Lucky, Lucky, Lucky

Despite my misgivings (see "I am pond scum") I continue to play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).

After the following game (a Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+) had ended, my opponent, unhappy with his game at the end, had written "blind, blind, blind ". I complimented him on his play and good sportsmanship (in contrast, see "I expected better..."), as I indeed had been "lucky, lucky, lucky."

perrypawnpusher  - LeifPetersen
blitz FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6

This is analagous to the Jerome Gambit line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6, with ...h7-h6 thrown in for Black and 0-0 thrown in for White.

I was surprised to find only 9 other game examples in the New Year's Database.

8.Qd5+

Nudge.

The earliest Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit game in the New Year's Database is RomanDurdis - ifufocop, blitz FICS, 2005, which continued: 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qd5+ Be6 10.Qxb7 Nf6 11.Qb5 Rf8 12.d3 Kg8 13.c4 Qe7 14.f4 Bd7 15.Qb3 Rab8 16.Qc3 Nh7 17.f5 Ne5 18.Qe1 Nf6 19.Qg3 Kh8 20.Nc3 Qe8 21.Nd5 Nxd5 22.cxd5 Qh5 23.Bf4 Nf7 24.b3 Bb5 25.Rac1 Rb7 26.Rf2 Nd8 27.Qf3 Qxf3 28.Rxf3 Nf7 29.Rff1 Re8 30.Rfe1 Ne5 31.Bxe5 Rxe5 32.a4 Bd7 33.Rb1 c6 34.dxc6 Bxc6 35.d4 Rxe4 36.Rxe4 Bxe4 37.Re1 d5 38.Kf2 Rxb3 39.g4 Rb4 40.Ke3 Rxa4 41.Rc1 Kh7 42.Kf4 Rxd4 43.h4 Rd2 44.Rc7 Rf2+ 45.Ke5 Ra2 46.g5 a5 47.g6+ Kg8 48.Rc8 checkmate.

8...Ke8

Or 8...Kf8 9.Qxc5+ d6 (9...N8e7 10.Nc3 b6 11.Qe3 Bb7 12.f4 d5 13.f5 d4 14.fxg6+ Kg8 15.Qf4 dxc3 16.Qf7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - sarBear, blitz FICS, 2009) 10.Qe3 N8e7 11.d4 Kg8 12.Nc3 Kh7 13.f4 Rf8 14.f5 Nh8 15.g4 Kg8 16.g5 hxg5 17.Qxg5 Nf7 18.Qg3 Nc6 19.f6 g5 20.Bxg5 Nxg5 21.Qxg5+ Kf7 22.Qg7+ Ke6 23.d5+ Ke5 24.Qg3+ Kd4 25.Qd3+ Ke5 26.Qg3+ Kd4 27.Qd3+ Ke5 28.Qg3+ Kd4 29.Qd3+ Ke5 30.Qg3+ Kd4 31.Qd3+ Ke5 32.Qg3+ Kd4 draw, perrypawnpusher - pascalwilliams, blitz FICS, 2007;

Or 8...Kf6 9.Qf5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ Ke8 11.f4 d6 12.Qe3 Qf6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4 15.Qg3 Qxd4+ 16.Kh1 Kd7 17.Nc3 b6 18.Bf4 Ba6 19.Rad1 Qc5 20.Qxg7+ Ne7 21.e5 Rag8 22.e6+ Kc6 23.Qxe7 Re8 24.Qd7+ Kb7 25.b3 Nd2 26.Bxd2 Bxf1 27.Rxf1 Qd4 28.f6 Rhf8 29.Nb5 Qxd2 30.Qxc7+ Ka6 31.Qxa7+ Kxb5 32.Qd7+ Ka6 33.e7 Qe2 34.Rg1 Rxf6 35.Qxe8 Rf1 36.Qa8+ Kb5 37.e8Q+ Qxe8 38.Qxe8+ Kb4 39.Rxf1 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - episodeninetynine, blitz FICS, 2009.

9.Qxc5 d6

An alternate was 9...Qe7 10.Qe3 Nf6 11.Nc3 c6 12.f4 b6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Ba6 15.dxe5 Qxe5 16.Re1 Kf7 17.Qf3 Rhe8 18.Bf4 Qc5+ 19.Be3 Qb5 20.Bd4 Qxb2 21.e5 Nd5 22.e6+ Kg8 23.Qg4 Nxc3 24.Qxg7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - Cibola, blitz FICS, 2009

10.Qe3 Nf6

Or 10...Qf6 11.f4 N8e7 12.Nc3 c6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4 15.Qd3 b5 16.b3 Nb6 17.Bf4 Nd7 18.Rae1 Qf7 19.Bxd6 Nf6 20.Bxe7 Kxe7 21.e5 Nd5 22.f6+ Kf8 23.fxg7+ Kxg7 24.Rxf7+ Kxf7 25.Qf3+ Ke7 26.Nxd5+ Kd8 27.Qf6+ Kd7 28.Qe7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - saltos, blitz FICS, 2009;

Or 10...Ne5 11.d4 Ng4 12.Qg3 N8f6 13.Nc3 Be6 14.h3 Bc4 15.Re1 Qd7 16.hxg4 Nxg4 17.f3 Nf6 18.e5 Nh5 19.exd6+ Kf7 20.Qh2 g6 21.Re7+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Kotimatka, blitz FICS, 2009.

Interestingly enough, there are 249 games in the New Year's Database with this position – if you take away the current game's ...h7-h6 from Black and 0-0 from White.

On the other hand the current game is the only example coming from the Semi-Italian move order.

(For the record, there are about twice as many Jerome Gambit games as Semi-Italian games in the Database.)

11.f4 Qe7

I have included references to my games to show that I was not a stranger to this opening variation. Still, there were many things for me to figure out.

12.d3 d5

For the next dozen or so moves, Rybka grumped after the game that LeifPetersen and I were not making the best moves. True, we traded small advantages back and forth, but, then again, we are carbon-based, not silicon-based.

13.e5 Nd7

14.Nc3 Nb6 15.Qg3 Nh4

Focusing on the f5 square, where future action will take place.

16.Bd2 Nf5 17.Qg6+ Kd8 18.Rae1 Nd4

I didn't think that the pawn on c2 was worth chasing after. Neither did my opponent.

19.f5 Bxf5 20.Rxf5 Nxf5 21.Qxf5 Rf8

By trading two pieces for a Rook and a pawn, Black has calmed the position, which is about equal. White has a pawn for the exchange, is better developed, and has a safer King. Perhaps the passed pawn will turn out to be something.

22.Qg4 c6 23.b3 Kc7 24.Bf4 Rae8

Black's development is looking threatening.

25.d4 Qe6

The offer of a pawn to open an attacking file. White can grab it safely, if he follows up correctly

26.Qxg7+ Kb8 27.Na4

Ooops...

27...Nxa4 28.bxa4 Rxf4

Down a Rook for a couple of pawns, the only chance that I have left is that my opponent might be as exhilirated as I am depressed...

29.Rb1 Rg8 30.Qxb7 Black checkmate

Okay, after his last move, my opponent was pretty depressed, too. 29...b6 would have been sufficient to cause my resignation.

Indeed, I was lucky, lucky, lucky.

The Rest of the Rest of the Story

It's hard to think of a graphic that catches the essence of Bill Wall – chess player, author (see "Hip' Kat" and his collections of 300 or 500 miniature games, collected by opening), chess populiser and all around good guy. I settled for what is on the left, as Bill is always cooking up something with his openings surprises.

In a recent email, Bill told me that there is a PGN file at Chess.com that contains 40 years of his games: 29,935 games,1969 – 2009. Readers interested in tricky, trappy, goofy and fun openings (often leading to quick victories), should take the time to download the file.

Bill expressed a bit of his philosophy of play

Have fun going through the trash (my games). You will find the most unorthodox, wierdest, awfulest, off-the-wall chess openings there (isn't that great). Any opening can be played as long as you know it better than the other guy and don't fall for a trap before the other guy does...

I see someone has added a wiki on me at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Wall so there is hope with patzers who play chess traps all the time.

I downloaded and examined the file, and found – among many over-the-top games – what may be the answer to a question in an earlier post, "The rest of the story...?" Back then, Bill had shared part of one of his Jerome Gambit games, but had hazily noted after 16 1/2 moves that the game was "later drawn."

Actually, and not surprisingly, his opponent immediately blundered and Bill won in 18 moves: Wall,B - Guest4395, Internet, 2001, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5 d6 8.Qd5+ Ke7 9.d3 c6 10.Bg5+ Nf6 11.Bxf6+ Kxf6 12.Qb3 Rf8 13.0-0 Kg5 14.Nd2 Kh6 15.Nf3 Qf6 16.Rae1 Be6 17.Qxb7 Bc8 18.Qxa8 Black resigned

I'll pass along a few more of Bill's Jerome Gambits in a later post.

Don't blink

My opponent in the following game had a pretty good plan to deal with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) – don't do anything wild or crazy, just move along the line of one of the main refutations, return the sacrificed piece for a couple of pawns, and then play out the even game.

His only error was that he "blinked" at the wrong moment.

perrypawnpusher - dirceu

blitz FICS, 2010

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

This is a frequently-arrived at position: there are 73 examples in the New Year's Database. White scored 67%, an interesting number to be added to "Opening Reports on the New Year's Database".

9...Be6

A new move at this point, although the game quickly transposes back to earlier ones.

10.0-0 Nf6 11.f4

Or 11.d3 Qd7 12.b3 Kf7 13.Bb2 Rhf8 14.Nd2 Kg8 15.f4 Ng4 16.Qg3 Bf7 17.h3 Nf6 18.f5 Ne5 19.Bxe5 dxe5 20.Qxe5 Rfe8 21.Qg3 Rad8 22.Nf3 Qc6 23.Rf2 Qc5 24.Raf1 a5 25.a4 b5 26.axb5 Qxb5 27.Kh1 c5 28.Ne5 a4 29.bxa4 Qxa4 30.Nxf7 Kxf7 31.Qc7+ Rd7 32.Qxc5 Kg8 33.e5 Nd5 34.f6 gxf6 35.exf6 Qa8 36.f7+ Kh8 37.f8Q+ Black resigned, fehim - BoardStupid, FICS, 2009

11...Kd7

Alternatives were 11...Bc4 12.d3 Bb5 13.c4 Bc6 14.f5 Ne5 15.Nc3 Qd7 16.b3 Qf7 17.d4 Neg4 18.Qe2 Qe7 19.Bg5 h6 20.Bxf6 Nxf6 21.Rae1 h5 22.e5 dxe5 23.dxe5 Ng4 24.h3 Nh6 25.Qf2 Kd7 26.Qd4+ Ke8 27.f6 Qe6 28.fxg7 Rg8 29.Rf6 Qd7 30.Qxd7+ Kxd7 31.e6+ Kd6 32.e7+ Kc5 33.Rxh6 Rxg7 34.Rxh5+ Kd4 35.Nb5+ Kd3 36.g4 Rag8 37.Rhe5 Rh7 38.e8Q Bxe8 39.Rxe8 Rgg7 40.Rd8+ Kc2 41.Re2+ Kc1 42.Na3 Rxh3 43.Rc2 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - avgur, FICS, 2009;

Or 11...Bf7 12.d4 Kf8 13.b3 h5 14.f5 Ng4 15.Qg3 Ne7 16.Bg5 Nf6 17.Nd2 Qd7 18.Rae1 Re8 19.c4 c5 20.d5 Ng4 21.Nf3 b5 22.h3 Nf6 23.Nh4 bxc4 24.bxc4 Qa4 25.Bxf6 gxf6 26.Ng6+ Bxg6 27.fxg6 Kg7 28.Qxd6 Rhf8 29.Qxc5 Qxa2 30.d6 Ng8 31.Ra1 Qe2 32.Rxa7+ Kxg6 33.Qf5+ Kh6 34.Rh7 checkmate, mrjoker - PhlebasP, ICC, 2009;

And 11...Ne7 (safest) 12.f5 Bf7 13.d3 c6 14.h3 Qb6 15.g4 Qxe3+ 16.Bxe3 Kd7 17.Nd2 b6 18.Kg2 g6 19.g5 Nh5 20.f6 Nc8 21.d4 b5 22.b3 Nb6 23.Rac1 a5 24.c4 bxc4 25.Nxc4 Rhb8 26.Kf3 Nxc4 27.bxc4 Rb2 28.Rf2 Rab8 29.d5 c5 30.Rcc2 Rxc2 31.Rxc2 a4 32.Rc3 Kc7 33.Ra3 Be8 34.e5 dxe5 35.Bxc5 Rb2 36.Ke4 Re2+ 37.Be3 Bd7 38.f7 Black resigned, mrjoker - Melbourne, ICC, 2008

12.f5 Bxf5 13.exf5 Re8

14.Qg5 Ne7 15.Qxg7

Given enough time, Black might be able to use this open file against White, but I was hoping to keep him busy enough to prevent that.

15...c6

*Blink*

16.Qxf6 Black resigned

We interrupt this regularly scheduled blog post...

News reports indicate that on January 12, 2010, a devestating 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti, about 10 miles south-west of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

Prayers go out for all the Haitian people, and for the many people from other countries who were in Haiti to provide security or aid.

Many, many thanks, as well, go out to the nations who have so generously promised aid and support.

Word is that "Kennedy Kid" Jon, a teacher at the Louverture Cleary School, northeast of Port-au-Prince, is okay, although a few of his students may have been injured by a collapsing wall.

I am pond scum

I'm proud of some of my chess games, (a few of them, justifiably so).

The following game, however, a Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+), does not make that list. It was a pretty sorry contest, and afterwards I felt as low as pond scum – especially because I won it.

Perhaps it is time to focus on analysis and theory for a while, and leave the over-the-board (or over-the-internet) play alone.

perrypawnpusher  - Macgregr
blitz FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7 6.c3 Ne6

Not a new move (I have 70 examples in my database) but the first time that I have seen it. Black has the typical piece-for-two-pawns advantage, as well as the typical problem of the uncastled King.

7.d4 Nf6 8.Bg5

You have to admit, pinning the King's Knight looks like a good idea – until you realize that it can simply be taken.

Dumb.

So why didn't my opponent and I see this immediately?  Well, hats off to Macgregr, who saw it first...

8...d6

arcanglej - geppa, FICS, 2005 continued : 8...Nxg5 9.d5 Ngxe4 10.Kf1 d6 11.Nc4 c6 12.dxc6 bxc6 13.Qe2 Ba6 14.Nbd2 d5 15.Rd1 Kf7 16.Nxe4 Bxc4 White resigned

However, Maguey - snob, FICS, 2003 saw White escape: 8...h6 9.Bxf6+ Kxf6 10.Qf3+ Ke7 11.Qf7+ Kd6 12.c4 Nxd4 13.Qd5+ Ke7 14.Qxd4 d6 15.Ng6+ Kf7 16.Nf4 Be7 17.Qd5+ Kf8 18.Ng6+ Ke8 19.Nxh8 Bf6 20.Qf7 checkmate

9.Ng4

Ouch. Necessary was 9.Bxf6, of course.

9...Nxg5

Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!
             "Ozymandias", Percy Bysshe Shelley

10.Nxf6 gxf6 11.0-0 Bg7

Not a pretty sight for White. For Black, having the advantage of "the two Bishops" in this case means having two more Bishops than I do...

Still, I like my games to last more than a dozen moves, so I soldiered on.

12.Nd2 Bd7 13.f4 Nf7 14.e5

My only chance: Black's "centralized" King.

14...dxe5 15.fxe5 fxe5 16.dxe5 Bxe5

Aha! A lucky break for me. I can capture two pieces for a Rook – and only be down a Rook.

17.Rxf7+ Kxf7 18.Qh5+ Ke7

What is this? A touch of hope in the air?

Black could keep his lead with 18...Kg7, as after 19.Qxe5+ Qf6 20.Qxc7 White has only two pawns for his missing Rook. 

19.Qxe5+ Be6

My mind was full of the possibilities of a draw through repetition of position. Could it be?

20.Qg7+

While I was pleased, after the game, to learn that Fritz 8 said this led to a draw, I was astonished to see its suggestion: 20.Re1 Qd7 21.Ne4 Raf8 22.Nc5 followed by White capturing Black's Bishop after 22...Qd6 23.Qg7+ Rf7 24.Qg5+ Rf6. White would still be threatening Qg7+, picking up a Rook.

analysis diagram






20...Bf7 21.Qe5+

This looked like the way to a draw (i.e. check, check, check...) but it was not. Whatever happened to the old adage Three pieces and an attack"? After the game Fritz 8 gave the right approach: 21.Re1+ Kd7 22.Qg4+ Kc6 23.Qa4+ Kb6 24.Qb4+ Kc6 25.Nf3 Re8 26.Qa4+ .

21...Be6

My opponent didn't mind repeating the position while he thought things over. If Black's King had retreated along the c8-h3 diagonal (...Ke7-d7-c8) he could have found safety, perhaps at b8.

22.Qg7+

Repeating the position; again missing 22.Re1

22...Kd6 23.Qd4+ Bd5

Well, if I didn't force a draw, perhaps I could annoy my opponent into submission.

24.Nc4+ Kc6

Wow! This is either an angry move or a careless move.

Black takes the draw with 24...Kd7 25.Ne5+ Kc8 26.Qg4+ Kb8 27.Nd7+ Kc8 28.Nf6+ Kb8 29.Nd7+ etc. 

25.Ne5+

This is sufficient, although 25.Na5+ was even stronger.

25...Kd6

Black realizes to his dismay that 25...Kb5 leads to mate: 26.a4+ Ka6 27.Qd3+ Bc4 28.Qxc4+ b5 29.Qxb5.

26.Nf7+ Kd7

Now the full shock has set in: instead, 26...Kc6 would have saved the Bishop.

27.Nxd8 Raxd8 28.Qxd5+ Kc8

Breathless, I realized that I had a winning advantage. What to do with it before time ran out??

29.Qe6+ Kb8 30.Re1 a6 31.g3 Rhf8 32.Rf1 Rfe8 33.Qf7 h6 34.Qf6 h5 35.Qf5 Rh8

Three quick conclusions: my opponent wasn't going to help me by exchanging pieces, he was going to let me do the thinking while he hunkered down, and chasing the h-pawn didn't seem to get me anywhere.

36.Re1 Rdf8 37.Qd7 Rfg8 38.Re7 Rc8 39.Rh7 Rhe8

Nothing accomplished so far. My opponent was content to let me run out of time first. That might or might not happen – but surely I could convert a Q vs R advantage...

40.Qd2 Rcd8 41.Rd7 Rc8 42.Qf2 Rh8 43.Rd5 Rhf8 44.Rf5 Rh8 45.Qc5 h4 46.Rh5 hxg3 47.hxg3 Rhg8 48.Kg2 Rcd8

I managed to create a passed pawn (although winning the h-pawn would have given me two connected passed pawns) which was something accomplished.

49.Rh7 Rc8 50.b4

Ah, here's an idea... at long last.

50...Rge8 51.a4 Re2+ 52.Kh3 Ree8 53.b5

53...a5

A final bit of luck for me. Instead, after 53...axb5 54.axb5 b6 Black's King is still safe, and I would probably have had to go pack to the plan of advancing the g-pawn.

54.b6 cxb6 55.Qxb6 Red8 56.Qxb7 checkmate

What a mess of a game, even if my opponent was rated a few points above me.

Ending in the Wilderness

I continue to be amazed at how much chess "education" can be found in my Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games, when I play them over afterwards. I guess the use of an oft-refuted opening does not negate interesting problems in the middle game and end game (if I survive that long, of course). 

perrypawnpusher - Xasquete
blitz FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.O-O Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ke6

This position is similar to one of the main lines in the Jerome Gambit, with 0-0 added for White and ...h7-h6 added for Black.

I think the King move might be a bit stronger than ...Ne5-g6, but it leads to some uncomfortable play for the defender.

Chess, well-known as a "thinking" game, is also a "feeling" game. Grandmasters may look at a particular move because their highly developed intuition suggests that it "feels" right. Club players are more likely to avoid certain lines because they "feel" dangerous or scary.

8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.d4

This move is most often played, although 9.Rd1 was tried in prettyhip1 - cubs0_0, GameKnot, 2007: 9.Rd1 Ne7 10.Qh5 g6 11.Qh3 Bd4 12.Qa3+ Bc5 13.b4 Bd4 14.c3 Bxf2+ 15.Kxf2 Rf8+ 16.Ke3 White resigned.

White's play can be improved, but 9...Ne7 is a good response to 9...Rd1.

9...Bxd4 10.Rd1 c5

Two pieces ahead, Black must be better. As is typical for the Jerome Gambit, however, White has targets: in this case, the Bishop on d4 and the King on d6.

11.c3 Ne7 12.Qf4

Alternate Queen placements were seen in

joev6225 - liverpool, GameKnot, 2006: 12.Qh3 Qb6 13.cxd4 cxd4 14.Qa3+ Ke6 15.f4 N5c6 16.f5+ Kf7 17.Nd2 Re8 18.Nc4 Qc7 19.Nd6+ Kf8 20.Nxe8 Kxe8 21.Qf3 Ne5 22.Qg3 Kf8 23.Bf4 d6 24.Rac1 Qa5 25.f6 N7g6 26.Bxe5 Qxe5 27.Qxg6 Be6 28.Qxg7+ Ke8 29.Qe7 checkmate

perrypawnpusher - Lakritzl, blitz FICS, 2009: 12.Qh5 Kc7 13.cxd4 cxd4 14.Qxe5+ d6 15.Qxd4 Nc6 16.Qxg7+ Bd7 17.Bf4 Rg8 18.Qxh6 Qe7 19.Bxd6+ Qxd6 20.Qxd6+ Black resigned

12...Qf8

This is a nifty defense that addresses both Black's strategic and emotional needs (even if 12...N7c6 is a bit stronger). With Queens off the board, how unsafe can the King be?

13.cxd4 Qxf4 14.Bxf4

Too routine. Better was 14.dxc5+ first, minimizing Black's advantage.

14...cxd4 15. Rxd4+ Kc5

With 15...Ke6, Xasquete could have made me pay for the above move-order error. Now I get a piece back and have a clear advantage (King safety, ease of development).

16.Bxe5 Nc6 17.Rd5+ Kb6 18.Na3 Nxe5 19.Rxe5 d6

20. Re7 Bg4 21. f3 Bh5 22. Rc1 Rhe8 23. Rcc7 Rxe7 24. Rxe7 Rc8

White's initiative persists.

25. Rxg7 Rc1+ 26. Kf2 Ra1 27. Rh7 Rxa2

I suppose if this were a game between two Grandmasters, the annotator would say "the rest is just a matter of technique." Neither Xasquete nor I are GMs, however.

28.Kg3 a5

Black plans to make the most of his Queenside advantage; the most practical choice.

29.Rxh6 Bf7 30.Rxd6+ Kc5 31.Rd2

Things are going to become interesting as Black works to get (and Queen) a passed pawn. But, certainly my 4 connected passed pawns should count for something?

31... b5 32.Kf2 

After the game, Fritz8 preferred 32.Rc2+ Kb6 33.f4 b4 34.Nb1 a4 35.f5 Ra1 36.Nd2 b3 37.Nxb3 Bxb3 38.Re2, when White has traded his Knight to settle things on the Queenside. The Kingside pawns will win the game.

analysis diagram





32...b4 33.Nb1 Ra1

Here, things get stranger. Fritz8 argues that after the stronger 33...Bb3, White can force a draw by repetition of position – after he sacrifices his Rook and Knight!

The line goes: 33... Bb3 34.Kg3 Ra1 35.Rd3 Kc4 36.Nd2+ Kxd3 37.Nxb3

analysis diagram






37...Rb1 38.e5 Rxb2 39.e6 Rc2 40.f4 a4 41.e7 Rc8 42.f5 axb3

analysis diagram





43.f6 b2 44.f7 b1Q 45.e8Q Qc2 46.Qd7+ etc.

analysis diagram






Wow! I didn't see any of that during the game. Instead, I kept wandering through the wilderness. 

34.Rc2+ Kd4

35. Nd2 Kc5

Here's another line that Fritz8 suggested led to equality: 35...Ke5 36.Rd1 Ba2 37.Nc3 bxc3 38.Rxa1 cxb2 39.Rxa2 b1Q 40.Rxa5+ Ke6 41.Rd5

analysis diagram







Uh, okay, if you say so...

 36. Rc2+ Kd4 37. Nd2 Kd3 38. Rc7

White's play is more active than in the analysis.

38...Kxd2 39. Rxf7 Kc2

The Fritz8 recommendation strangeness continues: "stronger" for Black (but still losing) was 39...Rb1 40.g4 (40.Ra7 Rxb2 41.Rxa5 b3 42.h4 Kc3+ 43.Kg3 Rb1 44.Rc5+ Kb4 45.Rc8 Rg1 46.Rb8+ Kc3 47.f4 b2 48.Rxb2 Kxb2 49.e5.

analysis diagram






40. e5 b3

This finally blows the game open, although I did not realize it at the time. 

41.e6 Kxb2 42.e7 Kc1

42.Rc1 is not much better.

43. e8=Q Ra2+ 44. Kg3 b2 45. Rc7+ Kb1 46.Qe1 checkmate