We have been here before: see "'Tis A Puzzlement" and "The Blackmar-Jerome Gambit?!".
I was reading GM Boris Alterman's The Alterman Gambit Guide Black Gambits 2 - in particular, the chapter on The Traxler Counterattack - when I noticed
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5!?
Traxler gave the following comments about his invention "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."
He also stated that "it somewhat resembles the Blackmar-Jerome Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc3 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7?! Kxf7 5.Nxe5+?" although fortunately he was referring to its optical appearance rather than its correctness.
Clearly the author was quoting from Karel Traxler's chess column of October 11, 1892, in Golden Prague. But what else, if anything, did GM Alterman know about the "Blackmar-Jerome gambit"?
I emailed him, and quickly received a friendly response, including
I tried to find any info on the web and even in Russian sites, but not much info on Blackmar-Jerome Gambit has been found.
Too bad.
The American Supplement to the "Synopsis": Containing American Inventions in the Chess Openings; Together with Fresh Analyses in the Openings, Since 1882, edited by J.W. Miller (1884), gives two gambits by Blackmar (neither related to the Jerome)
Mr A E Blackmar, of New Orleans, sends to the editor the following analysis of winning positions in two interesting Gambits invented by him, and which he has been playing for four years. The second Gambit [1.d4 f5 2.e4 fxe4 3.f3] is not played much, because few make use of the Hollandish Defense, Black 1 P-KB4 [1...f5].
In the first Gambit [1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.f3] the general opinion is that Black should not capture the second Pawn, but play 3 P-K3 [3...e6] or 3 P-K4 [3...e5], as suggested by Mr Chas. A. Maurian.
Mr Blackmar has a manuscript book of over 300 games played at the Gambits, and his conclusion is that both lead to most interesting positions, giving White an immense variety of brilliant attacks to repay for the Pawn sacrificed.
The second Gambit resembles From's Gambit at White's fourth move except that White is a move ahead.
Additionally, the Supplement has analysis of the Jerome Gambit.
This leaves me with my original possible explanation
My current hypothesis - complete speculation at this point - is that Traxler, writing in the October 11, 1892, chess column of Golden Prague, recalled the infamous Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1885 Jerome Gambit game and wanted to credit the successful master; but, in drawing up his note for Reinisch - Traxler, he erroniously attached "Blackmar" - instead of "Blackburne" - to "Jerome Gambit".
Readers who know anything more about the "Blackmar-Jerome Gambit" are asked to enlighten me.
[Readers: this is blog post #2,200. I will keep writing if you keep reading. - Rick]
It had been months since I had played the Jerome Gambit at blitz speed, and I worried that I might have forgotten too much. The following game, however, shows that the opening was as reliable as ever for me.
perrypawnpusher - grosshirn
2 19 blitz, FICS, 2016
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Ng6
Somewhat inexact. See the note (below) to White's 11th move.
9.Qd5+ Ke7 10. Qxc5+ d6
Better than 10...Ke8 as seen in perrypawnpusher - parlance, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 22).
11.Qe3
After 11 moves we have reached a position in which White has an extra move (f2-f4) in comparison to the line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke7 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3. So, if Black wants to give up his King's Bishop and post his Knight at g6, 6...Ng6 might have been a better choice.
Interestingly, Stockfish 7 recommends the alternate retreat 11.Qc3 (no example in The Database), suggesting that Black meet that with 11...Kf8 (11...Nxf4?12.Qxg7+ Ke8 13.O-O Qf6 14.Qxf6 Ne2+ 15.Kf2 Nxf6 16.Kxe2 Nxe4 with advantage to White) 12.O-O Nf6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc6 15.e5 dxe5 16.dxe5 Qd4+ 17.Qxd4 Nxd4 18.Na3 Ne8) with an equal game.
11...Nf6
The text is about equal to 11...Kf8 (perrypawnpusher - Valseg, blitz, FICS, 2011 [1-0, 39]), better than 11...Bd7 (perrypawnpusher - GabrielChime, blitz, FICS, 2009 [1-0, 29]), and much better than 11...Be6 (perrypawnpusher - MrNatewood, blitz, FICS, 2010 [1-0, 12]).
12.O-O
Or 12.d4 as in perrypawnpusher - thinan, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 31).
12...Rf8
This seems reasonable at first glance, as Black is considering castling-by-hand. However, 12...Re8 was probably better, as in perrypawnpusher - spydersweb, blitz, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 24) and perrypawnpusher - tjaksi, blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 18).
13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4 15.Qd3 Nb6 16.Bg5 h6 17.Bh4 Nbd7
Black has covered up with his pieces, and still has his piece-for-two-pawns material advantage, but White's "Jerome pawns" and freer development give him the advantage.
18.Nc3 c6 19.Rae1 Qb6 20.Kh1 Ke8
Breaking the pin on his Knight, but White is ready to crash through, anyhow.
21.e5 dxe5 22.dxe5 Ng8 23.f6
Even better, according to Stockfish 7 after the game, was 23.Ne4 Ne7 24.Qd6 Rf7 25.e6 with a forced checkmate.
23...gxf6 24.exf6+ Kd8 Black resigned
Checkmate will be coming soon after 25.f7+.
In the previous post (see "Faster Than A Speeding Neuron") we saw a lightning fast game where White blundered his Queen just before Black lost on time. Whew!
In the following Jerome Gambit game, Black returns two sacrificed pieces and then resigns when he realizes that he will lose another - or will he?? It is a pretty good example of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in chess.
Masterking80 - beasst
6 8 blitz, lichess.org, 2016
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Nf6
Not the strongest of defenses, as we have seen, as it returns too much material.
8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 Nxe4
In 12 previous games in The Database, White scored 75% from this position. White was 8-0 when he found the correct move 10.Qd5+ forking the enemy King and Knight - if we ignore one game where White played the right move but both players timed out and lost. By comparison, in two games White played the innacurate 10.Qf5+ and lost.
10.Qc4+ Black resigned
Wait a minute... Can't Black reply 10...d5 and protect his Knight? In fact, after 11.Qb3 Nc4 12.Qf3 Re8+ 13.Kd1 Qh4 doesn't Black develop a pretty strong initative for his pawn minus?
An interesting example of chess "shock and awe.".
I can understand that playing the Jerome Gambit, or one of its variants, can give a player an edge in a fast tempo game where the defender has little time to analyze (or even recall) lines. Still, the following internet game, played at 0 seconds with a 1 second increment per move is very fast, and the result is sudden and surprising.
tomi36 - SanChess2005
01, lichess.org, 2015
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Ke7 5.Nxd4 Kxf7 6.Qf3+ Nf6 7.Qh5+
Here Black forfeited on time.
I am reminded of the statement of World Champion Alexander Alekhine
The fact that a player is very short of time is, to my mind, as little to be considered an excuse as, for instance, the statement of the law-breaker that he was drunk at the time he committed the crime.
This game, however, presents more as the players trading (alcoholic) shots until one falls over.
In the following game Black plays well, until he becomes caught up in tactics on the Queenside. What starts out as a leveling return of a piece for a couple of pawns turns into a conflict where the second player is out-gunned, move after move.
Wall, Bill - Anonymous
lichess.org, 2016
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Qe2
The Database has almost two dozen examples of Bill playing this line. He plays it patiently, with an eye open to tactical possibilities.
6...d6 7.Na4 Bb6 8.h3 Rf8 9.O-O Kg8
10.c3 d5 11.d3 dxe4 12.dxe4 Qe7 13.b4
Black has castled-by-hand and kept up with his development - an excellent way to deal with the Jerome Gambit.
13...Nxb4
Here he plans on returning the sacrificed piece for a couple of pawns, putting himself a pawn ahead in a comfortable position.
Instead, Bill recommends 13...Nd8, 13...Bd7 or 13...Rd8.
14.Ba3
A surprise. Probably Black was expecting 14.cxb4 Qxb4 15.Nxb6 axb6 16.Re1 Ra4.
14...Ba5
Stumbling. Bill suggests 14...Qe8 (threatening 15...Qxa4) 15.Qc4+ Be6 16. Qxb4 Qh5 still with an edge.
15.cxb4 Bxb4
Slipping again. Instead, 15...Bb6 would keep things in balance. It was okay to back away from the tangle of pieces. Perhaps he was expecting 16.Bxb4?.
16.Qc4+ Be6 17.Qxb4
17...c5
The fatal fall.
18.Nxc5 b6 19.Nxe6 Qxe6 20.Ng5 Qc6 21.Qb3+ Kh8 22.Bxf8 Rxf8
After a tactical flurry, White is a Rook up, but he has one more shot.
23.Nf7+
Winning a further exchange, as 23...Kg8 would lose the Black Queen with 24.Nxe5+ Kh8 25.Nxc6.
23...Rxf7 24.Qxf7 Qa8 25.Rfc1 Black resigned
The following educational game, mentioned in the previous post (see "White Punishes Errors Quickly"), was played online at InstantChess.com at its "classic" time control, 30 minutes or more per game.
SA3OD - gianluca
classic, InstantChess.com, 2016
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening.
4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bc5
Asking for trouble, allowing a transposition to the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.
6.Bxf7+ Kf8
I know this sounds silly, but there are 30 games with this position in The Database. White scores 48%. (Which sounds even sillier.)
7.Nf5
A thoughtful idea, although stronger was 7.Nxc6!? Qh4!? 8.O-O bxc6 9.Bb3 Qxe4 when White has recovered his sacrificed piece, as a better pawn structure and a safer King.
7...Kxf7 8.Qd5+ Kf8
Instead, 8...Kf6 would be too bold: 9.Qxc5 Nge7 10.Nc3 (10.Qc3+!) 10...d6 11.Nd5+ Nxd5 12.Qxd5 Re8 13.O-O Re5 14.Qd3 Bxf5 15.exf5 Rxf5 16.b3 Kg6 $2 17.Bb2 (17.g4!) 17...Ne5 18.Bxe5 dxe5 19.Qb5 b6 20.Rad1 Qe7 21.Rd7 Qg5 22.Rxc7 (22.Qc6+!?) 22...Raf8 23.Qe2 e4 24.Qxe4 Kh7 25.Rxa7 Kh8 26.Re7 Rxf2 27.Rxf2 Qc5 28.Ref7 Rxf7 29.Qe8+ Rf8 30.Qxf8+Qxf8 31.Rxf8+ Kh7 32.Rb8 Black resigned, MidKnightBlue - cesrmathurine, FICS, 2005.
9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qc3 Bxf5 11.exf5 Nf6
White has an extra pawn (temporarily) and a safer King, but he lags in development.
12.O-O Ne7 13.Nd2 Nxf5 14.Nf3 Kf7 15.Qb3+ Kg6
The King needed to go back to f8, as SA3OD immediatly shows.
16.Qd3 Qd7 17.Nh4+ Kf7 18.Qxf5 Qxf5 19.Nxf5 Rhe8
20.g4
In the next few moves, White is thinking of attack. (Instead, he should heed American National Master Dan Heisman's advice to club players, that after winning material one should think about consolidation first, not wild aggression. The simple 20.Be3 comes to mind.)
20...Re2 21.h3
Instead, the consolidating 21.Ne3! would have saved a world of headaches.
21...Rxc2 22.f4
Everybody is going to the party, but, by the time they get there, the party will have moved on.
White still had time for 22.Ne3, evicting the enemy Rook. Even 22.Be3 was possible, as 22...Rxb2?! would be well met by 23.Rac1!? with counterplay.
22...Re8 23.g5 Ree2
24.Nh4
The correct way to protect g2 (and attack Black's Rook) was 24.Ne3!
24...Ne4 25.gxh6
Instead, 25.Rf3 would have kept the enemy Knight out of g3 and lead to an even game.
25...gxh6
Better to invade: 25...Ng3.
26.f5
Still attacking. Still overlooking 26.Rf3.
26...h5
Black overlooks his last chance for 26...Ng3.
White is in a turned-around situation for a Jerome Gambit player, being up a piece and down a pawn. His King is in more danger, too.
Although Black has more practical chances, the game is still about even.
27.Bf4 Rxb2 28.Ng6 Rxa2 29.Rxa2 Rxa2 30.Re1 Ra4
31.Nh8+
Not the solution to a difficult position, especially if time was getting short. Stockfish 7 suggests: 31.Kg2 Kf6 32.Kf3 Ng5+ 33.Bxg5+ Kxg5 34.h4+ Kxf5 35.Ne7+ Kf6 36.Nd5+ Kg7 37.Re7+ Kg6 38.Rxc7 b5 39.Nf4+ Kf5 40.Nxh5 Rxh4 41.Ng3+ Ke5 42.Rxa7 and White should hold on. Whew!
Now Black's game improves step-by-step.
31...Kf6 32.h4 Kxf5 33.Bg5 Nxg5 34.hxg5 Kxg5
35.Nf7+ Kg6 36.Nd8 b6 37.Ne6 c5 38.Rd1 Rg4+ 39.Kh2 c4
40.Rxd6 Kf7 41.Nc7 Rg5 42.Rc6 Rc5 43.Rh6 Kg7 44.Re6 Rxc7 45.Kg2 b5 46.Kf2 b4 47.Ke3 b3 48.Ra6 b2 49.Ra5 b1=Q 50.Rxh5 c3 51.Rg5+ Kh6 52.Rd5 c2 53.Rd6+ Kh7 54.Kd4 Qd1+ 55.Ke5 Qxd6+ 56.Kxd6 c1=Q 57.Kd5 Rd7+ 58.Ke6 Rd2 59.Ke5 Qe1+ 60.Kf4 Rf2+ 61.Kg3 Qg1+ 62.Kh3 Rh2 checkmate
Here are a couple more games from United Arab Emirates player SA3OD (mentioned in the previous post), playing online at the InstantChess.com website. White punishes errors quickly.
SA3OD - buckeyes435
rapid, InstantChess.com, 2016
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening.
4.d4
Although SA3OD plays the regular Jerome Gambit move order in his games, too - 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ - he often likes to insert d2-d4 before the sacrifice. In the case of the current game, his 4th move is good on its own merits; while the alternatives 4.0-0 and 4.Nc3 serve both to advance White's development and act as a waiting move to "allow" Black to play ...Bc5.
4...exd4 5.Nxd4 Bc5
Black's move is not the best, as it invites trouble. Perhaps, having played ...h6, he is feeling protected from danger. (On the InstantChess.com website the opening is referred to as the "Italian Game: Anti-Fried Liver Defense" because Black is apparently protecting against 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5?! 6.Nxf7!?)
6.Nxc6
White played the more accurate 6.Bxf7+ in SA3OD - gianluca, classic, InstantChess, 2016 (0-1, 62); SA3OD - yeah bite, rapid, InstantChess, 2016 (1/2-1/2, 75); and SA3OD - Joseph S. DiBernardo, rapid, InstantChess, 2016 (1-0, 30).
6...bxc6
Likely a reflex response, but 6...Qf6!? defended better, i.e. 7.O-O dxc6 (not 7...Qxc6 because of 8.Qh5!?) although White would still be for choice.
7. Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Qh5+ Black resigned
SA3OD - Ray777
blitz, InstantChess.com, 2016
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Na5
Black is going for the advantage of the "two Bishops", but, like in the Jerome Gambit, there is a sharp response to this offside Knight.
6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.e5 Ne8 8.Qf3+ Kg8 9.Qd5 checkmate
