This is a continuation of the series of articles on the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) from The Literary Digest of 1900 – see "A Jerome Discovery (Part 1)" and "A Jerome Discovery (Part 2)" for earlier information.
On June 30, 1900, The Literary Digest's chess column contained the following [notation changed from descriptive to algebraic]
The Jerome Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4
A majority of those who sent Black's 6th move played 6...Bxd4. The reason given for this move is that as Black must lose a piece he had better get a P for it. This is not good reasoning, as White's continuation demonstrates: 6... Bxd4; 7.Qxd4 d6; 8.f4, and White still has the attack. If 8...Nc6; 9.Qd5+ Be6 10.Qh5+ g6 11.Qf3 Nd4 12.Qd3 Nc6 13.f5 and White has a good game.
Another move suggested was 6...Qf6. The object of this is (a) to prevent 7.dxe5; (b) to continue ...d6, ...Ng4, etc. The weakness of this is that it allows White to Castle. For instances: 6...Qf6 7.0-0 d6 8.dxe5 Qxe5 9.Nc3 Be6 10.Kh1 followed by 11.f4 giving White a strong attack.
We believe that Black's best (6) is ...Qh4. the superiority of this move is discoverable in several directions. White can't play 7.dxe5; if 7.dxc5 then ...Ng4, with a strong game. We hope that Mr. Jerome and others will suggest White's best move after Black's (6) Qh4.
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