You, too, can add to Jerome Gambit theory!

Find something new in the Ruy Lopez or the Petroff Defense, and you may be talking about a wrinkle at the 20th or 25th move. Innovate in the Jerome Gambit – and you can make your mark much, much sooner.

Here is a small example, wrapped around some background.

Blackstone - Dommeyer
skittles game, California, USA 1960

John Blackstone was 15 or 16 at the time of this game (as was his opponent, I suppose). A few years later, he was a USCF master.

"Skittles game"? Why, Anderssen - Kiesertitzky, London 1851, "The Immortal Game," was a casual affair, too.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+
So far, standard fare. White is, of course, quite lost.

5...Ke8

Now, this is interesting!

Alonzo Wheeler Jerome – not to mention analysts from Sorensen (1877) to Schiller (2003) – seems neither to have brought up this move nor faced it in his games. (Please Note: I've been researching the Jerome Gambit for years, but all such "definitive" statements are, of course, open to revision based on future discoveries. )

The most discussed, recommended and played alternative to the main line 5...Nxe5 is 5...Kf8, going back to Jerome's first published analysis in the Dubuque Chess Journal, April 1874.

Of course, if you opponent springs the "Theoretical Novelty" 5...Ke6 on you, you'll be prepared with 6.Qg4+ Kxe5 7.d4+ Bxd4 8.Bf4+ Kf6 9.Bg5+ Kf7 10.Bxd8 Nxd8 (or 10...Bxb2 11.Qf3+ Ke8 12.Bxc7 Bxa1 13.Nd2 – a mess, but Black's uncertain King gives White the edge) and although the position is roughly even Black may not recover from "losing" his Queen.

6.Qh5+

Certainly tempting.

Correct (if such a word can be used in discussions of the Jerome Gambit, as opposed to, say, "5.Resigns!") is 6.Nxc6. White needs nothing more than to wait for Black to recapture, whereupon 7.Qh5+ will lead to the win of the Bishop on c5 and much the better game.

Black's best after 6.Nxc6, however, is the counter-attacking 6...Qh4 when 7.d4 leads to an even game after either 7...Bb6 or 7...Qxe4+.

6...g6 7.Nxg6 Bxf2+

A nifty move, although the simple 7...Nf6 8.Qxc5 hxg6 also gives Black the advantage.

8.Kxf2 Qf6+

Understandable: Check the King, protect the Rook at h8, prepare for 9...hxg6 – oh, and lose the game. The way to stay on top was 8...Nf6.

White now consolidates and is better.

9.Nf4+ Kd8 10.d3 d6 11.Rf1 Qd4+ 12.Be3 Qf6

One last hurrah would be 12...Qxb2 13.Nd2 (now 13...Qxc3 falls to 14.Ng6) but the first player still has advantages in material, development and King safety.

13.c3 1-0