1/2-1/2, 29) 

For some games and history, see "Jerome Gambit: A Trip Down Memory Lane (Part 1)".

6.Qh5  

And, again

White also has the option of playing 6.Qh5, the Banks Variation, as in Banks - Rees, Halesowen, 2003, when Black can transpose with 6…Nxe5  as recommended by the American Chess Journal, (3/1877) - "The continuation adopted by Jerome, Qh5 looks promising."

Pete Banks ("blackburne" online), a stalwart member of the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde ...brought international attention to Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's invention by writing to International Master Gary Lane, who commented at length on the opening, and on a couple of Banks' games, in his March ("The Good Old Days") and April ("Chess Made Easy") 2008 "Opening Lanes" columns at ChessCafe.com. IM Lane also mentioned one of Banks' games in his The Greatest Ever chess tricks and traps (2008), which reprised some of the earlier material.

It is humorous to note that in his "Opening Lanes" column Lane wrote, after 5.Nxe5+, "I think anyone with good manners playing Black would now kindly ask their opponent if they wanted to take their move back" while in his book he changed this to "I think anyone with good manners playing Black would now go to another room to carry on laughing."

Apropos the Banks Variation itself (i.e. playing 6.Qh5 in response to 5...Kf8), IM Lane noted in "The Good Old Days" that "6...Qe7 is a good alternative [to 6...Qf6 of Banks - Rees], because it stops the checkmate and protects the bishop on c5."

How should Black respond?

There is 6...Qf6 7.O-O ( More to the point is 7.Nxd7+ Bxd7 8.Qxc5+) 7...Nxe5 8.c3 d6 9.d4 Bxd4 (9...Bg4 10.Qg5 Qxg5 11.Bxg5 Nf7 12.dxc5 Nxg5 13.cxd6 cxd6) 10.cxd4 Nc6 11.e5 dxe5 12.dxe5 Qxe5 13.Nc3 Qxh5 White resigned, Intercrosse - Piropiro2, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020; 

Black could transposte to the main line with 6...Nxe5 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qf4+ Nf6 9.d4 Bxd4 10.O-O Be5 11.Qf3 Bg4 12.Qb3 Rb8 13.Bg5 h6 14.Bh4 g5 15.Bg3 Kg7 16.Nc3 Bxc3 17.Qxc3 Qe7 18.Rae1 Rbe8 19.f3 Be6 20.f4 gxf4 21.Bh4 Rhf8 22.Rxf4 Kg6 23.Re3 Qg7 24.Rg3+ Ng4 25.Rfxg4+ Bxg4 26.Rxg4+ Kf7 27.Qxg7+ Ke6 28.Rg6+ Rf6 29.Qxf6+ Kd7 30.Rg7+ Re7 31.Qxe7+ Kc6 32.Qxc7+ Kb5 33.b4 Kxb4 34.Qxb7+ Kc3 35.Rc7+ Kd2 36.Qd5+ Ke3 37.g4 Kf4 38.e5 Kxg4 39.exd6 Kxh4 40.Rg7 Kh3 41.Qh5 checkmate, Intercrosse - Drunkpad, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020; 

Black could be creative and return material with 6...Bxf2+?! 7.Kxf2 Qf6+ 8.Ke1 (hoping to pin the enemy Queen to its King with Rf1, but it never happens; better the simple 8.Nf3) Qxe5 9.Rf1+ Nf6 10.d4? Qxe4+ White resigned, Intercrosse - shyqrish, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020; 

There was also 6...g6 7.Nxg6+ hxg6 8.Qxh8 Qf6 9.Qh6+? (9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 10.Qxf6 Nxf6 11.d3 would leave White with 3 pawns and a Rook vs Knight and Bishop) 9...Kf7? White resigned in an equal position, Intercrosse - TickleAttack, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020; 

Surprisingly, after 6...Qe8 White resigned in Intercrosse - ehne_mehn_muhh, 3 0, blitz, lichess.org, 2020. Again, after the tactic 7.Nxe7+ Qxd7 8.Qxc5+, Black would have a small edge. 

Finally, 6...Qe7!? suggested by IM Lane (see above) was tested in splott - mika76, GameKnot.com, 2008: 7.Ng6+ hxg6 8.Qxh8 Qxe4+ 9.Kf1 Qd4 10.Ke1 Qxf2+ 11.Kd1 d6 12.h3 Qxg2 13.Re1 Qf3+ 14.Re2 Bf2 15.d3 Nd4 16.Nc3 Qh1+ 17.Kd2 Nf3 checkmate. 

So, how did Black respond in the game?

6...Nf6 7.Qf7 checkmate

Chess is an easy game, after all.

By the way, this is the only game in The Database with this final position. There are 3 similar games that proceeded 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 (not 5...Kf8, as in our main game) 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qf7 checkmate: Esistes - ClosetDoor, blitz, FICS, 2009; perrypawnpusher - platel, blitz, FICS, 2011, and BahatiTheGrandmaster - Mammaen-din, 10 5 blitz, lichess.org, 2021.

Jerome Gambit: Quo Vadis?

The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game revolves around two big questions about where the White Queen should go - or should not go. As can be seen in the game and in the notes - and you should read the notes - how the questions are answered determine the game(s)'s outcome(s).

Always, mind you, with the clock ticking in a 3-minute game.

Intercrosse - Udit00

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 Nf6 

Giving back both sacrificed pieces.

8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 d6 

10.Qb4 

Where should the Queen go? This is an interesting and important question.

The Database has 35 games where the position after 9...d6 was reached. In about half of the games, White chose to retreat his Queen to e3. In about one sixth of the games, White chose to retreat to c4. In one ninth of the games, White chose to retreat to b5, and, likewise, to retreat to b4. The squares g5, d4 and a5 were chosen once each.

By contrast, Stockfish 13 evaluated the three top squares for the Queen to move to, with very little difference amongst them, as b5, a5, and g5.

What is going on here? Clearly, the vast majority of chessplayers represented by The Database simply chose a safe and centralized place for their Queen, behind the e-pawn, hoping to assist in the general advance of the "Jerome pawns". This is reasonable.

The computer, however, preferred to move the Queen out of direct action (i.e. 9...Qa5 and 9...Qg5) or to set up the age old dilemma for Black: after 9...Qb5, is it worth giving up the b-pawn to develop the light squared Bishop?

Earlier in the year, White had explored 10.Qc4+, and  the game continued 10...Be6 (better was 10...d5) 11.Qe2 Re8 12.O-O h5 (an aggressive idea that should have been met by 13.f5) 13.d4 h4 14.h3 c6 15.e5 Nd5 16.Qh5+ (even stronger was to trust in the "Jerome pawns" with 13.f5) g6 17.Qh7+ Kf8 (White now has a mate in 8, but misses it) 18.Qxg6 Bf7 19.Qh6+ Kg8 20.Nc3 Re6 White resigned in a position where he still had an edge (time trouble?), Intercrosse - pavyon, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020.

10...Nxe4

This is the second big question: should the Knight be taken? (Hint: it has to do with White's King on the open e-file.)

Recall the post "Jerome Gambit: A Series of Shocks".

Later in the year, White ducked the question in a similar position: 10...Re8 11.O-O (or 11.d3) Nxe4 12.d3 c5 13.Qc4+ d5 14.Qb3 c4 15.Qb4 (Dangerously allowing Her Majesty to be cut off from supporting the Kingside. Better was 15.dxc4 b6 16.cxd5) 15...a5 16.Qa4 (After all that harassment, Black now has mate in 7) Qb6+ 17.Kh1 Nf2+ 18.Rxf2 Qxf2 (good enough, but 18...Re1+ was faster) White resigned, Intercrosse - Anton_Sork, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020 

11.O-O 

Toward the end of the year, he could not resist temptation, facing the threatened loss of his Queen after 11.Qxe4 Re8, therefore White resigned, Intercrosse - dinazorrr, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020) 

11...Rf8

Ouch. Here we see an example of a player taking the right advice at the wrong time. It is often a good idea in the Jerome Gambit for Black to castle-by-hand, and this appears to be what he is doing. However, he either forgot about his Knight, or he still believed that White would not take it. With 11...Nf6 Black could have stayed only a pawn behind. 

12.Qxe4 Black resigned

Black is down a piece and a pawn, without compensation.

Jerome Gambit CHECKMATE!!!

CHECKMATE!!!

I just discovered a YouTube video, "Jerome Gambit CHECKMATE!!!" that appears to be a 30 0 game Jerome Gambit game between Alexandrea Botez and Andrea Botez.

The game features a delightful march of White's e-pawn, supported by the Queen, ending with a Queen sacrifice and a promotion to a Queen leading to checkmate.

The moves appear to be the same as in Ftmean - Saleem, 10 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021 (1-0, 16), but watching the video is a lot more fun.

Check it out.

Jerome Gambit: vs WGM!?

 

The following game is a rematch - see "Jerome Gambit: vs WGM?!"

Playing White is a Jerome Gambiteer who specializes in bullet - 1 minute, no increment - play.

Playing Black is a Women's Grandmaster - who has serious chess skills, and who is not going to be surprised by a "refuted" opening this time. 

The thing is, though, that it is still the Jerome Gambit.

Anonymous - Anonymous,

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ Qe7 9.Qe3 Nf6 

So far, the same as the previous game. Now White opts to defend his e-pawn, so his opponent immediately attacks it.

I think being allowed to exchange Queens may have come as a surprise to Black, but we have seen many examples where the extra pawns are easier to play than the extra piece. 

10.d3 d5 11.exd5 Qxe3+ 12.fxe3 Nxd5 13.O-O+ Ke7 14.e4 Nf6 15.Nc3 Rf8 16.Bg5 

Target: f6, a standard Jerome Gambit theme.

16...h6 17.Nd5+ Ke6 

Okay, quick: This is an error. If you were playing the game, you would have a few seconds to find and punish it. Go!

18.Nxf6 

White settles for winning a pawn, a concrete gain. 

The right path was 18.Bxf6 c6 19.Nc7+ Kd6 20.Nxa8 although extracting the Knight at a8 would be difficult, if not impossible: 20...Bg4 21.Rae1 Be6 (21...Rxa8 22.Rxf6+) 22.d4 Kd7 (22...Rxa8 23.Rxf6 Rg8 d5 24.d5 Kd7 25.dxe6+) 23.b3 Rxa8 24.Rxf6 Rg8 25.d5 Bg4 26.e5 and White's advanced passed "Jerome pawns" outweigh Black's extra piece.

18...gxf6 19.Bxh6 Rh8 

There's got to be a tactic somewhere, thinks Black. There is, for White - which is why 19...Rf7 was probably better.

20.Bg7 Rh7 21.Rxf6+ Ke7 22.Rxg6 Kf7 23.Rg3 Rxg7 24.Rf1+ Kg8 25.Rxg7+ Kxg7 

White has 4 pawns for the Bishop. I believe that in club games, the pawns should be easier to play with and easier to win. Against a very strong player, perhaps the odds shift toward the Bishop - although the short time control may work against it.

26.h3 Be6 27.Rf4 Bxa2 28.g4 a5 29.Kf2 b5 30.Ke3 b4 

31.Rf5 Be6 32.Rc5 Ra7 33.b3 a4 34.bxa4 b3 35.cxb3 Bxb3 36.a5 Be6 

Black has been playing with energy, but White's three pawn islands will prove too much.

37.d4 Kf7 38.d5 Bd7 39.e5 Ke7 40.Kd4 Kd8 

41.e6 Be8 42. Ke5 Ra6 43. h4 Ra8 44. h5 Rb8 45. h6 Rb1 46.Kf6 Rf1+ 47. Kg7 Rg1 48.Rc4 Bh5  49.h7 Bxg4 Black resigned

White will promote his pawn to a Queen and then checkmate the next move.

Jerome Gambit: vs WGM?!

We have seen Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games by the following player of the White pieces, who has always requested anonymity for himself and his opponents.

He recently played a couple of online bullet games against a WGM

Anonymous - Anonymous

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021

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

 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ Qe7 9.Qe3 Nf6 

An alternative of about the same strength, 9...d5 was faced earlier by the same player,  Anonymous - Anonymous, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020 (1-0, 34)

10.O-O 

Choosing King safety at the cost of a pawn. Earlier in the year he had tried 10.Nc3 d5 11.exd5 Qxe3+ 12.fxe3 Kf7 13.O-O Rf8 14.e4 Kg8 15.d4 Bd7 16.e5 Ng4 17.h3 Nh6 18.Bxh6 gxh6 19.e6 Be8 20.Ne4 Rxf1+ 21.Rxf1 Ne7 22.Nf6+ Kg7 23.c4 b6 24.b4 a5 25.a3 axb4 26.axb4 Rd8 27.Rf3 Ng6 28.Nh5+ Kg8 29.g3 c6 30.Rf5 cxd5 31.Rxd5 Rxd5 32.cxd5 Kf8 33.Nf6 Ke7 34.Ne4 Bb5 35.Kf2 Nf8 36.Ke3 Nxe6 37.dxe6 Kxe6 38.Kf4 Kd5 39.Nf6+  Kxd4 40.Nxh7 Kc4 41.h4 Kxb4 42.g4 Kc3 43.g5 hxg5+ 44.hxg5 Bd3 45.Nf8 Bg6 46.Nxg6 b5 47.Ne5 b4 48.Nd3 b3 49.Nb2 White won on time, Anonymous -Anonymous, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021. 

10...Qxe4 11.Qa3+ d6 12.Nc3 Qe8 13.d4 h6 

14.Qb3 Be6 15.d5 Bd7 16.Be3 Kg8 17.Rae1 Kh7 

Black has focused on castling-by-hand and is not worried about the fate of his b-pawn.

There was a pawn to be had now, but White's attention flows in a different direction.

18.Bd4 

It was possible to step off the path for a moment and play 18.Bxh6 Qf7 19.Bg5 but he wanted his Bishop on the long diagonal.

18...Qf7 19.Ne4 Nxe4 20.Rxe4 Rhe8 21.Rfe1 Rxe4 22.Rxe4 Re8 23.Qe3 Rxe4 24.Qxe4 Bf5 25.Qe3 Qxd5 

Black has defended well and her counter-attack has left her a piece ahead. However, it is not clear how much time this has cost her. Now, in chasing a Queen exchange, she manages to overlook a deadly threat.

26.h3 c5 27.Bc3 Qe4 28.Qd2 Qxc2 29.Qxd6 Qe4 30.Qc7 Qc6 31.Qxg7 checkmate

Well, okay, let's attribut this to the strangeness of the Jerome Gambit. I mean, nobody expects the Jerome Gambit, right? 

What would happen if they played again?

Jerome Gambit: Weak Defense

The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) blitz game was a quick lesson for Black: Take the time, even in blitz, to put together a defense that keeps you in the game.

LuisDiego2005 - riosjose26

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 Nf7 

Unusual, and not so good. There are 20 other games with this move in The Database. Over all, White scores 81%

 8.Qxc5 Qh4+ 

Loosening White's Kingside, but just because White's Queen can fly around doesn't mean that Black's Queen should fly around, too. 

9.g3 Qf6

Black avoids the tragedy of 9...Qe7 10.Qd5+ Black resigned Guest8407642325 - Guest7600400036, 10 0 blitz, Chess.com,2021 and, further, 11...Kf6 12.Qf5 checkmate Wall, Bill - Edaison, FICS, 2010.

10.f5+ 

But this is hardly a better outcome.

10...Qxf5 11.exf5+ Kf6 12.Nc3 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Puzzle Pieces (Part 2)

 

As in yesterday's post, the following complex game (and its notes) assembles several different Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) topics covered recently on this blog.

Again I benefit from analysis by Yury V. Bukayev in his "Jerome Gambit: Article". 

Enjoy the excitment.

DutchLiLi - ahmad_2022

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

Again, this game comes as part of over 100 that Dan Middlemiss, a Jerome and Stafford Gambit afficonado, recently sent me. All of the games were played at lichess.org by DutchLiLi.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.b4 

Similar to the games presented in the previous post, but without the White Queen's intervention at f5 followed by Black's King's shuffle to d6. Of course, there are possible transpositions.

7...Bxb4 

Other responses include 7...Bb6 8.O-O (8.c3 d6 9.d4 Nd3+ 10.Kd1 Nxf2+ 11.Kc2 Nxh1 12.Qd5+ Ke7 13.Bg5+ Nf6 14.e5 dxe5 15.Qxe5+ Kf7 16.Na3 Re8 17.Qb5 Bd7 18.Qc4+ Be6 19.Qf1 Qd5 20.Qxh1 Qxg5 White resigned,  DutchLiLi - Rusdin85, lichess.org, 2021; or 8.f4 Nf7 9.Nc3 c6 10.b5 Nf6 11.Qf5+ Ke7 12.Ba3+ d6 White resigned, DutchLiLi - Fafzali, lichess.org, 2021) 8...d6 9.c3 Nf6 10.Qg5 Kf7 11.d4 h6 12.Qf4 Ng6 13.Qe3 Re8 14.f3 Kg8 15.Kh1 c5 16.bxc5 dxc5 17.Bb2 cxd4 18.cxd4 Bd7 19.Nd2 Rc8 20.Rab1 Kh8 21.Qd3 Ne7 22.e5 Nh7 23.d5 Bf5 24.Ne4 Qxd5 25.Qe2 Qd8 26.Rfd1 Qc7 27.Rbc1 Qb8 28.Nd6 Rxc1 29.Rxc1 Rf8 30.Ba3 Be6 31.Ne4 Re8 32.Nd6 Rd8 33.f4 Nc6 34.f5 Bg8 35.Rf1 Nd4 36.Qe4 Qc7 37.f6 gxf6 38.Rxf6 Rxd6 39.exd6 Qc2 40.Qxc2 Nxc2 41.Bb2 Bd8 42.Rf8+ Bf6 43.Bxf6+ Nxf6 44.Rxf6 Kg7 45.Rf2 Bxa2 46.Rxc2 Bb3 47.Rb2 Be6 48.Rxb7+ Kf6 49.d7 Bxd7 50.Rxd7 a5 51.Ra7 a4 52.Rxa4 White won on time, DutchLiLi - Waellalmnshawee, lichess.org. 2020. 

A second response is 7...Bd4 8.c3 (8.Qh3+! Bukayev) 8...Nd3+ 9.Kd1 (9.Ke2 Nxc1+ 10.Rxc1 Bf6 11.d4 d6 12.f4 Nh6 13.d5+ Ke7 14.h3 Qe8 15.Qf3 Kf8 16.g4 Nf7 17.Nd2 Kg8 18.Rf1 Qb5+ 19.Kf2 Bh4+ 20.Kg2 Bd7 21.a4 Qa6 22.b5 Qb6 23.Nb3 Bxb5 24.axb5 Qxb5 25.Nd4 Qb2+ 26.Kh1 h5 27.gxh5 Rf8 28.Rab1 Qa2 29.Rxb7 Ng5 30.Qg4 Qa6 31.Rfb1 Qd3 32.Rb8 Qxh3+ 33.Qxh3 Nxh3 34.Rxf8+ Kxf8 35.Kh2 Nxf4 36.Nf5 Bf6 37.Rb8+ Kf7 38.Rxh8 Be5 39.Rb8 Bxc3 40.Rb7 Be5 41.Rxc7+ Kf6 42.Rxa7 Kg5 43.Rxg7+ Kxh5 Black won on time, DutchLiLi - RoiDanton2000, lichess.org, 2019) 9...Nxf2+ 10.Kc2 Nxh1 11.cxd4 d5 12.Qf5+ Ke7 13.Qe5+ Kf7 14.exd5 Nf6 15.Nc3 Re8 16.Qg5 Nxd5 17.Nxd5 Qxg5 18.Nxc7 Bf5+ 19.d3 Qxg2+ 20.Kc3 Rac8 White resigned, DutchLiLi - Sigrud, lichess.org, 2020; 

An interesting third response is 7...Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 Nf6 (8...Qf6+ 9.Kg1 Nf3+ 10.gxf3 Qxa1 11.Qd5+ (11.Qe8+!?) 11...Ke7 12.Qb3 d6 (12...Qd4+ 13.Kg2 d6 14.Bb2 Be6 15.Qxe6+ Kxe6 16.Bxd4 Nf6 17.d3 b6 18.f4 c5 19.f5+ Ke7 20.bxc5 dxc5 21.Bb2 h5 22.h3 a6 23.Kf3 b5 24.Rg1 Rhg8 25.Nd2 h4 26.Rg6 Rad8 27.e5 Nh5 28.Ne4 Rdf8 29.Kg4 Ng3 30.Re6+ Kd7 31.Nxc5+ Kc8 32.Rxa6 Nxf5 33.Ra8+ Kc7 34.Rxf8 Rxf8 35.Ne6+ Kb6 36.Nxf8 g6 37.d4 Nxd4 38.Bxd4+ Kc6 39.c3 Kd5 40.Bb6 Kc4 41.Bd4 b4 42.cxb4 Kxb4 43.a3+ Kb5 44.Nxg6 Ka4 45.Nxh4 Kxa3 46.e6 Ka4 47.e7 Kb5 48.e8=Q+ Kb4 49.Qe5 Kb3 50.Qc5 Ka2 51.Qc3 Kb1 52.Qb2 checkmate, DutchLiLi - aiser-amangeldinov, lichess.org, 2020) 13.Kg2 Be6 14.c4 b5 15.Bb2 Bxc4 16.Bxa1 Bxb3 17.Bxg7 Bxa2 18.Bxh8 Nf6 19.Bxf6+ Kxf6 20.Nc3 Bc4 21.Rd1 a5 22.d3 axb4 23.dxc4 bxc3 24.cxb5 Ra2+ 25.Kg3 Ke5 26.Rc1 c2 27.h4 Kd4 28.Kg4 Kc3 29.f4 Kd2 30.Rxc2+ Rxc2 31.f5 Ke3 32.f6 Rf2 33.Kg5 Kxe4 White resigned, DutchLiLi - emrty, lichess.org, 2021) 9.Qf5+ Kd6 10.d4 Rf8 11.Qxe5+ Kc6 Black resigned, DutchLiLi - exitoadrenalina, lichess.org, 2020;

A fourth response is 7...Nf6 8.Qf5+ Kf7 9.bxc5 d6 10.Qf4 1Rf8 11.d4 Ng6 12.Qe3 Nxe4 13.O-O Re8 14.cxd6 Qxd6 15.Ba3 Qf4 16.Qb3+ Be6 17.Qxb7 Nh4 18.g3 Nf3+ 19.Kg2 Qg4 20.Qxc7+ Kg8 21.Qf4 Qh3+ 22.Kxf3 Rf8 23.Bxf8 Rxf8 24.Kxe4 Rxf4+ 25.gxf4 Qxf1 26.Ke5 Qc4 27.Nd2 Qd5 checkmate DutchLiLi - Abdullah1991, lichess.org, 2021;

Black has also 7...Bd6 8.d4 g6 9.Qh3+ Kf6 10.Qf3+ Kg7 11.dxe5 Bxe5 12.c3 Nf6 13.Qd3 Rf8 14.f4 Bd6 15.e5 Bxe5 16.fxe5 Ng4 17.Qd4 Qh4+ 18.g3 Qh3 19.e6+ Kg8 20.Nd2 dxe6 21.Ne4 Qg2 22.Rg1 e5 23.Rxg2 exd4 24.cxd4 Bf5 25.Nc5 b6 26.h3 Rfe8+ Black won on time, DutchLiLi - Mutafelaviolinom, lichess.org, 2021; 

Finally, there is the retro 7...Bf8 8.d4 Bxb4+ 9.c3 Nd3+ 10.Kd2 Nf4 11.Qg4+ Ke7 12.Kc2 Ne6 13.d5 Nf6 14.Qg3 Nxe4 15.Qh4+ g5 16.Qh6 Bxc3 17.dxe6 Bxa1 18.f3 dxe6 19.fxe4 Qd6 20.Bxg5+ Kd7 21.Rd1 Bd4 22.Nc3 a6 23.Bf4 e5 24.Qh3+ Kc6 25.Rxd4 Qxd4 26.Qh6+ Qd6 27.Qh5 exf4 28.Qd5+ Qxd5 29.exd5+ Kd6 White resigned, Rzevskiy-Tirionartur, lichess.org, 2019. 

8.f4 

A strong alternative 8.Qf5+!  Kd6?! (8...Ke7! Bukayev 9.Qxe5+ Kf8 Black wins, Bukayev) 9.O-O (9.f4! Bukayev) 9...Qf6 10.Qh3 Ke7 11.c3 d5 12.Qe3 Ng4 13.Qe1 Bc5 14.exd5+ Kd8 15.d4 Bxd4 16.cxd4 Qxd4 17.Bg5+ N8f6 18.Nd2 h6 19.Nf3 Qb6 20.Bxf6+ Nxf6 21.Ne5 Rf8 22.Rb1 Qd6 23.Nc4 Qf4 24.Qc3 Ng4 25.g3 Qf6 26.Qxf6+ Nxf6 27.Ne3 b6 28.Rbc1 Bb7 29.d6 cxd6 30.Nf5 Kd7 31.Nxg7 Ng4 32.f4 Ne3 33.Rfe1 Rae8 34.f5 Re7 35.Ne6 Rxf5 36.Rc7+ Kxe6 37.Rxe3+ Re5 38.Rxe7+ Kxe7 39.Rc3  Rc5 40.Re3+ Re5 41.Rd3 Rd5 42.Rxd5 Bxd5 43.a3 Be6 44.Kf2 Bd7 45.Ke3 Bc6 46.Kd4 Kf6 47.Kc4 Ke6 48.Kd4 Kf6 49.Ke3 Ke6 50.h4 Kf6 51.Kf4 Ke6 52.g4 Kf6 53.Kg3 Kg6 54.Kf4 Kf6 55.Kg3 Kg6 56.Kf2 Kf6 57.Ke3 Kg7 58.Kd3 Kf7 59.g5 Kg6 60.gxh6 a6 61.h7 Kh6 62.h8=Q+ Kg6 63.Qc8 Kf6 64.Qc7  Ke6 Black won on time,  DutchLiLi - mclukito, lichess.org, 2020; also

8.Qf5+ Kd6 9. f4 Ng6 10.c3 (10.Bb2! Bukayev; 10.Qd5+ Ke7 11.f5 Nf6 12.Qc4 c5 [12...Bxd2+ N 13.Bxd2 Ne5, and Black has a very large advantage, Bukayev]13.fxg6 hxg6 14.O-O d6 15.c3 Ba5 16.d4 Bb6 17.e5 dxe5 18.dxe5 Nd5 19.Bg5+ Nf6 20.exf6+ gxf6 21.Bxf6+ Kd7 22.Bxd8 Rxd8 23.Rd1+ Kc6 24.Rxd8 Bxd8 25.Nd2 Bf6 26.Ne4 b6 27.Nxf6 Bf5 28.Qd5+ Black resigned, DutchLiLi - chessgenius71, lichess.org, 2019) 10...N8e7 11.e5+ Kc6 12.Qe4+ d5 13.exd6+ Kxd6 14.cxb4 Bf5 15.Qxb7 Qb8 16.Qa6+ Qb6 17.Qa3 Rhe8 18.b5+ Kd7 19.Nc3 Nd5+ 20.Kd1 Ndxf4 21.Rf1 Bd3 22.Rf3 Qg1+ White resigned, DutchLiLi - Robmy, lichess.org, 2020. 

 

8...Ng6 

I can understand the Knight wanting to watch the enemy Queen from up close, but 8...Nc6 was safer and stronger. 

There was also 8...Qf6 9.f5+?! (mouse slip?) Ke7 10.O-O g6 11.fxg6 Bc5+ 12.d4 Bxd4+ White resigned, DutchLiLi - NadyBeshara66, lichess.org, 2020.

9.f5+ Kf6 10.Bb2+ 

In a hurry to get the Bishop on the diagonal, but probably 10.fxg6 was stronger. Perhaps he anticipated Black's response?

10...Ne5 

Understandable under the time constraints of a 3 minute blitz game -  plus the position was quite complex, e.g. 10...Ke7 11.fxg6 Nf6 12.Bxf6+ gxf6 13.g7 Rg8 14.e5 Qe8 15.Qh4 Kd8 16.O-O Bc5+ 17.d4 Qxe5 18. dxc5 Rxg7 19. Rxf6 Qg5 20. Qxg5 Rxg5 and it is no wonder that Stockfish 13 sees White moving for a draw, 21.Nd2 Rxc5 22.Rf8+ Ke7 23.Raf1 Rxc2 24.R1f6 Rxd2 25.R8f7+ Kd8 26.Rf8+. 

11.Qh4+ g5 12.fxg6+ Kxg6 13.Qxd8 

White has a Queen and a pawn for two pieces. His biggest danger now is the clock.

13...Nf7 14.Qxc7 Nf6 15.Qg3+ Ng5 16.O-O 

Practical. He could win more material with 16.h4 h6 17.hxg5 but he doesn't need more material, he needs to win. 

16...Nfxe4 17.Qg4 d5 18.Qe2 Rg8 19.d3 Bc5+ 

Black's pieces are annoying. Maybe DutchLiLi might have been thinking here that grabbing the Knight a few moves ago might have been a good idea. He is helped by a tactic that Black probably thought would win the exchange, while it actually drops two pieces for a Rook.

20.Kh1 Nf2+ 21.Rxf2 Bxf2 22.Qxf2 Bf5 23.g4 Bxg4 24.Qf6+ Kh5 

25.h4 Nf3 26.Na3 Nxh4 27.Rg1 Bf3+ 28.Kh2 Rxg1 29.Kxg1 Rg8+

White's King has to be wondering, When will my material advantage matter? 

30.Kf2 Rg2+ 31.Ke3 Re2+ 32.Kd4 Bg2 33.Bc1 Nf3+ 34.Kc3 a6 35.Qh6+ Kg4 36.Qxh7 b5 37.Qg7+ Kh3 38.Qh6+ 

Finally White's King has found safety, and his Bishop is helping with the attack.

38...Kg3 39.Qg6+ Kf2 40.Kb4 Re1 41.Bf4 

Black's pieces are working hard to provide shelter, and White's best strategy might be to pick off the enemy pawns and advance one of his own. Of course, exchanging minor pieces would be of benefit for the attacker.

However, here Black lost on time.