I recently ran across what might loosely be considered a "birth announcement" for the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). It was in a Canadian magazine, and had the expected amount of skepticism.
(The Jerome Gambit was first introduced in the Dubuque Chess Journal, April 1874, Vol. VI, No. 50, p. 358-9, in the article "New Chess Opening")
(The Jerome Gambit was first introduced in the Dubuque Chess Journal, April 1874, Vol. VI, No. 50, p. 358-9, in the article "New Chess Opening")
The Favorite
An Illustrated Journal of Amusing and Useful ReadingVol. 03 No. 18: May 02, 1874
editor George Edouard Desbarats
CAISSAN CHIPS.
The [Dubuque] Chess Journal presents to the world a new variation in the “ slow ” opening, called “Jerome’s double gambit.” It will in all probability prove to be practically, as it certainly is theoretically, unsound. The sacrifice of a Bishop and a Knight so early in a game as the 4th and 5th moves, can hardly be expected to afford equivalent advantage in position. After further examination we may possibly republish it in the Favorite, should we not see what we expect to see.
Alas, I have not been able to find further issues of The Favorite, so I do not know if Mr. Desbarats ever changed his mind about the opening!
