Jerome Gambit: The Long And The Short of It

The following Jerome Gambit game fails to reach even a dozen moves, and leaves a lot of questions unanswered - especially since one of the games in the notes answers a whole lot of questions.

ZeKnightRider - wailu

5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

Later on in the year: 6...Ng6 7.Qxc5 d6 8.Qc4+ Be6 9.Qd3 Nf6 10.O-O Rf8 11.Nc3 Kg8 12.Ne2 c5 13.b3 a6 14.a4 Bd7 15.Ng3 Bc6 16.f3 d5 17.exd5 Bxd5 18.Bb2 Ne7 19.Bc3 Qc7 20.Nf5 Nxf5 21.Qxf5 Ne4 22.Qg4 Nxc3 23.dxc3 Rae8 24.Rad1 Be6 25.Qg3 Qxg3 26.hxg3 b5 27.axb5 axb5 28.Rd6 c4 29.bxc4 bxc4 30.Re1 Bf7 31.Rc1 h6 32.Rd4 Rd8 33.Rf4 Rd2 34.Rh4 Kh7 35.f4 Bg6 36.g4 Rxc2 37.Ra1 Rxc3 38.g5 Rb3 39.gxh6 gxh6 40.Ra7+ Rf7 41.Ra1 Rb1+ 42.Rxb1 Bxb1 43.f5 Bxf5 44.Rxc4 Kg6 45.g4 Be6 46 Rc6 Rf6 47.Rc1 Kg5 48.Ra1 Rf4 49.Ra5+ Kxg4 50.Ra6 Bc4 51.Ra1 h5 52.Kh2 Rf2+ 53.Kg1 Rf3 54.Kh2 Rh3+ 55.Kg1 Rg3+ 56.Kf2 h4 57.Ra4 Rf3+ 58.Ke1 Rf4 59.Kd2 Bb5 60.Ra1 h3 61.Rg1+ Kh4 62.Ke3 Ra4 63.Rh1 Ra3+ 64.Kf4 Ra4+ 65.Ke5 Ra5 66.Kd6 Be2 67.Re1 Ra2 68.Kc5 h2 69.Kd4 Kh3 70.Ke3 Bg4 71.Kf4 Rf2+ 72.Kg5 Rg2 73.Kf4 Bd7 74.Re3+ Kh4 75.Re1 Rg4+ 76.Ke5 Bc6 77.Kd6 h1=Q 78.Rxh1+ Bxh1 79.Ke5 Kg5 80.Kd6 Kf5 81.Kc5 Rf4 82.Kd6 Re4 83.Kc5 Re5+ 84.Kd6 Ke4 85.Kc7 Kd5 86.Kb6 Re6+ 87 Ka5 Rd6 88.Kb4 Rc6 89.Ka3 Kc5 90.Kb2 Rb6+ 91.Kc3 Rb5 92.Kd2 Rb4 93.Ke3 Kc4 94.Kf4 Kc3+ 95.Ke5 Draw, ZeKnightRider - Pepenico, lichess.org, 2023 [Black ran out of time; White did not have mating material]

7.Qh3+ 

White's choice of moves is interesting. He could have played 7.Qf5+, instead, although, according to The Database, his record with that move was 15 - 24 - 1. He was a bit better, at 17 - 16 - 2, with the text. The Database shows no games with 7.f4.

7...Kf7

Played about the same time as the other game in the notes: 7...Kd6 8.Nc3 Qf6 9.O-O Ke7 10.Nd5+ Kd6 11.Nxf6 Nxf6 12.d3 b6 13.Bf4 Bd4 14.c3 g5 15.cxd4 gxf4 16.dxe5+ Kxe5 17.Qf5+ Kd4 18.Qxf4 d6 19.Qxf6+ Kc5 Black resigned, ZeKnightRider - Hotdogbarn, lichess.org, 2023.

8.Qh5+ Ke6 

Inviting 9.Qf5+ again, which White again declines.

9.Qh3+ Kf7 10.Qh5+ Draw

Jerome Gambit: A Closer Look At A Line

The Database has 68 Jerome Gambit games played by Babypawnmonster at lichess.org this year.

I selected some of his games to illustrate the possible variations resulting from positions in the following game. As you will see, he has done a lot of work.

Babypawnmonster - anatira

10 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 

A historical note: AlonzoWheeler Jerome had 2 wins, 1 loss, and 2 incomplete games from this position.

Babypawnmonster is 11 - 7 from here.

7...g6 

Also 7...d6 8.f5+ (8.fxe5 d5 9.d4 Bxd4 10.Qf5+ Ke7 11.Bg5+ Nf6 12.Bxf6+ gxf6 13.Qxf6+ Kd7 14.e6+ Kc6 15.Qxd4 Bxe6 16.O-O Qh4 17.Nc3 Rad8 18.exd5+ 1-0 Babypawnmonster - hnv2021, 10 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2024) 8...Kd7 9.c3 Nf6 10.Qd1 Nxe4 11.d4 Qh4+ 12.g3 Nxg3 13.dxe5 Nxh1+ 14.Kd2 Qf4+ 15.Kc2 Qe4+ 16.Kb3 Nf2 17.e6+ Kc6 18.Qf1 Qxf5 19.a4 Bxe6+ 20.c4 Qf3+ 21.Ka2 Rhf8 22.Nd2 Qg4 23.Qe2 0-1 Babypawnmonster - Undecimber, 10 0 rapid, lichess.org. 2024.

Or 7...Qf6 8.Qe8+ 

8.fxe5 Qxe5 9.Qh3+ (9.Qxe5+ Kxe5 10.d3 d6 11.c3 Ke6 12.d4 Bb6 13.O-O Nf6 14.e5 dxe5 15.Be3 exd4 16.cxd4 Rd8 17.Re1 Kf7 18.Rd1 Ng4 19.Rf1+ Kg8 20.Bg5 Rxd4 21.Nc3 Rd5+ 22.Kh1 Rxg5 23.Ne4 Re5 24.Rae1 Rxe4 25.Rxe4 Nf2+ 0-1 Babypawnmonster - ch355pr1mary, 10 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2024) 9...Ke7 10.d3 d5 11.Qh4+ Nf6 12.Bf4 Qxb2 13.Qg3 Rg8 14.Be5 Qc1+ 15.Ke2 Bg4+ 16.Qxg4 Qxc2+ 17.Nd2 Nxg4 18.Bg3 Be3 19.Be1 Bxd2 20.Bxd2 dxe4 21.dxe4 Qxe4+ 22.Kf1 Rgf8+ 23.Kg1 Qd4+ 0-1 Babypawnmonster - Webulls, 10 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2024;

8.Qh3+ Ke7 9.Rf1 Ng6 10.Nc3 d6 11.f5 c6 12.fxg6 Bxh3 13.Rxf6 gxf6 14.gxh3 hxg6 15.d3 Rxh3 16.Bf4 Bd4 17.O-O-O Bxc3 18.bxc3 Ke6 19.c4 Ne7 20.d4 Kf7 21.e5 g5 22.Bg3 fxe5 23.dxe5 dxe5 24.Bxe5 Nf5 25.Rd7+ Kg6 26.Rxb7 Re3 27.Bb2 Re7 28.Rb4 c5 29.Rb5 Rc7 30.Be5 Rcc8 31.a4 Kh5 32.a5 Nd4 33.Bxd4 cxd4 34.c5 a6 35.Rb4 Rxc5 36.Rxd4 Rxa5 37.Rd3 Rc5 38.Rh3+ Kg6 39.Ra3 a5 40.c3 a4 41.Kc2 Rc4 42.Kd3 Rac8 43.h3 Kh5 44.Ra1 Rxc3+ 45.Kd4 a3 46.Ke4 Rxh3 47.Kf5 Rc2 48.Re1 Rf2+ 49.Ke4 a2 0-1 Babypawnmonster - stawr1234, 10 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2024; 

8.Rf1 g6 9.Qxe5+ Qxe5 10.fxe5 Kxe5 11.c3 Kxe4 12.d4 Bd6 13.Nd2+ Kd5 14.b3 b5 15.Bb2 Kc6 16.a4 Ne7 17.axb5+ Kxb5 18.c4+ Kb6 19.c5+ Bxc5 20.dxc5+ Kxc5 21.Ra5+ Kb6 22.Nc4+ Kb7 23.Rb5+ Kc6 24.Na3 Re8 25.Kd1 Ba6 26.Rf6+ d6 27.Ra5 Kb6 28.b4 Nc6 29.Rxa6+ Kxa6 30.b5+ Kb6 31.bxc6 Kxc6 32.Rf7 Rab8 33.Bc1 h5 34.h4 Re4 35.g3 Rg4 36.Bf4 Rb3 37.Nc4 Rd3+ 38.Kc2 Rd4 39.Na5+ Kb6 40.Nb3 Rd5 41.Rf6 g5 42.hxg5 h4 43.g6 hxg3 44.Nd2 g2 45.Nf3 Rc5+ 46.Kd2 Rc4 47.Bh2 a5 48.Ne5 Rcd4+ 49.Ke3 Rge4+ 50.Kf3 Rh4 51.Bg1 Kc5 52.Nd7+ Kc4 53.Bxd4 Kxd4 54.g7 g1=Q  0-1 Babypawnmonster - Max778899, 10 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2024 

8...Qe7 9.f5+ Kf6 10.Qh5 d5 11.d4 Bxd4 12.Bg5# Babypawnmonster - henbra, 10 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2024 

Or 7...Nf7 8.Qd5+ Ke7 9.d4 (9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qc3 Nf6 11.e5 Ne4 12.exd6+ Qxd6 13.Qe3 Qe6 14.O-O Re8 15.Qa3+ c5 16.Re1 Qd5 17.d3 Qd4+ 18.Kh1 Nfd6 19.Be3 Qb4 20.Bxc5 Qxa3 21.Bxa3 Kf6 22.dxe4 Nxe4 23.Nc3 Nf2+ 24.Kg1 Rxe1+ 25.Rxe1 Ng4 26.h3 Nh6 27.g4 Ng8 28.Re8 Kf7 29.Rf8+ Kg6 30.Rxg8 h5 31.f5+ Kg5 32.Rxg7+ Kf4 33.Bd6+ Kf3 34.f6 hxg4 35.hxg4 Bxg4 36.f7 1-0 Babypawnmonster - JamBow, 10 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2024) 9...Bb6 10.f5 Nf6 11.Qb3 Re8 12.e5 Kf8 13.O-O Bxd4+ 14.Kh1 Bxe5 15.Bg5 Kg8 16.Nd2 Kh8 17.Qxf7 Rf8 18.Qb3 d5 19.Nf3 Qd6 20.Nxe5 Qxe5 21.Rae1 Qd6 22.Qh3 Ne4 23.Be3 Qc6 24.c3 Qd7 25.Bd4 Rxf5 26.Rxf5 Qxf5 27.Qg3 Qf7 28.Qh4 Bf5 29.Rf1 c5 30.g4 cxd4 31.Rxf5 Qg6 32.cxd4 h6 33.Rxd5 Rf8 34.Kg1 Nf2 35.Rd8 Rxd8 36.Qxd8+ Kh7 37.Kxf2 Qxg4 38.Qd5 Qf4+ 39.Ke2 Qxh2+ 40.Kd3 Qb8 41.Qf5+ Kh8 42.d5 Qg3+ 43.Kc2 Qg2+ 44.Kb3 Qg3+ 45.Ka4 Qh4+ 46.b4 Qd8 47.Qe6 Qg8 48.Qf5 Qe8+ 49.Kb3 Qe3+ 50.Kc4 Qe2+ 51.Kc5 b6+ 52.Kc6 Qc4+ 53.Kb7 Qxb4 54.Qe6 h5 55. d6 Qf4 56. d7 Qf3+ 57. Kxa7 Qa3+ 58. Kb7 Qf3+ 59. Kc8 Qc3+ 60. Kd8 h4 61. Ke7 Qc5+ 62. Ke8 Qh5+ 63. Qf7 Qe5+ 64. Kf8 Qc5+ 65. Qe7 Qf5+ 66. Ke8 Qh5+ 67. Kd8 Qa5 68. Qxh4+ Kg8 69. Qc4+ Kh7 70. Qe6 1-0 Babypawnmonster - winacio, 10 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2024;

Or 7... Bd6 8.Qf5+ Ke7 9. fxe5 Bc5 10. d4 Nh6 11. Bxh6 Bxd4 12. Bg5+ Ke8 13. Bxd8 Kxd8 14. c3 Bb6 15. Qg5+ Ke8 16. Qxg7 Rf8 17. Rf1 Rxf1+ 18. Kxf1 d6 19. Nd2 Be6 20. Qh8+ Kd7 21. Qxa8 Kc6 22. Qe8+ Bd7 23. Qh5 Be3 24. Nc4 d5 25. Nxe3 1-0 Babypawnmonster - DeepChessPawn, 10 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2024;

Or 7... Ng6 8. Qxc5 Nxf4 9. Qf5+ Kd6 10. Qxf4+ Kc6 11. O-O Nf6 12. d4 d5 13. Nc3 Be6 14. b4 a6 15. Qg3 dxe4 16. Bg5 Qxd4+ 17. Kh1 Ng4 18. Rad1 Qxc3 19. Qxc3+ 1-0 Babypawnmonster - ozcan_genc, 10 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2024; 

Or 7... Nf6 8.Qxe5+ Kf7 1 - 0 Babychessmonster - MinhTri1234, 10 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2024 9.Qxc5 d6 (9...Nxe4 10.Qd5+ 1-0 Babypawnmonster - Bolat130160_z, 10 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2024; 9...Qe8 10.e5 Ng4 11.O-O d6 12.Qd5+ Kf8 13.d4 Be6 14.Qxb7 Kf7 15.Qxc7+ Bd7 16.Qxd6 Rf8 17.h3 Nh6 18.d5 Kg8 19.e6 Bb5 20.Re1 Nf5 21.Qa3 Qb8 22.Nc3 Qb6+ 23.Kh2 Qf2 24.Be3 Qg3+ 25.Kg1 Nxe3 26.Rxe3 Qxe3+ 27.Kh1 Bc4 28.Qa5 Rxf4 29.b3 Rf1+ 30.Rxf1 Bxf1 31.Qc7 Qf2 32.Qf7+ Qxf7 33.exf7+ Kxf7 34.Ne4 Rc8 35.c4 Re8 36.Ng5+ Kg6 37.Ne6 Bd3 38.Nf4+ Kf5 39.Nxd3 Ke4 40.Nc5+ Kd4 41.Ne6+ Kc3 42.c5 Kb2 43.c6 Kxa2 44.c7 Kxb3 45.d6 Rxe6 46.c8=Q Rxd6 47.Qb8+ Rb6 48.Qxa7 Rb4 49.Qxg7 Rh4 50.Qf7+ Kc2 51.Qf5+ Kd1 52.Kg1 Rd4 53.Qf2 Rd2 54.Qf3+ Kc2 55.Qf7 Rd1+ 56.Kh2 Rd2 57.Qxh7+ Kd1 58.Qf5 Ke1 59.h4 Rf2 60.Qg5 Kf1 61.h5 Rf8 62.h6 Kf2 63.h7 Kf1 64.h8=Q Rxh8+ 65.Kg3 Rf8 66.Kh4 Rf2 67.Qg3 Rxg2 68.Qd3+ Kg1 69.Qd1+ Kh2 70.Qh5 Kg1 71.Qd1+ Kh2 72.Qd6+ Kh1 73.Kh5 Rh2+ 74.Kg6 Rg2+ 75.Kf7 Kg1 76.Ke8 Rg8+ 77.Ke7 Rg7+ 78.Kf8 Rg2 79.Qe6 Kh2 80.Qe5+ Kh1 81.Qe1+ Kh2 82.Qh4+ Kg1 83.Qe1+ Kh2 84.Kf7 Rg3 85.Kf6 Rf3+ 86.Kg5 Rg3+ 87.Kf4 Rg2 88. Qh4+ Kg1 89.Kf3 Ra2 90.Qg3+ Kf1 91.Qe1+ Kxe1 0-1 Babypawnmonster - Smit0044, 10 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2024) 10.Qc4+ (10.Qe3 Re8 11.Qd3 Rxe4+ 12.Kf1 Be6 13.g3 a6 14.Kg2 Bd5 15.Nc3 Rd4+ 16.Nxd5 Rxd3 17.cxd3 Nxd5 18.Re1 Nb4 19.Re3 Nc2 0-1 Babypawnmonster - k_mat, 10 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2024) 10...Be6 11.Qe2 Re8 12.d3 d5 13.e5 Ng4 14.O-O Qh4 15.h3 Nh6 16.Qf2 Qe7 17.d4 Kg8 18.Bd2 Rf8 19.a3 b6 20.Bb4 c5 21.dxc5 Qc7 22.cxb6 axb6 23.Bxf8 Rxf8 24.c3 Nf5 25.Nd2 Bd7 26.Rfe1 Bc6 27.Rac1 Ne7 28.c4 Ng6 29.g3 Qd7 30.Kh2 dxc4 31.Nxc4 b5 32.Nd6 Nxe5 33.Rxe5 Qxd6 34.Rce1 h6 35.Qb6 Qd7 36.Re7 Qd2+ 37.R1e2 Qd5 38.R7e4 Kh7 39.Qg1 Qd3 40.R4e3 Qd4 41.Qb1+ Kh8 42.Qg6 Qc5 43.b4 Qd5 44.Re4 Bd7 45.Re7 Qd4 46.R7e4 Qd5 47.Re5 Qd4 48.R5e4 Qd5 1/2-1/2 Babypawnmonster - GalYnya, 10 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2024 

8.Qxe5+ 

Black resigned here in Babypawnmonster - SergioUA, 10 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2024. 

8..Kf7 9. Qxh8 

Or 9.Qxc5 Qh4+ 10.g3 Qg4 11.Qxc7 Nf6 12.d3 Re8 13.O-O Nh5 14.f5 Nxg3 15.hxg3 Qxg3+ 16.Qxg3 gxf5 17.Rxf5+ Ke6 18.Qg7 1-0, Babymonster - salsa_boy, 10 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2024. 

9...Qe7 10.Qxh7+ Black resigned

After 10...Kf8 11.Qxg6 White will have 4 more pawns (3 of them connected and passed) and the exchange.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Time for Thanksgiving Day: family, friends and food.

I hope the day lands well for everyone.

(Admittedly, that's a strange chessboard, and it looks like Black's King has already been, er, gobbled up.) 

Jerome Gambit: A Knife's Edge

Playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) can sometimes feel like standing on a knife's edge, where one slip can lead to a nasty fall.

The excitement is there - but so are the risks.

Matthew_Slater - CookedMutton

10 0 rapid, ChessMonitor.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

Matthew_Slater has 19 games in The Database, scoring 58%.

4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Nxe5 6. Qh5+ g6 

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 Qh4 

So far, White has reason to feel successful: playing a wild, attacking opening, he has the advantage of the exchange and two pawns - against a player rated over 1,000 points above him.

Even Stockfish 16.1 - which he did not have access to - rates this position as more than two pawns better for White.

Also, another game played on the same day (it looks like he played all 19 of his Jeromes on that day) with the same position was a win in 11 moves - and that was also against Black's rando Queen move. (Looking at outcomes, I would guess that that game was played after the one we are looking at, but I can not be sure - Rick)

9.g3

Kicking the Queen - but this is unfortunate. Instead, 9.d4 was for advantage, while 9.0-0 led to a balanced game.

9...Qxe4+ 

Ouch.

10.Kf1 Qxh1+

Or 10...Bh3+ 11.Kg1 Qe1 checkmate. To each their own.

 

11.Ke2 Qe4+ 12.Kf1 Bh3+ 13.Kg1 Qg2 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Wanting More

In the following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, White does not wish to settle for a small disadvantage, or a small advantage - he wants more.

chessriddler - LucyCross

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.b4 

This pawn move is at least as old as D.Y. Mills - Anonymous, Edinburgh, 1899 (1-0, 15.)

As I wrote in "Jerome Gambit: Silicon Clash (Part 1)"

It is also very relevant to read up on the Jerome-Mills variations, as analyzed by Yury V. Bukayev.

Taking the pawn now is fine, although retreating the Bishop to b6 - possibly after the provocation, ...Bd4 - is slightly better.

8...Bxf2+ 

 The idea of returning some of the sacrificed material in the Jerome Gambit, through the sacrifice of the Bishop at f2, was first seen in Blackstone,John - Dommeyer,Carl, skittles game, Campbell, CA, 1960 (1-0, 13) and  Hultgren,R - Harrow, Campbell, CA 1960 (1-0, 13).

It leads to an even game, which brings up the eternal argument, is that a success for Black, or for White?

9.Qxf2 Qf6 

Black would like to exchange Queens, which would lead to advantage.

White wants more.

10.Qc5+ Ke6 11.Rf1 

A sinister intermezzo.

11...Qe7 

Another offer to exchange Queens.

Again, White wants more.

12.Qd5 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: chessriddler Instructs

I just finished watching Greg Cannon's - chessriddler's - video "FM rated Jerome win review!! Winning through tactics". 

He analyzes several of his Jerome Gambit games against strong players, paying attention to "tricks, traps and tactics".

His understanding of his opponents' thinking as they make their way through the games is particularly interesting.

It is also worthwhile to review an earlier post "Jerome Gambit: chessriddler's Study".

Having played over 200 Jerome Gambit games, he really knows what he is doing. Check it out.

Jerome Gambit: Boris Trapsky (Part 2)

 

Wanting to learn more about the computer chess program Boris Trapsky (see "Jerome Gambit: Boris Trapsky [Part 1]") I downloaded a collection of its games.

Just my luck, I found several games with openings similar to the Jerome Gambit.

And then I found a Jerome. 

Boris Trapsky - Clasassin

10 5 rapid, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.O-O 

Interesting. Sacrificing one piece is enough for Boris Trapsky. Perhaps it draws inferences from how Black responds.

5...Nf6 6.d4 Nxd4 7.Nxe5+ Kg8 8.c3 Nc6

White is down a piece for a pawn, and has another piece hanging.

What to do?

9.g4

Wow. The computer does like to gamble. Surely, Black can just take the pawn?

9...Nxe5 10.g5

Wow, again. I know that Boris Trapsky is rated about 550 points above its opponent, but does it know that?

10...d5 

Returning a piece.

11.gxf6 Qxf6 

Black offers another piece.

12.Qxd5+ Be6 13.Qxc5 

Stockfish 16.1 sees Black's position as more than a Rook better than White's.

13...Nf3+ 

Better is 13...Bh3, but Black thinks about a different way to attack the King.

14.Kh1 Qh4 

15.Qxc7 h6 

Luft. It was also possible to grab a pawn and pursue tactics, with 15...Qxe4.

16.Nd2 Nxd2

Suddenly, the game is even. Hindsight suggests 16...Rf8.

17.Bxd2 Qxe4+ 18.f3 Qe2 

The human has defended well, but now the game begins to slip away.

19.Rae1 Qxd2 20.Rxe6 Kh7 

Giving his King more shelter - and walking into a forced checkmate.

21.Re7 

Missing 21.Rg1 Qg5 22.Rxg5 hxg5 23.Re7 Rae8 24.Rxg7+ Kh6 25.Qf7 Re1+ 26.Kg2 Re6 27.Kg3 Rc6 28.f4 gxf4+ 29.Kh4 f3 30.Rg4 Rg8 31.Qh5# - but wouldn't we all?

The text is still winnng.

21...Rhg8 22.Rg1 Kh8 23.Rexg7 Qxb2 24.Rh7 checkmate