Before I began this blog, much of my investigation into the Jerome Gambit appeared online in the "Puzzles and Mysteries" section of Edward Winter's The Chess History Information and Research Center. Although it highlighted my mis-steps almost as often as my true discoveries, it provided valuable exposure to my quest, and put me in touch with a number of helpful sources, for which I remain expecially thankful to Mr. Winter.
With the help of the online Wayback Machine, I was able to bring much of this information forward. It adds to my earlier series of posts containing my longer Jerome Gambit article.
With the help of the online Wayback Machine, I was able to bring much of this information forward. It adds to my earlier series of posts containing my longer Jerome Gambit article.
It appears that the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) made its debut in the April 1874 edition of the Dubuque Chess Journal (p.358), in an article titled "New Chess Opening," beginning "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..."
Analysis was continued in the July 1874 issue of the DCJ (p.358), under the title "Jerome's Double Opening." There is the comment "Note: It should be understood that Mr. Jerome claims in this New Opening 'only a pleasant variation of the GiuocoPiano, which may win or lose according to the skill of the players, but which is capable of affording many new positions and opportunities for heavy blows unexpectedly.' "
Fittingly, the July 1874 DCJ issue also contained the game Jerome - Shinkman, which lasted 21 moves, and "Mr. Shinkman announced loss of the Queen or mate in six moves."
A. W. Jerome - W. Shinkman, 1874.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qf3 Nf6 11.d3 Ke7 12.Nc3 g5 13.Rf1 c6 14.g3 d5 15.Bd2 Bg4 16.Qg2 Rhf8 17.h3 Nxe4 18.Bf4 gxf4 19.gxf4 Rxf4 20.Nxe4 Rxf1+ 21.Kxf1 and Mr. Shinkman announced loss of the Queen or mate in six moves.
[Dubuque
The January 1875 issue (p.38) of the Dubuque Chess Journal contained analysis by A.W. Jerome of his gambit, presented in tabular form, landscape layout, oddly titled "Queen's Gambit in Jerome's Double Opening," no doubt referring to White's 6th move (4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5 Nxe5 6.Qh5+). It may well have been this analysis that caught the eye of Cincinnati Chess Club President S.A. Charles, as he quotes from this analysis in his 1881 articles in the Pittsburgh Telegraph and Brentano's Chess Monthly articles.
The March 1875 issue (p.135) of the DCJ presented the game Jerome - Brownson, a draw in 25 moves. (Note, the Dubuque Chess Journal also was known as "Brownson's Chess Journal." Yes, that Brownson.)
There are likely other Jerome games in the DCJ - for example in March 1876 (p.103) there is Jerome - Shinkman, a draw in 42 - but the next big step in the history of the Jerome Gambit lies with the published analyses of S.A. Charles.
William Cook's Synopsis of the Chess Openings, for example, has no mention of the Jerome in it's first (1874) and second (1876) editions; but the third edition (1882) has analysis, with the note "this move [4.Bxf7+] constitutes the Jerome Gambit, which, although unsound, affords some highly instructive analysis." S.A. Charles' work is not mentioned, but Cook's analysis clearly relies on it. (Interestingly, Mr. Freeborough and Rev. C.E. Ranken are given thanks for "material assistance in the compilation of the tables, original variations in the openings, and help in the examination of proof.")
The same lines show up in the 1884 Synopsis of Chess Openings A Tabular Analysis by William Cook with American Inventions in the Openings and fresh analysis since 1882 (often referred to as the American Supplement) by J. W. Miller. [My original notion, that the Jerome Gambit made it into Cook's only as an American Invention for the American Supplement was in error.]
The first edition of Freeborough and Ranken's Chess Openings Ancient and Modern Revised and Corrected up to the present time from the best Authorities, 1889, had analysis of the Jerome Gambit, as did the second (1893), third (1896) and fourth (1910).
The Jerome Gambit had arrived. As Freeborough and Ranken noted in their Giuoco Piano section, "Away from the main track [of the Giuoco Piano] there are numerous traps for the unwary and inexperienced player, but, as a rule, any attempt to hurry the action will recoil on the attempter. Numerous attempts of this character have been made at various times. The most interesting of these are now classified as regular openings, notably the Evans Gambit, the Two Knight's Defence, and Max Lange's Attack. The Jerome Gambit is a modern instance."
Of the Jerome, they noted "The Jerome Gambit is an American invention, and a very risky attack. It is described in the American Supplement to Cook's Synopsis as unsound but not to be trifled with. The first player sacrifices two pieces for two pawns, with the chances arising from the adversary's King being displaced, and drawn into the centre of the board. 'The defense requires study, and is sometimes difficult.' It may be added that it is equally difficult for the first player to maintain the attack."
They were not taken in, however. "It is very rarely practised, but as a similar sacrifice of a minor piece for two pawns to stop Black from castling may often occur in the King's Knight's opening [Petroff], we give the Jerome Gambit as a representative form of this kind of attack on its merits, showing its strength and weakness apart from accidental circumstances, which in actual play may materially affect the result."
It is within those pages, too, that S.A. Charles is given credit as chief analyst, and A.W. Jerome goes unmentioned.
Rick Kennedy, 25.07.02
One more Jerome Gambit tid-bit: I stumbled across "William's Cincinnati Covington Covington , Kentucky , across the river from Cincinnati
Although Alonzo Wheeler Jerome (1834 - 1904) was the "inventor," of the Jerome Gambit, it was extensively analyzed and popularized by S. A. Charles. There are scant clues today as to who Mr. Charles was. Jeremy Gaige's classic book on chess players, for example, lists the name "S. A. Charles," but not a date of birth or death; and Gaige's entry indicates only that Mr. Charles seemed to have been on the chess scene from 1890 to 1910.
My own digging has added a little to this. Mr. Charles is identified in a January, 1881 chess column in the Pittsburgh Telegraph as being the President of the Cincinnati Chess Club. A September, 1881 chess column in the New Oreleans Times-Democrat refers to Mr. Charles as "formerly of this city." The 1884 American Supplement to Cook's Synopsis of the Chess Openings refers to "S. A. Charles, of Cincinnati
The most useful reference, William's Cincinnati Directory for June 1873, lists S. A. Charles as the assistant secretary of the Covington and Cincinnati Bridge Company, residing in Covington
Can anyone help add to this picture of S. A. Charles - even his first and middle names remain a mystery to me. Information on the early years of the Cincinnati Chess Club would be useful, as well.
Rick Kennedy, 04.09.02
I believe Ken Whyld has solved the Jerome Gambit mystery I had posed on 08.01.02, that is - to what was W. John Lutes, in the 11/28/61 issue of the Ohio State University
Mr. Whyld has sent me analysis from James Mortimer's 1888 The Chess Player's Pocket-book and Manual of the Openings which includes a unique line of analysis (that is to say, I have not found it in any of the relevant 150 games and/or sources I have uncovered or reviewed to date) which extends to 18 moves and is exactly the line which Lutes presents. I believe the Phalanx article mis-abbreviates the title of Manual of the Openings as MOCO, i.e. Manual of the Chess Openings.
It might be interesting to readers that Mortimer, in his 1901 edition of his New Century Chess-book wrote "The New Century Chess Book is the up-to-date complement of my previous manual, The Chess Player's Pocket-Book, first published in 1888, and now in its thirteenth edition. Of the latter work, upwards of twenty-five thousand copies have been sold." Not bad for a chess book!
I received an e-mail the other day from Michael Kramer, the internet newsgroup poster referred to in my first Jerome Gambit query - he who had mentioned the source book "All or Nothing! The Jerome Gambit" by Chiam Schmendrik.
As many chesshistory readers may have known, and chuckled up their sleeves as I took the bait, "schmendrik" is Yiddish for "jerk." The book was a humorous reference, and neither it nor the purported author exist.
To all those readers who looked in vain - as I did - for the tome, my thanks and apologies for having been taken in.
Rick Kennedy, 23.09.02
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