A Conspiracy of Silence?

Yesterday's post ("Travelling a Dangerous Path") showed a line in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) that was challenging enough to give even one of the premier players of the Jerome – Pete Banks ("blackburne") – enough to keep him on his toes.

It can be hard playing against a line recommended by either International Master Gary Lane – The Greatestest Ever Chess Tricks and Traps (2008) – or FIDE Master Eric Schiller – Unorthox Chess Openings (1998, 2002), Gambit Chess Openings (2002), and Survive and Beat Annoying Chess Openings (with John Watson, 2003): 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke3 7.f4 and either 7...d6 (Lane) or 7...Qf6 (Schiller).

But what about the alternative 7th move, 7.Qf5+ ? It turns out that blackburne has played that move, too, for example: 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Bd4 9.fxe5+ Bxe5 10.d4 Qh4+ 11.Kd1 Nh6 12.Qxe5+ Kc6 13.Qc5 checkmate, blackburne - Temmo, Chessworld, 2008.

Hope you didn't blink: that was a fast win, there.

I have to admit that although more than half of my losses with the Jerome Gambit have come after playing 7.Qf5+, I have a few wins with it, as well. Over a dozen.

So, what do our friends IM Lane and FM Schiller have to say about that alternative to 7.f4, 7.Qf5+ ?

Nothing.

That's right: nothing.

It's almost as if the two, each of whom enjoys writing about and playing offbeat openings, are announcing the death of the Jerome Gambit (for the umpteenth time) to the chess world at large when it comes to 7.f4 – and then giving a wink and a nod to the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde when it comes to 7.Qf5+.

Editorial oversight, or Conspiracy of Silence?

You decide.