Win, Lose, Draw

Here we have another game that went bad just as it was getting good... Luckily, the Jerome Gambit has an endgame swamp that White can often disappear into. 

perrypawnpusher - jgknight
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 Nf6

So far, all pretty standard. As usual, Black is better.

10.0-0 Rf8 11.f4 Ng4

Ah, the harassing horsie! This is better than the bodacious 11...Kd7 of perrypawnpusher - blackburne, JG3 thematic, ChessWorld, 2008 (1-0, 38), though not as thematic as the thoughtful 11...Rf7 followed by 12...Kf8 as in mrjoker - Mandragora, ICC, 2008 (1-49). Of course, 11...Kf7 followed by 12...Kg8 was a fine plan, too.

12.Qg3 Qh4

This seems a little bit better than the 12...h5 of perrypawnpusher - lorecai, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 47) and a bit less good than 12...Qf6, seen in perrypawnpusher - dkahnd, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0,  37), but all three moves, plus 12...c6 and 12...Ne7, seem very playable.

I know that the Jerome Gambiteer thinks of "attack!" but exchanging Queens is now best.

13.Qxh4 Nxh4 14.f5

This is not so much an improvement upon as an alternative to the 14.d3 of perrypawnpusher - MRBarupal, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 47), a game which saw 15.f5, anyhow. The goal is to work toward winning one of Black's two advanced Knights.

14...Ne5

Black sees what is up and evacuates a Knight. Instead, he chould have attacked White's advance pawn with 14...g6, an idea which he comes to, shortly.

15.g3

A complete mis-reading of the position. White needed to try 15.d4, and after 15...Nc6 he had either 16.d5 or 16.c3, each of which would have helped his lagging development and would have strengthened his position, not weakened it.

15...Nhf3+

And I thought that the Knights were annoying before!

16.Kg2 g6 17.c3 gxf5 18.exf5 Rxf5 19.d4

White's position is a mess (lack of development, for starters) and all Black needs to do is find 19...Nd3 to show this. Instead, he chooses the wrong square for his Knight.

19...Ng4

I've tried for a win, I've blundered into a loss, but this move gives me a chance for a draw...

20.Rxf3 Rxf3 21.Kxf3 Nxh2+ 22.Kg2 Ng4 23.Bg5 h6 24.Bf4 Bf5 25.Nd2 Kf7 26.Re1 Re8 27.Rxe8 Kxe8 28.Nc4 b5 29.Ne3 Nxe3+ 30.Bxe3

Around here, or soon after, I offered my opponent a draw, as we've reached a Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame which is quite even. jgknight declined, either out of principle or pique, or maybe he figured his "good" Bishop could out-duel my "bad" one.

As a result, we almost doubled the length of the game, but eventually, as my opponent fell behind in time, he decided to concede the half point.

30...Be4+ 31.Kh3 h5 32.Kh4 Bf3 33.Kg5 Kf7 34.a3 a5 35.Bf4 Ke6 36.Kg6 c5 37.dxc5 dxc5 38.Be3 Kd5 39.Kf5 b4 40.cxb4 axb4 41.axb4 cxb4 42.Bh6 Kc4 43.Kf4 Bg4 44.Bg7 Kd3 45.Be5 Kc2 46.Bd4 b3 47.Be5 Kd3 48.Bf6 Ke2 49.Be5 Kf2 50.Bf6 Kg2 51.Bh4 Kh3 52.Bf6 Bd1 53.Bh4 Bg4 54.Bf6 Bd1 55.Bh4 Bg4 56.Bf6 Bd1 57.Bh4 Bg4 58.Bf6 Game drawn by repetition

The Equalizing Injustice of Chess

Blitz. You can play a refuted opening against an opponent who has out-prepared you. You can make tactical mistakes and fall even further behind in material. You can be a move or two away from being summarily executed. And then you can win.

It's not fair.
 

perrypawnpusher  - dkahnd
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

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

I was pretty sure that I had played my opponent before, but after the game I consulted The Database and found that this was our fourth matchup.

Last year dkahnd had chosen 6...Kf8 against me in perrypawnpusher - dkahnd, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 20).

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6

dkahnd was taking his time on his moves. He was not going to do anything silly.

10.0-0 Rf8 11.f4 Ng4

Or 11...Rf7 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Neg4 as in perrypawnpusher - dkahnd, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 30).

12.Qg3 h5

Varying from 12...Qf6 as in perrypawnpusher - dkahnd, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 37)


I had expected 12...Qh4 like perrypawnpusher - MRBarupal, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 47).

It appears that in the current game, ...Rh8-f8 was not a preparation for castling-by-hand but a move in support of a Kingside attack!

13.h3

Fritz10 sees this as a tiny improvement over 13.d4, but it would have been nice to be able to answer 13...h4 with 14.Qd3 as I did in perrypawnpusher - lorecai, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 47).

My opponent continued to play slowly, seriously and strongly. 

13...h4 14.Qb3

I had no idea how terrible this move was at the time. Of course, I had no idea how terrible my position had become, too.

After the game Rybka 3 recommended 14.Qe1, when White is barely able to survive Black's attack: 14...Nxf4 15.d4 (instead, 15.hxg4 can be answered by 15...Qf6 and 16...Nxg2) Qf6 16.e5 Nxh3+ (As someone once said: I'm up a piece? Great! Then I have two that I can sacrifice!) 17.gxh3 Qxf1+ 18.Qxf1 Rxf1+ 19.Kxf1 Nh6 20.Kg2 dxe5 21.dxe5 Bd7 22.Nc3 Bc6+ 23.Kf2 Ke7 24.Bxh6 Rf8+ 25.Ke2 gxh6 26.Rg1 Rf3 27.Rg7+ Kf8 28.Rxc7 Rxh3 29.Rh7 Rg3 30.Rxh6 h3.

analysis diagram





With luck, White might be able to grovel himself to a draw... Or not.

14...Nxf4 15.hxg4

Overlooking Black's response. Actually, for a move, Black overlooked his response, too.

15...Bxg4

This is good. As Black discovers a move later, ...Ne2+ is even better.

16.d4

I was still pretty clueless, but Rybka 3 later showed a tortuous route to completing my development: 16.Kh2 Be6 17.Qf3 h3 18.g3 Ng6 19.Qe2 Ne5 20.Rxf8+ Kxf8 21.d4 Bg4 22.Qf2+ Nf3+ 23.Kh1 Kg8 24.Be3 Qe7 25.Nc3 Rf8

analysis diagram







Gruesome, Black is still better. As if I could think as strong or as quick as a computer, anyhow...

16...Ne2+ 17.Kh2 Rxf1

I was now down a Rook. Could my Queenside look any more ridiculous?

My only "hope", such as it was, as my opponent prepared to wrap up the game, was that he had used up a lot of time and was now playing on the increments.

18.Qg8+ Rf8 19.Qxg7 Be6 20.Bg5 Qd7 21.Qg6+ Bf7 22.Qf6

Certainly not the objectively best move, but when your only chance left is an opponent's time error, you go for concrete threats. 

22...Ng3 23.Nc3 Qg4

Zeitnot.

24.Qe7 checkmate

Whew! This game is going to get a lot of in-depth study from me before I try the Jerome Gambit again!

Another Day in the Life of the Jerome Gambit

Like the first "Day in the Life of the Jerome Gambit", here is a game "that readily illustrates the highs and lows, attractions and pitfalls of that offbeat opening."


perrypawnpusher - jgknight
blitz, FICS, 2011

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 Nf6

10.0-0 Ng4

This move has more behind it than just being annoying. It's been played against me by Riversider, lorecai and pitrisko, but jgknight's follow-up has more potential poison.

11.Qg3 Rf8

The assessment of the position here is that Black is a bit better, but White should read his daily horoscope: As long as White guards the squares e2 and f4 and leaves the square h3 open, he should be okay.

Cryptic? Follow along.

12.h3

Uh-oh...

White should have tried 12.d3, 12.d4, 12.f4 or 12.Nc3.

12...N4e5

Instead, Black had 12...Nf4, protecting the Knight at g4 because of the awakward threatened fork at e2. After 13.Nc3, though, the follow-up 13...Nh5 shows just how bad things have gotten for White. Rybka 3 now recommends giving up the Queen with 14.Qxg4 as "best", as even the more hopeful-looking 14.Qd3 collapses after 14...Ne5, when 15.Qe3 is met by 15...Nf3+ 16.gxf3 Nf4 and White's King is in dire straits.

Oh, if only White's Queen could have escaped to h3 in respnse to 13...Nh5!

Let's continue a bit further in this "Day in the Life". Black does not take advantage of his opportunity, and soon the Jerome Gambiteer is looking pretty good.

13.f4 Nc6 14.f5 Qh4 15.Qe3 Nge5 16.d4 Nc4 17.Qd3 b5

I've seen similar c4-Knights in my games against saltos, VGxdys, parlance and pitrisko. The game is about even.

18.a4 Ba6

Tempting tactical fate.

After the game Rybka 3 suggested 18...Bxf5 19.axb5 N4e5 20.dxe5 Nxe5 21.Qe3 Qxe4 with the game still about even.

19.b3

This made the most sense to me, but Rybka much preferred 19.axb5 Bxb5 20.Nc3 Nb4 21.Qe2 c6 22.Nxb5 cxb5 23.b3 Nxc2 (23...Nb6 24.Qxb5+) 24.Qxc2 Nb6. If you saw that line of play and realized at the end that White is not merely up a pawn, but has great attacking chances (starting with 25.Qc6+), good for you!

19...N4a5 20.axb5 Nb4

Black's Knights are tripping all over each other, but my tactical sense of what is going on fails me even faster than my opponent's does.

21.Qe2 Bb7 22.Rxa5 Bxe4 23.Re1

More direct, and stronger, was 23.Rf4.

23...d5 24.Ba3 Nxc2 25.Bxf8

At first glance it looks like White is a Rook up. But, of course, Black can capture the Rook at e1. Oh, well, that still means that when the Black Knight and White Bishop come off the board, things will still be even, right? Well, not exactly...

25...Nxe1 26.Nd2 Kxf8 27.Nxe4 Qxe4 28.Qxe4 dxe4

What we have here is a messy game that computers analyze as won for Black. In other words, simply another day in the life of the Jerome Gambit...

29.Kf2 Nd3+ 30.Ke3 Re8 31.Rxa7 Nc1 32.Rxc7 Nxb3 33.b6 Na5

And, just like that (almost) White is winning (again).

Well, at least according to Rybka 3.

34.Rc5

I was looking for a draw here, and so I was paying more attention to capturing Black's pawn on e4 than I was to promoting my b-pawn.

The trick to understanding the position is to realize that Black's pieces are all tied down. His King is confined to the 8th rank. His Rook has to stay on the e-file and protect the pawn at e4. His Knight dare not wander, as White can try b6-b7 and Rc7-c8 as soon as possible.

Black can play with his pawns on the Kingside, but when those moves run out, he will be faced with trouble. In the meantime, White's d-pawn can advance as well...

So, White's best was 34.b7 simply adding to Black's misery. Rybka 3 suggests 34...Nxb7, but after 35.Rxb7 the Rook-and-pawns endgame is strongly in White's favor: extra pawn, passed d-pawn, Black's weak e-pawn.

34...Nb7 35.Re5 Rxe5

My opponent pretty much acknowledged with his play here that I would like to escape into a drawn end game, and he goes along with my play. Little did he (or I) realize that this move again gives me winning chances.

36.dxe5 Nc5

37.b7

Going along with the same plan that my opponent was going along with which was my plan... which was wrong. 

It was late in this day in the life of the Jerome Gambit, and I missed the simple 37.Kd4, nudging away Black's protecting Knight and finally allowing me to play 38.Kxe4.
37...Nxb7 38.Kxe4 Ke7

Here the "Jerome pawns" offset Black's extra Knight, and we go through the motions of exchanging everything off.

39.g4 Nc5+ 40.Kd4 Nd7 41.g5 Nf8 42.h4 g6 43.Ke4 gxf5+ 44.Kxf5 Ng6 45.h5 Nf8 46.g6 hxg6+ 47.hxg6 Nxg6 48.Kxg6 Ke6 49.Kg7 Kxe5 Neither player has mating material, Drawn

Like the Big Boys

I like playing over the Jerome Gambit games of Bill Wall, mrjoker and axykk. They look like patient predators, sitting, waiting, waiting, waiting... and then pouncing on their prey.

The following game of mine is a little like that. Except for the "pouncing" part.

 perrypawnpusher - pitrisko
blitz, FICS, 2011

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 Nf6

I have had this position in over 30 games, scoring over 80%. I don't have it quite mastered, but I can get to it quickly (and that counts in blitz).

10.0-0 Ng4 11.Qg3

Surprisingly bad is 11.Qe2 which unravels quickly: 11...Qh4 12.h3 Nf4 13.Qf3 Ne5 14.Qc3 Ne2+ 'Nuff said.

11...Qh4

Forcing the exchange of Queens. For 11...h6 see perrypawnpusher - lorecai, blitz, FICS, 2011, (1-0, 14) and for 11...h5 see perrypawnpusher - Riversider, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 18)

12.Qxh4 Nxh4

I don't play the Jerome Gambit with a Queenless middlegame in mind, but it can't be helped. I decided a while back that in this position it didn't pay to spend any time (on the clock) worrying, I needed to make the swap and then move on.

13.f4 Nf6 14.Nc3 Ng6 15.f5 Ne5

This gives away more tempos to the "Jerome pawns", and White is now close to having full compensation for his sacrificed piece. 

16.d4 Nc6 17.e5

It was easier to decide on this move here than it was in my game against mtibuk.

17...dxe5 18.dxe5

18...Ng4

Black does not want to give the piece back with 18...Nxe5 19.Re1, etc., when White would have an edge; but perhaps he should have. 

19.e6

This move is okay, but after the game Rybka 3 preferred 19.Nb5 Kf8 20.e6 b6 21.Nxc7 Rb8 22.Bf4 with the idea 22...Bb7 23.Bd6+ Ne7 when White will be able to win the exchange with 24.Nd6, adding to his three-pawns-for-a-piece material balance and Black's blocked King Rook.

This is certainly a position I need to return to and study some more.

19...Rf8

Instead, Black had a chance to prepare a better defense by playing 19...Ne7, so that if 20.Nb5, then 20...Nd5.

20.h3

Missing 20.Nb(or d)5 entirely. It could also be played on my next move, with advantage.

20...Nf6

21.Bf4

I was happy with my game so far. I had kept everything in balance,
keeping a roughly even game, just like the "big boys", and all I needed was a slip by my opponent to take advantage of. 

21...Nb4 22.Bxc7 Nxc2 23.Rac1

Sensible.

Rybka 3's suggestion shows chess being played at a higher level than either my opponent or I were capable of in this game: 23.Rad1 (attacking the back rank) Bxe6 (forced, but useful) 24.fxe6 Ne3 (has White blundered??) 25.e7 Rg8 26.Rd8+ Kxe7 27.Rxa8 Rxa8 (White's "Jerome pawns" have disappeared, but that is all that he has to regret) 28.Re1 Kd7 29.Rxe3 Kxc7 30.Re7+ Kc6 31.Rxg7. White has won a pawn, but the endgame looks tricky.

Strong chess players can get blood from a stone.

23...Ne3 24.Rf3 Ned5 25.Nxd5 Nxd5 26.Bd6 Ne7

Finally Black slips, and it is time to pounce!

27.Rfc3

No, this not it. It is a paw swipe, not a pounce.

With the pressure from 27.Rc7  Black is forced to liquidate with 27...Nxf5 28.Bxf8 Bxe6 29.Bxg7 Rd8 30.g4 Nxg7 31.Rxg7 Rd7 32.Rxd7 Kxd7 and White is up the exchange and a pawn.

That is not a lot, but it is enough to win the endgame.
Black now wisely gives back his extra piece for the two "Jerome pawns" and the game slides into a draw...

I pursued things for a while, waiting for another chance to "pounce" but it was not to be.

27...Rxf5 28.Bxe7 Kxe7 29.Rxc8 Rxc8 30.Rxc8 Kxe6 31.Rc7 Rf7 32.Rxf7 Kxf7 33.Kf2 Ke6 34.Ke3 Kd5 35.Kd3 h5 36.h4 Ke5 37.Ke3 Kf5 38.Kf3 g5 39.hxg5 Kxg5 40.Kg3 Kf5 41.Kh4 Kg6 42.g4 hxg4 43.Kxg4 Kf6 44.Kf4 Ke6 45.Ke4 Kd6 46.Kd4 Kc6 47.Kc4 b6 48.a4 a6 49.b3 b5+ bxa4 51.bxa4 Kb6 52.a5+ Kc6 53.Kc4 Kd6 54.Kd4 Game drawn by mutual agreement