The Joy of Discovery (Part II)

I was excited to discover the Jerome Gambit game Harris - Quayle 1944, and decided to see if I could obtain the Los Angeles Times chess column referred to in the "L A TIMES 1881-1955" database – see "The Joy of Discovery (Part I)."

I contacted the Los Angeles Public Library, and Librarian Teni Bedrosian was quick to send me a PDF file of Herman Steiner's "Chess" column for January 7, 1945.

Under the heading "Correspondence Game" was the introductory note "A short game by Ladderite E. H. Quayle of Westwood, Cal., and Sgt. W. A. Harris of Brownsville, Tx."

Interesting!

Blackstone, in his database, gives Quayle's first name as "Ernest" – an educated guess on his part, or based on research of his own?

The Ernest H. Quayle Papers (1920-1939) includes five (of seven) journals by the naturalist (think: similar to Darwin and the Beagle) which currently reside in the University of Utah Mariott Library Special Collections.

I wrote to Manuscripts Librarian Dr. Stan Larsen for further information about Quayle's chess playing, if any. Unfortunately the diaries do not appear to have any chess content.

Ernest H. Quayle lived in Los Angeles in the early 1930s, but at the end of the decade he was involved Westwood is district in western LA.

As for Sgt. Harris, 1944 was war time, and Fort Brown in Brownsville, Texas was where the 124th Cavalry Regiment was stationed. The 124th remained a mounted unit until its deployment in the China-Burma-India theater of operations.

The Joy of Discovery (Part I)

Research in chess often entails a whole lot of digging with little to show in return. Some days, however, good fortune strikes.




I was checking out the website of the Southern California Chess Federation the other day and noticed that they had two downloadable files containing a large number of games from the Los Angeles Times chess column – 1881 to 1985.

Thanks to John Blackstone for all his hard work in uncovering and assembling the games.

A few clicks, a quick search in ChessBase, some crossed fingers – and, yes, there was a new Jerome Gambit game!

Harris,W.A. Sgt. - Quayle,Ernest H.
Los Angeles, California, USA 1944
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6

We've seen this line before, by Lt. Whistler and J.H. Blackburne – "Nobody expects the Jerome Gambit!"; "Mars Attacks!"; "Flaws (Part I)"; and "Flaws (Part II)".

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.0-0 Nf6 10.Qd8

This move is the recommended improvement over 10.c3 in Amateur - Blackburne, London 1885.

10....Bd7

Troublesome for Black, who would keep things complicated (if in White's favor) instead after 10...Bb6 11.e5 dxe5 12.Qd3 Bf5

11.Qxc7 Bb6 12.g3

A plan with a hole in it.

White should free his Queen with 12.Qxd6. He would still have to deal with Black's ambitious pieces, but his position is solid and his material advantage should win in the end.

12...Qh3 13.Qxd6 Bc6

White will now have to give up his Queen in order to hold off mate. Instead, he gives up his King.

14.g4 Qxg4+ 0-1
Mate is unavoidable.


(Artwork compliments of Jeff Bucchino, "The Wizard of Draws")