Half-Way Home Is Not Far Enough

Although the attack in my most recent Jerome Gambit game was unsound, it succeeded in winning back the sacrificed piece, reaching a drawn 2Rs + Ps vs 2Rs + Ps endgame. Alas, I let up my focus too soon, and my opponent's tactic won a rook, and the game.

perrypawnpusher - spince
blitz, FICS, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 

An earlier game against the same opponent continued 3...Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8, perrypawnpusher - spince, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 23). 

4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4 Re8

9.0-0

Instead, 9.Bg5 followed by 10.0-0-0 was seen in Wall,B - PLMW, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 24).

9...Kg8

This is an improvement over 9...Nc6 of perrypawnpusher - DrHilarius, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 27) and 9...Nfg4 of perrypawnpusher - Abatwa, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 22).

10.f4

A bit stronger is 10.Bg5 as in perrypawnpusher - hklett, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 20) and billwall - chiefh1, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 29). 

10...Nc6 11.Qd3 d6 12.Bd2 Be6 

Or 12...Kh8 as in perrypawnpusher - Fazmeister, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 36).

13.f5 Bf7 14.a3 Re5 15.Bf4 Re7 16.Rae1 Ne5 17.Qh3 Qe8 18.Bg5 Rd7 19.Bxf6 gxf6 20.g4 

This kind of thing always seems to work for Bill Wall.

20...Qf8 21.Kh1 Qg7 22.Rg1 Kf8 23.Qg3 Ke7 24.Nd5+ Kd8 25.Qf4 c6 26.Nc3 Kc7 27.h4 Rg8 28.Re3 Qf8 

Black could have played 28...Nxg4, but he had already decided on his defense.

29.Reg3 Qe7 30.g5 fxg5 31.hxg5 d5 32.exd5 Bxd5+ 33.Nxd5+ Rxd5 34.Re3 

Instead, c2-c4, either here or the next move, would give White the advantage.

34...Kc8 35.Rge1 Qxg5 36.Qxg5 Rxg5 37.Rxe5 Rd4 38.R1e2

This move is okay, but 38.Re8+ Kc7 39.Re7+ Kb6 40.Rxh7 Rxf5 41.Ree7 would have made the draw clear.

38...Rh5+ 39.Rh2

A blunder, which my opponent quickly spotted. Even was 39.Kg2. 

39...Rd1+ 40.Kg2 Rd2+ 41.Kg3 Rdxh2 White resigned

(The list of the top 10 home countries of visitors to this blog, for all time, is: United States, Russia, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Brazil, Canada, Poland, Netherlands, Ukraine. Welcome, and feel free to return! - Rick)

Jerome Gambit: Escaping the Mania (Part 1)

I recently took on another bot at Chess.com, and, in time, things became balanced - a bit unusual for an opening that has two pieces sacrificed.

If Readers find the line of play to be interesting, there are many links to other, related Jerome Gambits to check out.

perrypawnpusher - LarryFitzgeraldBot

Chess.com, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

The Database has 3,343 examples, with White scoring 40%; compared to 33,916 games with the basic Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, with White scoring 52%

Happily, in my 69 games with the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, I have scored a more substantial 77%.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 

Once, I met 6...Ke8 in perrypawnpusher - opazovalec, 10 2 blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 16). 

7.d4 Bd6

LarryFitzgerald's move is natural enough, although I have met others:

7...Neg4 in perrypawnpusher - xxfred, 2 12 blitz, FICS, 2012 (0-1, 28); 

7...Bxd4 in perrypawnpusher - Fazmeister, 2 12, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 36) and perrypawnpusher - spince, 2 12 blitz, FICS, 2014 (0-1, 41); 

7...Bb4 in perrypawnpusher - kezientz, 10 0 blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 9); perrypawnpusher - Abatwa, 12 4 blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 17); perrypawnpusher - Gibarian, 6 6 blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 33); perrypawnpusher - obmanovichhh, 14 0 blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 39); perrypawnpusher - LydenChess, 2 12 blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 15); perrypawnpusher - Aerandir, 4 12 blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 15); perrypawnpusher - SSGSSGSSG, 5 5 blitz, FICS, 2018 (1-0, 20); 

7...Re8 in perrypawnpusher - strandskatan, 5 5 blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 38); perrypawnpusher - hklett, 2 12 blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 31); 

7...Nd3+ in perrypawnpusher - genericme, 10 0 blitz, FICS, 2015 (1-0, 22); and

7...Nf3+ perrypawnpusher - wertu, 2 12 blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 20) and perrypawnpusher - catmandu, 2 12 blitz, FICS, 2014 (0-1, 12).

8.dxe5 Bxe5 9.f4 

Probably better is 9.Ne2 as in perrypawnpusher - lixuanxuan, 14 0 blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 22);  perrypawnpusher - andrewLLL, lichess.org, 2020 (0-1, 18); perrypawnpusher - LttlePrince, lichess.org, 2020 (0-1, 29); and perrypawnpusher - rusalka, 2 12 blitz, FICS, 2023 (1-0, 17) 

9...Bxc3+  10.bxc3 

10...b6

Or 10...d6 as in perrypawnpusher - joseluislopez, blitz, FICS, 2012 (0-1, 55). 

11.e5 Ne4 

I wondered if the bot was going to grab the e-pawn on move 10. Instead, he puts his Knight on e4 on move 11 - with equally unfortunate results. Continuing as planned with 11...Bb7 was best; and 11...Qe7 was good, as well.

12.Qd5+ Kf8 

Here, we have a basic choice: which piece to capture?

It is interesting that, after the game, Stockfish 15.1 recommended checking the King and then grabbing the Knight, i.e. 13.Ba3+ Ke8 14.Qxe4, slightly ahead of grabbing the Rook directly with 13.Qxa8. Simply grabbing the Knight with 13.Qxe4 was ranked even below 13.0-0.

So, you can guess my move...

13.Qxe4 

White is still better, with more material, better center control, and a safer King.

13...d5 14.exd6 

Probably 14.Qf3 was better, preserving the advanced, supported d-pawn. 

14...Bd7 15.dxc7 Qe8 16.Ba3+ Kf7 17.Qxe8+ Rhxe8+ 

My tripled, isolated c-pawns look vulnerable on the c-file. Will the Bishops-of-opposite-colors turn the game drawish?

18.Kd2 Rac8 19.Rae1 

It would have made more sense (and been stronger) to play 19.Bd6.

19...Be6 

In turn, 19...Rxc7 was the move. 

20. Kc1 h6 21.Kb2 Rxc7 

Things have turned drawish. I suppose that means that both of us have escaped the mania of the Jerome Gambit.

But there is still more chess to play.

[to be continued]

Visit From An Old Friend

Black's tactical oversight on move 12 is like a visit from an old friend. (As the Beatles sang, "I get by with a little help from my friends.") It is an interesting variation on the old "optical illusion" which has garnered me a few points.

perrypawnpusher - johnEjohnE
blitz, FICS, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 a6 

Okay, no Jerome Gambit - yet. Patience.

4.O-O 

Here Bill Wall jumped the gun with 4.Bxf7+ and earned a quick victory in Wall,B - GuestDLNJ, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 11). 

A Scotch variation was seen with 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bc5 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Qh5+ Black resigned, Melenos - Rocangus, FICS, 2010. 

4... Nf6 

Stubborn. After 4... Bc5 I played 5. Bxf7+ in perrypawnpusher - Tlslevens, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 28). 

5. Nc3

I could have played 5.Ng5, as in the Two Knights Defense,  5...d5 6.exd5 Na5 7.d3 etc., but I was still angling for a Jerome Gambit.

5... Bc5 6. Bxf7+ 

At last. A Delayed Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Nf3+ 

A bright idea, similar to the move by AirmanLeonidas, when he had advanced h7-h7 instead of this game's a7-a6.

The equally interesting 8... Qe7 was seen in Wall,B - Pawndering, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 16). 

9. gxf3 

Writing about my game against AirmanLeonidas, I commented about the pawn capture vs the Queen capture

Going with the "Jerome pawns," but not the best. After the game Rybka suggested: 9.Qxf3, since if 9...Bxd4 White can regain the pawn with 10.Nb5 Be5 11.Qb3+ d5 12.f4 Bd6 13.Nxd6+ Qxd6 14.e5 Qb6+ 15.Qxb6 axb6 16.exf6 gxf6 when Black may have a small edge if he can use his open lines.

However, in the current game, the helpful 10.Nb5 is not playable, due to Black's pawn on a6.

Still, a long-time Jerome Gambiteer once went with the Queen capture: 9.Qxf3 Bxd4 10.Nd5 c6 11.Nxf6 Qxf6 12.Qb3+ Qe6 13.c4 Re8 14.Be3 Qxe4 15.c5+ Re6 16.Rae1 Ke7 17.Bxd4 Qxd4 18.Rxe6+ dxe6 19.Qc2 g6 20.b4 Black forfeited on time, jfhumphrey - spince, FICS, 2013.

9...Bb4 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bh4 d6 12.Qd3

Black misunderstands the reason for this move, and overlooks my response. It's blitz. It happens.

12...Rf8 13.Qc4+ Be6 14.Qxb4 Bh3 

Black's pressure on White's King does not compensate for being behind two pawns, with the smaller center. He appears to have been shaken by falling for the cheap tactic.

15.Rfe1 Kg8 16.e5 dxe5 17.dxe5 Qe8 18.exf6 Qf7

Here Black forfeited by disconnection.

After 19.fxg7 Qxg7+ 20.Bg3 White would clearly be better.

Merry Christmas! (A Hysterical/Historical Jerome Gambit, Part 1)

Season's Greetings to the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde, and readers everywhere! 

Below is my latest Jerome Gambit game, which includes the "gift" of annotations from the article submitted (and revised, and revised, and revised, and revised, and reassessed) to Stefan Bucker for his magazine Kaissiber. [There is a ton of interesting reading to be found in the above links - and the links below, as well - although I still have not been able to definatively link Alonzo Wheeler Jerome to Winston Churchill.]

perrypawnpusher  - spince

blitz, FICS, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8

I have faced this defense 16 times, scoring 12 points - 75%, which is still a bit short of my overall Jerome Gambit score of 82% (regular Jerome Gambit 83%, Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit 90%, Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit 74%, Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit 77%).

As early as his first article with analysis (Dubuque Chess Journal 4/1874), Alonzo Wheeler Jerome considered the possibility that Black might refuse to capture the second piece, and play for King safety instead with 5...Kf8. 

This was, in fact, the defense that Jerome, himself, credited to G. J. Dougherty, ("a strong amateur, against whom I first played the opening") of Mineola, New York, in a yet unfound game; that O.A. Brownson, editor of the Dubuque Chess Journal, played against Jerome in an 1875 game (Dubuque Chess Journal 3/1875); that magazine editor William Hallock used against D.P. Norton in an 1876 correspondence game played “by special request” to test the gambit (American Chess Journal 2/1877); that William Carrington tried in his 1876 match vs Mexican Champion Andres Clemente Vazquez (Algunas Partidas de Ajedrez Jugadas en Mexico, 1879); and which Lt. Soren Anton Sorensen recommended as “more solid and easier to manage” in his seminal Jerome Gambit essay (Nordisk Skaktidende 5/1877).

It is interesting that early in Jerome's Gambit's life, there were players willing to accept one "gift" but who were skeptical of accepting two "gifts".

6.Nxc6

Bill Wall has experimented with 6.Nd3 in Wall,B - Tim93612, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 36) and 6.0-0 in billwall - DeDrijver, Chess.com, 2012 (1-0, 20).

White also has the option of playing 6.Qh5, the Banks Variation, as in Banks - Rees, Halesowen, 2003, when Black can transpose with 6…Nxe5  as recommended by the American Chess Journal, (3/1877) - "The continuation adopted by Jerome, Qh5 looks promising."

Pete Banks ("blackburne" online), a stalwart member of the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde (and still the strongest player I know who has played the Jerome regularly over-the-board in rated contests), brought international attention to Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's invention by writing to International Master Gary Lane, who commented at length on the opening, and on a couple of Banks' games, in his March ("The Good Old Days") and April ("Chess Made Easy") 2008 "Opening Lanes" columns at ChessCafe.com. IM Lane also mentioned one of Banks' games in his The Greatest Ever chess tricks and traps (2008), which reprised some of the earlier material.

It is humorous to note that in his "Opening Lanes" column Lane wrote, after 5.Nxe5+, "I think anyone with good manners playing Black would now kindly ask their opponent if they wanted to take their move back" while in his book he changed this to "I think anyone with good manners playing Black would now go to another room to carry on laughing."

Apropos the Banks Variation itself (i.e. playing 6.Qh5 in response to 5...Kf8), IM Lane noted in "The Good Old Days" that "6...Qe7 is a good alternative [to 6...Qf6 of Banks - Rees], because it stops the checkmate and protects the bishop on c5."

A few months later, 6...Qe7 was tested successfully in a GameKnot.com game, splott - mika76, 2008: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 6.Qh5 Qe7 7.Ng6+ hxg6 8.Qxh8 Qxe4+ 9.Kf1 Qd4 10.Ke1 Qxf2+ 11.Kd1 d6 12.h3 Qxg2 13.Re1 Qf3+ 14.Re2 Bf2 15.d3 Nd4 16.Nc3 Qh1+ 17.Kd2 Nf3 checkmate. Clearly White, the very-slightly-higher rated player, was taken aback by the move. I asked mika76 if he had been influenced by IM Lane's recommendation, but he said he had come up with the move himself.

6...dc

Jerome, in his 1874 analysis, gave 6…bc 7.d4 “putting Black’s KB out of play”. This was supported by, among several games, perrypawnpusher - mika76, GameKnot.com, 2008 (1-0, 18)

[To Be Continued on New Year's Day.] 

[Comments and Emails are Welcomed and Encouraged.]

Happy Birthday! (the Completion of a Hysterical/Historical Jerome Gambit, Part 3)

                               [Continued from New Year's Day.] 

perrypawnpusher - spince
blitz, FICS, 2013

11.f4 Qf7 12.f5 Bd7 13.Bg5 

Putting pressure on f6 was a good idea, but this was better achieved by 13.Bd4!?, e.g. 13...Kg8 (it is too late for 13...c5 because of 14.f6, anyway) 14.f6 gxf6 15.Rxf6 Bc5 16.Rxf7 Bxd4+ 17.Kh1 Kxf7 when White would have a Queen and two pawns for a Rook and two Bishops - but Black's less stable King might give White an edge. 

13...Ke8 

An alternative was 13...h6 14.Bxe7+ Bxe7 15.e5 Be8 when White's advancing "Jerome pawns" balance things out. 

14.f6 

Thematic, but too soon.

I did not realize how "too soon" it was until after the game, when I asked Houdini's opinion, and it suggested a patient line somewhat more exciting that watching paint dry - but which might lead to a slight edge for White: 14.d4 h6 15.Bh4 g5 16.Bf2 Rf8 17.Qe2 Bb4 18.Nd1 Kd8 19.Ne3 Bd6 20.Nc4 Qe8 21.Ne5 Kc8 22.c4 Ng8 23.Nxd7 Qxd7 24.Be3 b6 25.e5 Be7 26.Qf3 Kb7 27.Rad1 Rae8.

analysis diagram






14...Ng6 

This gives up the exchange, but Black did not want to pursue 14...gxf6 15.Rxf6.

15.fxg7 Qxg7 16.Bf6 Qf8 17.Bxh8 Qxh8 18.Qf3

Also possible was 18.d4.

White has a Rook and two pawns against Black's two Bishops.

Unfortunately, the next handful of moves is spoiled by mutual Amaurosis scacchistica - chess blindness. 

18...Kd8 19.Rf2? Kc8? 20.h3? b6 21.Raf1? Kb7 22.Qf7? Rd8 

Black has worked hard to safeguard his King, missing opportunities to win the exchange with ...Bc5, and, later, to launch a strong attack with ...Qe5.

Now he misses his last chance, although he still may maintain a small edge.

Speaking of "small", alas, that begins to refer to the amount of time that Black has remaining on his clock.

23.Qf6 Be5 24.Qxh8 Bxh8 25.Rf7 Be6 26.Rxh7 Bxa2

An unfortunate time slip.

27.Nxa2 Bd4+ 28.Kh1 Nh4 29.c3 Black forfeited on time

Jerome Gambit: Sometimes Enlightenment Does Not Come (Part 1)

When I finish a complicated game of chess I am often happy to turn it over to one of my silicon friends - nowadays, Stockfish 13 - to help me understand more about what was going on in the play, and how things could have been improved.

Sometimes, however, enlightenment does not come.

Take the following game. I am happy to share what I was thinking about, and I am willing to explain what I can about what was happening, but my computer friend let me down, with analyses that I too often could make no sense of at all. (That is part of the reason that I have linked to so many of my earlier games.)

Here we go.

perrypawnpusher - DaniyarManat

1 day/move, Chess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 

This move was mentioned in Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's first published analysis of his gambit in the April 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal. Black is not interested in gathering in more sacrificed material and keeps his King relatively safe.

6.Nxc6 dxc6 

Preventing White's d2-d4, and thus stronger than 6...bxc6 as in perrypawnpusher - badhorsey, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 26). 

7.O-O 

Or 7.d3 as in perrypawnpusher - fortytwooz, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 29); perrypawnpusher - Jore, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 16); perrypawnpusher - Conspicuous, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 13); perrypawnpusher -Lark, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 12); and perrypawnpusher - pitrisko, blitz, FICS, 2011, (0-1, 30).

Also 7.Nc3 as in perrypawnpusher - Ykcir, blitz, FICS, 2009, (1/2 - 1/2, 11). 

7...Qf6 

Black puts pressure on the two long dark diagonals.

I have also faced

7...Bd6 in perrypawnpusher - Lark, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 18) 

7...Be6 in perrypawnpusher - CorH, blitz, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 74); perrypawnpusher - spince, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0); perrypawnpusher - PasayDefence, "Piano Piano" tournament, Chess.com, 2020 (1/2-1/2, 57); 

7...Ne7, in perrypawnpusher - smarlny, blitz, FICS, 2011,(1-0, 25); and 

7...Qh4 in perrypawnpusher - pitrisko, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 30) and perrypawnpusher - Al-der,"Italian Game Classic", Chess.com, 2019 (1-0, 26); 

8.c3 

This was something new for me, but building a Jerome pawn center was not.

8...Ne7  9.d4 Bb6 

The Bishop's pin on White's d-pawn will weigh heavily in the play to come.

10.Nd2 Kf7 11.f4 Rf8 12.Nf3

White's broad pawn center just about balances out Black's material advantage, although the open lines for his two Bishops have to be attended to.

After the game Stockfish 13 rated the position as equal, and recommended instead of the text move, 12.a4 (I am not sure why) a5 13.f5 Kg8 (finishing castling-by-hand) 14.Nc4 Nxf5 (returning material) 15.exf5 Bxf5.

12...Bg4 

This is a tactical oversight. My first thought was to reply 13.h3 and to follow 13...Bxf3 14.Qxf3 with 15.g4 and some serious pawn action on the Kingside. After the game Stockfish 13 suggested that it was not impressed, giving 14...c5 as a counter that gave Black a clear advantage. Maybe it is my club player perspective, but it looks like 15.d5 then would leave White okay.

Anyhow, a second look - drawn by the fact that Black has only partly castled-by-hand -  gave me the correct response.

13.Ne5+  Kg8 14.Qxg4 Rfe8 15.f5 

15...Rad8 

This move threw me into a panic. Had I missed something? Had my opponent, in turn, missed something? Suddenly there seemed to be a lot more going on than my planned 16.Bg5.

[to be continued]

Happy New Year! (A Hysterical/Historical Jerome Gambit, Part 2)

                               [Continued from Christmas.] 

So far, the close look at my recent Jerome Gambit game has progressed a half-dozen moves. See "Merry Christmas! A Hysterical/Historical Jerome Gambit, Part 1".

Again, I have historical information from my never-published article submitted to Stefan Bucker for his magazine Kaissiber (and revised, and revised, and revised, and revised, and reassessed).

blitz, FICS, 2013
perrypawnpusher - spince

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 6.Nxc6 dxc6 

This position was reached in his first article with analysis of the Jerome Gambit (Dubuque Chess Journal 4/1874) by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome. 

As early as July 1874 it was clear that Alonzo Wheeler Jerome had no illusions about his gambit, as the Dubuque Chess Journal noted

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.

This modesty did not prevent Jerome from debating for months with William Hallock, who produced the American Chess Journal in the years following the demise of the Dubuque Chess Journal. While testing his invention in over-the-board and correspondence play, Jerome claimed

…that the opening has a “reasonable chance of winning,” which is sufficient to constitute a “sound opening.” It is not required that an Opening shall be sure to win. There is no such opening contained in chess; at least none that I know of.

In the exchanges of games and analysis that appeared in the American Chess Journal in 1876 and 1877, Hallock progressed from referring to “Jerome’s Double Opening” to “Jerome’s Gambit” to “Jerome’s Absurdity.”

                       

This light-hearted approach found full form in the May 1877 issue of the Danish chess magazine Nordisk Skaktidende, where Lieutenant Sorensen, analyzed the Jerome Gambit in his “Chess Theory for Beginners” column:

With this answering move of the Bishop [1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5] we have the fundamental position for that good old game which the Italians, hundreds of years ago, when they were masters of the Chessboard, called "Giuoco Piano," even game, but the later age, for generality of explanation, the "Italian game." On this basis the usual continuation is 4.c3, whereby the QP at the next move threatens to advance, and the White middle Pawns to occupy the centre. In the next articles we will make mention of that regular fight for the maintenance or destruction of the center, which is the essential point of the Italian game; in this, on the contrary, we will occupy ourselves with a Bashi-Bazouk attack, over which the learned Italians would have crossed themselves had they known it came under the idea of piano, but which is in reality of very recent date - 1874, and takes it origin from an American, A.W. Jerome. It consists in the sacrifice of a piece by 4.Bxf7+. Naturally we immediately remark that it is unsound, and that Black must obtain the advantage; but the attack is pretty sharp, and Black must take exact care, if he does not wish to go quickly to the dogs. A little analysis of it will, therefore, be highly instructive, not to say necessary, for less practiced players, and will be in its right place in our Theory, especially since it is not found in any handbook. The Americans call the game "Jerome's double opening," an allusion, probably, to the fresh sacrifice of a piece which follows at the next move, but we shall prefer to use the short and sufficiently clear designation, Jerome Gambit.

The August 1877 issue of the British Chess Player’s Chronicle and the December 1877 issue of the Italian Nuova Rivista Degli Scacci, reprinted Sorensen’s article (in English and Italian, respectively), introducing the Jerome Gambit to an even wider audience. Almost every Jerome Gambit analyst since has leaned heavily on Sorensen.

Interest in the Jerome Gambit did not remain just among beginning chess players. A couple of years later, Andres Clemente Vazquez included three wins with the Gambit, from his 1876 match against     Carrington, in his Algunas Partidas de Ajedrez Jugadas in Mexico por Andres Clemente Vazquez.

G. H. D. Gossip’s 1879 book, Theory of the Chess Openings, included an analysis of the Jerome Gambit, “substantially the same” as that which appeared in the Chess Player’s Chronicle, as the latter noted in a review of the work. At about the same time, the American daily newspaper, the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, in its chess column, struck the right tone in its review of Theory, noting gleefully

...the Jerome Gambit, which high-toned players sometimes affect to despise because it is radically unsound, finds a place, and to this it is certainly entitled.

The next year, in 1880, when the 6^th edition of the illustrious Handbuch des Schachspiels was published, the Commercial Gazette’s chess columnist was again ready to “complain” about the state of affairs

…that the "Jerome Gambit" should be utterly (even if

deservedly) ignored.

The Cincinnati connection is an important one in the story of the development of the Jerome Gambit. In the 1870 and 1880s, the chess column of the Commercial Gazette, conducted by J. W. Miller, was considered to be one of the best in the United States. It occasionally ran opening analysis presented by S. A. Charles, a member of the local chess club. By January 1881, Charles had switched to sending his analyses to the Pittsburgh Telegraph (later, the Chronicle-Telegraph).

In October 1881, the Jerome Gambit broke onto the international scene again, in Brentano's Chess Monthly, (edited by H.C. Allen & J.N. Babson), with a letter and analysis from S. A. Charles.

The November 2, 1881 chess column in the Pittsburgh Telegraph ran Charles’ corrected and slightly updated version of his analysis from Brentano's Chess Monthly.

The year 1882 brought yet more attention, from respectable sources, to the Jerome Gambit. William Cook, with the assistance of E. Freeborough and C. E. Ranken, brought out the third edition of his Modern Chess Openings-style Cook's Synopsis of the Chess Openings A Tabulated Analysis. 


7.0-0

Like in the "annoying defense" against the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5+ 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 d6 8.fxe5 dxe5, etc.), Black has returned a piece to achieve a static position that limits White's attacking chances.

Here, though, White has the long-term plan of developing and deliberately advancing his "Jerome pawns". If Black is watchful during this process, he can probably return a second piece for two pawns and sue for peace.

Also played (often transposing) has been 7.d3, as in perrypawnpusher - Jore, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 16); perrypawnpusher - Conspicuous, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 13); perrypawnpusher - fortytwooz, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 29); perrypawnpusher - Lark, blitz, FICS,  2011 (1-0, 12); perrypawnpusher - pitrisko, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 30); and Wall,B - WMXW, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 31).

7.Nc3 (followed by 8.d3 and 9.0-0 ) was seen in perrypawnpusher - Ykcir, FICS, 14 0 blitz, 2009 (½-½, 11).

7.c3 was seen in Vazquez,A - Carrington,Wm, Mexico, 2nd match 1876 (1-0, 43).

7...Be6 

7...Nf6 was popular in the early games of this line, as in Jerome,A - Brownson,O, Iowa 1875 (½-½, 29); Norton,D - Hallock,A, correspondence, 1877 (0-1,18), Lowe,E - Parker,J, correspondence, 1879,  (0-1, 25);  and Lowe,E - Parker,J, correspondence, 1879 (1-0, 37).

Subsequent analysis has generally followed Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, 1875, with 7.O-O Nf6 8.Qf3 (Sorensen said 8.e5 would be met by 8…Bg4 9.Qe1 Kf7! which was how Norton – Hallock had continued ) Qd4 9.d3 Bg4 10.Qg3. At this point, Brownson played 10…Bb6. Jerome responded with 11.e5, and drew the game, with help from his opponent, in 29 moves. Brownson, in the Dubuque Chess Journal (3/1875), suggested 11.Kh1 and 12.f4 as an improvement for White.

Sorensen, Nordisk Skaktidende, (5/1877) gave the alternative line 10…Bd6, attacking White’s Queen, and followed this up with 11.Bf4 g5 12.Bxd6+ cd 13.h3 Be6 14.Qxg5 Rg8 15.Qh6+ Ke7 16.Nc3 Rg6 17.Qh4 Rag8 with a better game for Black. However, Charles later in the Pittsburg Telegraph (4/27/81) offered 11.c3 as an improvement, suggested to him by Jerome, which they believed reversed the valuation of the line.

As an historical aside, later sources, relying on - read: copying - Sorensen’s analysis, miss 11.c3; those that follow - read: copy - Charles’ work, based on his Brentano article or on the American Supplement, include it.

8.d3 

Better than my goofball 8.Qf3+ from perrypawnpusher - CorH, blitz, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 74). 

8...Qf6 9.Nc3 Ne7 10.Be3 Bd6

[To Be Continued on my birthday January 13, 2014.] 

[Comments and Emails are Welcomed and Encouraged.]