Wednesday, June 11, 2008

In The Beginning...

This is the first published account of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's chessic creation. I have changed the notation from descriptive to algebraic. The formatting is courtesy of ChessBase 8.0 

Dubuque Chess Journal April 1874, Vol. VI, No. 50, p. 358-9 "New Chess Opening" 

We have received from A.W. Jerome of Paxton, Ford county, Illinois, some analyses of a new move in the Giuoco Piano, first played by him, which we offer our readers as: Jerome's Double Opening. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ This is the first move, if now Black reply 4...Kxf7 he continues 5.Nxe5+ and we have the moves that constitute Jerome's Double Opening. Suppose in the first place 5...Nxe5 [If 5...Kf8 6.Nxc6 dxc6 (if 6...bxc6 White plays 7.d4 putting Black's KB out of play) 7.0–0 Nf6 8.Qf3 Qd4 9.d3 Bg4 10.Qe3 Qxe3 11.Bxe3 Bxe3 12.fxe3 Ke7 and White should draw by the judicious use of his pawns] 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qf3 Nf6 11.d3 compelling either K or Q to move as White threatens Bf4; or Black can play ...g5 If 11...Ke7 12.Nc3 g5 13.Rf1 c6 14.g3 we have space only for a few of Black's best moves, leaving our readers to test the opening over the board.

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