William A. Shinkman (Part I)

Steven Dowd has noted, at ChessGames and via personal communication, that the one game that online database has by William A. Shinkman is a Jerome Gambit game – Jerome had White – and that no mention is made that Shinkman was one of the US's top problemists.

It seems time to address this short-coming. First off, Shinkman actually defended against Alonzo Wheeler Jerome and his gambit twice.

Dubuque Chess JournalJuly, 1874, p.484
(notes by O.A. Brownson, converted to algebraic notation)

Jerome,A - Shinkman,W
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

If 18.Nxe4 Rxf1+ 19.Kxf1 (best) 19...Rf8+ 20.Ke1 ( If 20.Bf4 gxf4 21.gxf4 Rxf4+ 22.K moves Rf2 wins) 20...Bf2+ 21.Kf1 Bxg3+ 22.Kg1 Qd4+ 23.Kh1 Bf3 wins Queen
18...gxf4 19.gxf4 Rxf4 20.Nxe4 Rxf1+ 21.Kxf1
and Mr. Shinkman announced loss of the Queen or mate in six moves.

A year and a half later, the following game was published

Dubuque Chess Journal

March 1876, No. 71, p.103
(notes by O.A. Brownson, converted to algebraic notation)

"Jerome's Double Opening"

Jerome,A - Shinkman,W
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 8.0-0 Nf6 9.f4 c5
We do not approve of this system of defence; it appears to us, that moving forward the QB and Q's Pawns only weakens Black's Queen's wing. Black having a piece more can well afford to remain on the defensive and await White's attack.
We therefore believe 9...Nc6 to be the proper move followed by 10...d5 if Q checks, or else by 10...Re8
10.Qc3 Neg4 11.Nd2 b5 12.h3 h5 13.e5
The attack is spirited from this point.
13...b4 14.Qf3 Ba6 15.exf6 Bxf1 16.Qb7+
Would not the capture of the S [sic; S =Springer = Knight] immediately have been better? Suppose 16.hxg4 Ba6 17.Qd5+ Kxf6 18.Ne4+ Ke7 19.f5 and White appears to have a manifest advantage.
16...Kxf6 17.Ne4+ Kg6 18.f5+ Kxf5 19.hxg4+ Kg6
The only move, for any other moves loses the Q or leads to mate. 19...Kxg4 20.Nxd6 and if 20...Qxd6 mate in 2, or 20...Bxg2 or 20...Qf8 White mates in a very few moves; 19...Ke6 20.Ng5+ Kf6 mates in 3; 19...hxg4 20.Qd5+ Kg6 21.Qe6+ Kh7 22.Ng5+ wins; 19...Ke5 20.Bf4+ Kxf4 21.Rxf1+ and forces mate soon.
20.Qd5
20.Bg5 seems decisive but Black has a satisfactory defense in 20...Qb6; We are inclined to think that 20.Ng5 would have maintained the attack 20.Ng5 White now threatens mate in a few moves, both at f7 and e4.; therefore 20...Qe8 21.Bd2 threatening Re1 21...Rf8 22.gxh5+ Kxh5 23.Qxg7 threatening mate by Qh7ch and Qh3 23...Bxg2 24.Qh7+ Kg4 25.Re1 wins
20...Qd7
Again, the only move 21.Qg5+
21...Kf7 22.gxh5 Bc4 23.b3 Be6 24.Bb2 Rag8 25.Rd1 d5
26.Be5 Rf8 27.Rf1+ Kg8 28.Nf6+ Rxf6 29.Bxf6
29.Rxf6 is promising, but Black can insure a draw by 29...Rxh5
29...Rh6 30.Rf4 a5 31.Be5 c4 32.bxc4 dxc4 33.Bd4 a4 34.Re4 b3 35.cxb3 cxb3 36.a3 Qf7 37.g4 Qc7 38.Be5 b2 39.Bxb2 Qg3+ 40.Kf1 Qf3+ 41.Kg1 Qg3+ 42.Kf1 Draw
The game is extremely interesting throughout and abounds in critical and instructive positions

Jerome Gambit: Puzzles and Mysteries (Part 3)

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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.

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 Chess Journal, July 1874, p. 484]

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

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One more Jerome Gambit tid-bit: I stumbled across "William's Cincinnati Directory" for June 1873, and found the notation "Charles S. A. ast. sec'y Covington & Cincinnati Bridge Co. resCovington." That likely means that the President of the Cincinnati Chess Club, the chief analyst of the Jerome Gambit (other than Jerome himself), lived in Covington, Kentucky, across the river from Cincinnati. Hats off to Blackburne, who called the line the Kentucky Opening.

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"; and this is repeated in the Chess Player's Chronicle of March, 1885.

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

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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 student chess club newsletter, "Phalanx," referring to when he mentioned "Mortimer's analysis from MOCO"? 

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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Jerome Gambit: Boogyman (Part 1)

I suspect that some readers think that when I refer to our favorite chess opening, the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) as being "refuted" that I am just trying to scare them by invoking something imaginary - like a boogyman.

Not so. The opening is best played at the club level, at quick time controls. It can be far more challenging, otherwise.

However, even in a risky opening, there are riskier lines. One such example is capturing the Rook on h8 in Whistler's defense.

Some Jerome Gambit enthusiasts are happy to take on the  complications. They count on their experience with the opening, their tactical skills - and, often, their luck. But they are aware of the dangers that lurk.

This is all an introduction to some analysis (2004) by Brian Wall and Tyrin Price that I have occasionally referred to in past blog posts. It should be a caution to some, and a map of the difficulties ahead to avoid for others.

Some of the complications in analysis are due to tranlating the article to ChessBase and back. I have added diagrams. My occasional comments are in [blue].

   Modern computers make it tough on old gambits - It is still personally interesting to investigate shaky openings and discover beautiful new positions hitherto unexplored. A few plausible mistakes by Black and voila! - tactical nightmares appear.

[Brian makes a good case for playing the Jerome - Rick.]

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 Giuoco Piano, 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.    -----------------------------    

The nice thing about the Jerome Gambit is that it is traditional in some circles to shout "Jerome!!" when you play 4.Bxf7+!! Then 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ and now Watson and Schiller recommend 6...Ke6 in Surviving Annoying Openings.[Survive & Beat Annoying Chess Openings, 2003]    

I don't know if all this was considered old hat 150 years ago but Tyrin Price, who is on my Yahoo list for BrianWallChess@Yahoogroups.com and also with me in  Chess_improvement@Yahoogroups.com, seems to have invented or possibly rediscovered a simple refutation. 

[to be continued]

William A. Shinkman (Part II)

William Shinkman (1847-1933) was one of America's greatest chess composers, ranking perhaps only behind Sam Loyd. He is said to have published over 3,500 problems.

Many are collected in The Golden Argosy: 600 Chess Problems,by William Anthony Shinkman, Otto Wurzburg, Alain Campbell White and George Hume published by the "Chess Amateur" in 1929.

For an introduction to the world of chess problems, check out Australia's FIDE Master of Chess Composition Peter Wong's "Peter's Problem World".

Take a look at the following challenge, perhaps Shinkman's best known. White to move and checkmate in 8 moves.

Tim Krabbé gives the solution to the problem, as well as a fascinating tale of a problemist, Bader Al-Hajiri, who wanted to make sure that the above position was legal -- and then wanted to find out the shortest game that could lead to that position -- in his Chess Curiosities Open chess diary: "The Kuwait Immortal".

The following, published in White Rooks in 1910, is a checkmate in 3 moves, White moving first.

This final problem, published in the Dubuque Chess Journal in 1874, is likewise a checkmate in 3 moves.

Answers will be provided in a later post.

The Jerome Gambit Article (Part 8)

Here continues the Jerome Gambit article that I wrote for Kaissiber, a decade ago.

Alonzo Wheeler Jerome

            Alonzo Wheeler Jerome was born March 8, 1834 at Four Mile Point, New York. Little is known about his life, and nothing of his early years.

At the age of almost 30, with the United States fighting its Civil War, Jerome was drafted into the Union army in September of 1863, where he served as quartermaster until he was transferred, in April 1865, as quartermaster sergeant, to the 26^th infantry regiment of the United States Colored Troops, under the command of Colonel William B. Guernsey, on Long Island, New York.

The 26^th USCT served under the Department of the South (Union Army) in South Carolina and was very active on Johns and James Island, Honey Hill, Beaufort, and a number of other locations. While it is not know when Jerome took up playing chess, it is known that shortly after arriving at their first camp, the soldiers of the 26^th immediately went about building both a chapel and a school; the latter, as many of the soldiers expressed an interest in learning to read and write. Might there have been time for the royal game, as well?

Jerome was mustered out of the army as a 2^nd Lieutenant in August 1865, at Hilton Head, North Carolina. He returned to Mineola, New York, where he worked in a factory that manufactured agricultural machinery. It was here that Jerome first played his gambit, he said, against G.J. Dougherty.

He moved to Paxton, Illinois in 1868, where he took up the position of manager of a hemp and flax company.

On March 6, 1873, Jerome married 21-year old Jane “Jennie” A. Ostrom, of Paxton. Like Jerome, Jenny had been born in New York.

The Jeromes had one child, a boy, born 1874, who apparently died young, as he appears in one census at age 6, but not in future censuses.

Jerome’s public life as a chess player apparently began when a game of his, a King’s Gambit, appeared in the March 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal. The next issue carried the “New Chess Opening” article. The July issue carried the first Jerome Gambit game that he played against William Shinkman.

            In 1875, Jerome and Brownson met and played their games, later printed in the Journal. In one game Brownson offered the McDonnell Double Opening – 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc4 3.b4 Bxb4 4.f4. It is not surprising that he was intrigued by the Jerome Gambit.

            Two 1876 games by Jerome were published by the Dubuque Chess Journal, one, a Jerome Gambit, against Shinkman, and the other, a postal odds game (Queen for Queen’s Rook) against the child chess prodigy (later, chess problemist) Frank Norton.

            When the Dubuque Chess Journal stopped publication in 1876, it was replaced by the American Chess Journal, and Jerome continued his campaign on behalf of “Jerome’s Double Opening” in its pages for two more years.

            News about Jerome then grows scarce. J.W. Miller occasionally mentioned him in his chess column of the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette and by S.A. Charles referred to him in his Jerome Gambit writings.

            In 1884, of course, Jerome was healthy enough to travel to the Cincinnati Mercantile Library and play a few games with his gambit against Miller.

In 1899, citing diabetes and heart problems, Jerome applied for a disability pension. By that time he and Jennie were living in Springfield, Illinois, where he was working as a guide in the state capital building. 

Alonzo Wheeler Jerome died from the complications of a gastric ulcer March 22, 1902 in Springfield, Illinois. He was survived by his wife.

Unanswered Questions

 1) Arguably the most influential Jerome Gambit article was the one by Sorensen, May 1877, in Nordisk Skaktidende – it was translated into English and reprinted in the Chess Player’s Chronicle August, 1877, and in the September & October 1877 issue of the American Chess Journal; and it was translated into Italian and appeared in the December, 1887, Nuova Rivista Degli Scacchi. In what other magazines, in what other languages did it appear?

2) The first player in the Blackburne game has been referred to as "NN" or "Anonymous" or "Stranger." Occasionally (e.g. www.superajedrez.com; or, with the wrong year, at www.chesslab.com ) the player has been given as "Millner." Was it Millner? Who was Millner? Documentation would be helpful.

3) Charlick of Australia was familiar with the Jerome Gambit. The Adelaide Observer (5/28/1881) published a Jerome Gambit correspondence game of his, as well as a game with (AO, 5/12/1877) Charlick’s own “Evans-Jerome Gambit” 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Bc5 6.Bxf7+. Are there other Jerome or Jerome-ish examples from this openings explorer to be found?

4) Abrahams in The Chess Mind (1951) refers to “the once popular Jerome Gambit” – 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+. Fletcher’s Gambits Accepted A Survey of Opening Sacrifices (1954) notes “Some authors have called the opening with the moves 1.P-K4, P-K4; 2.B-B4, B-B4; 3.BxPch, by the name Jerome.” Is this a typographical error, or does the Jerome, of the Giuoco Piano have an evil twin brother in the Bishop’s Opening?       5) Half-way between the creativity of Charlick (of 1.d4 e5!? notoriety) and the possible misnomer of Abrahams and Fletcher lie two other Jerome Gambit “variants.”

The Dubuque Chess Journal, November, 1874 carried the game Wright – Hunn, USA, 1874, which began 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d4 -– “brilliant but not sound” according to Brownson -– ed 5.Bxf7+. The DCJ said that this was “an unsound variation of Jerome’s double opening” and suggested that after 5…Kxf7, the move 6.Ne5+ “a la Jerome” would have improved upon the game continuation of 6.Ng5+. The Italian Gambit (2004) by Jude Acers and George Laven, the current reference on 4.d4 in the Giuoco Piano, covers 4.d4 ed 5.c3 dc 6.Bxf7+, but does not mention Wright’s rash 5.Bf7+.

James Mason, in the August 1895 British Chess Magazine, gave a game “played recently by correspondence between Brandfort and Bloemfontein, South Africa” which went 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Qe2 d6. Mason suggested the move 4…Nf6, because “there would be plenty of time to play the Pawn -– perhaps two squares instead of one. For, as the Cape Times remarks, if White adopts the ‘Jerome Gambit’ 5.Bxf7+ Black replies 5…Kxf7 6.Qc4+ d5 7.Qxc5 Nxe4 with advantage.” This assessment was confirmed in Albin – Schlechter, Vienna 1914 (0-1,31).

The odd 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 sometimes received the “Jerome treatment” (without the title) 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ (e.g. Sidran – Vong, Compuserve e-mail 1992, [1-0, 8]) when 4.Nxe5 would have been adequate.

These lines are interesting; but they did not show up in the work of Jerome, Sorensen, Charles, etc. Are there other Jerome gambit off-shoots out there?

6) Traxler, concerning his gambit in the Two Knights Defense, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5 wrote in Golden Prague on October 11, 1892 (quoted by Lubomir Kavalek in The Washington Post, April 14, 2003)

 An original combination that is better than it looks. A small

mistake by white can give black a decisive attack. It is not easy to

find the best defense against it in a practical game and it is probably

theoretically correct. It somewhat resembles the Blackmar-Jerome

gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+?! Kxf7 5.Nxe5?!.

What connection did Blackmar, of Blackmar-Diemer Gambit fame, have with the Jerome Gambit?

            7) 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. In the early 1870s he worked for the Covington and Cincinnati Bridge Company, residing in Covington, Kentucky, although a September, 1881 chess column in the New Orleans Times-Democrat referred to Mr. Charles as "formerly of this city." Mr. Charles was identified in a January, 1881 chess column in the Pittsburgh Telegraph as being the President of the Cincinnati Chess Club. Does anyone know more?

8) Finally, was Jerome’s inspiration for his opening the sacrificial attack in the well-known game Hamppe - Meitner, Vienna, 1872:  1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Bc5 3.Na4 Bxf2+ 4.Kxf2 Qh4+ 5.Ke3 Qf4+ 6.Kd3 d5 7.Kc3 Qxe4 8.Kb3 Na6 9.a3 Qxa410.Kxa4 Nc5+ 11.Kb4 a5+ 12.Kxc5 Ne7 13.Bb5+ Kd8 14.Bc6 b6+ 15.Kb5 Nxc6 16.Kxc6 Bb7+ 17.Kb5 Ba6+ 18.Kc6 Bb7+ draw

Afterword

Many people helped me gather the information in this article, and I want to express my heartfelt thanks to each of them: Deanna Austin, Kent Ball, Pete Banks, Martin Bennedik, Eric Bentzen, John Blackstone, Harold Bohn, Neil Brennen, Paul Broekhuyse, Stefan Bucker, J. Gayle Camarda, Franklin Campbell, Geoff Chandler, Adailton Chiaradia, Sarah Cohen, Kristina Daily, Todor Dimitrov, Paul Dunn, Bob Durrett, Wayne Everard, Steve Farmer, Steve Frymer, Sam Fore, Richard Forster, Ken Fraser, Gary Gifford, Michael Goeller, A.B. Hailey, Tim Harding, Keith Hayward, Dan Heisman, Adam Henderson, John Hilbert, Owin Hindle, James F. Holwell, Colin James III, Thomas Johansson, Fyhn Karsten, Ara L. Kaye, Paul Keiser, Libby Ford Kennedy, Rick Kinkaid, Tom Klem, Michael Kramer, Robert Kruszynski, Rosemary Kurtz, Gary Lane, Heather Lang, George Laven, Jeff Martin and the staff of the John G. White Collection at the Cleveland Public Library, Missi Matt, Tim McGrew, Hindemburg Melao, Anna Maria Mihalega, Louis Morin, Mark Morss, Robert Murnan and the staff at the Cleveland Research Center, Clyde Nakamura, Christopher Nelson, Anne Newman, Russ Newman, Reg Nonni, William Paulsen, James Pratt, Tyrin Price, Tom Purser, Marianne Reynolds, Magnus Rosenstielke, Tim Sawyer, Eric Schiller, Daaim Shabazz, Jeremy Spinrad, Peter Stockhausen, Susan Strahan, Jason Stratman, David Surratt, Joseph Tanti, Pat Tavenner, Attila Turzo, Cindy Ulrich, Olimpiu Urcan, Bill Vallicella, Lissa Waite, Andrew Walker, Art Wang, Bill Wall, Brian Wall, Ken Whyld, Jaap van der Kooij, Jeroen van Dorp, Ed Yetman, Bradley Zang, Lev Zilbermints

Please note that in almost all cases concerning source quotes, I have changed descriptive notation to algebraic notation.

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Who's the "Expert"?

The following game made me wonder, who knows the Jerome Gambit better, him or me? The outcome was surely suggestive!

perrypawnpusher - vz721
Italian Game thematic, Chess.com, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qf3 Nf6 11.d3

I have sometimes referred to this as the "optical illusion" variation (see here and here for starters) because of the number of times in blitz play that my opponents have relaxed and allowed me to pin their Queen to their King.

In the April 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal, Alonzo Wheeler Jerome wrote that 11.d3 compelled either King or Queen to move as White threatens Bf4; or Black can play ...g5. 

He was referring to the game Jerome - Shinkman, Iowa, 1874, which appeared in the July 1874 issue of the DCJ, and indeed, the game continued 11...Ke7 12.Nc3 g5; although after White's 21st move he wrote "and Mr. Shinkman announced loss of the Queen or mate in six moves." Ouch.

11...Ke7 12.Nc3 d6 13.Bf4 

So far, following Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, 1875, (1-0, 43).

13...Qh5

An interesting improvement on Brownson's 13...Qe6, which allowed Jerome to play 14.0-0-0 and then meet 14...Qg4 with 15.Qf1. White doesn't have a great position, but he keeps the Queens on the board.

14.0-0-0 Qxf3 15.gxf3 Be6 16.d4 Bb4 

At first I was happy with my pawn center. It grabs space, and threatens to advance, feeding an attack on the King. However, I decided to "hold" the center, instead, and my pawn chain became frozen - and my opponent started hammering it.

17.d5 Bf7 18.Nb5 Kd7 19.Nd4 Rae8 20.Nf5 Rhg8

21.h4 Bg6 22.Nd4 Nh5 23.Bh2 Bc5 24.Rhe1 Bxd4 25.Rxd4 Rgf8 

All the "dynamic" aspects of the pawn center have been removed.

26.Rd3 Nf4 27.Rd2 Bh5 28.Re3 Ng6 29.Rf2 Nxh4 White resigned

I might have been able to get 30.f4 in here, but that was about as mobile as my center was going to get. It looked like nothing more than suffering to me, so I turned my  attention to my remaining games.

Very nicely played, Vlad!