Jerome - A/Z

It's always fun to find a new Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, especially one played by its originator, Alonozo Wheeler Jerome.

The other day I thought I had made a discovery, but it turned out that Jerome's game vs Mr. Z was already in my database, as a game vs Mr. A(mateur).

Jerome - Zimmerman, correspondence, 1880
St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat, April 18, 1880: We are indebted to Mr. A. W. Jerome for the subjoined game, played by letter with Mr. J. K. Zimmerman.

Pittsburgh Telegraph, February 2, 1881: The following game played betwen the author of the "Jerome Gambit" and another amateur.

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

Pittsburgh Telegraph: This move constitutes the gambit, and although unsound, as shown by Mr. Charles's analysis in this column, yet leads to some interesting and critical positions.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 d6

This is a line popular with computers, and is the refutation International Master Gary Lane suggests in his The Greatest Ever Chess Tricks and Traps.

It figured in six of Jerome's games against S. A. Charles in their unfinished 1881 correspondence match.

It was first seen in D'Aumiller - A.P., 1878

8.f5+

Rejecting the offer of a piece. 8...Qh3+ was seen in one of the Jerome - Charles, correspondence 1881 games.
8...Ke7
The alternative 8...Kd7 was seen in one of the Jerome - Charles games.

9.Nc3 Nf6 10.Qh4 c6 11.d3 Qe8 12.Bg5 b5
St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat: Black could now get his King into safe quarters by going to Q2, QB2, etc., but as Mr. Jerome justly remarks "While playing part of this game Mr. Zimmerman was chasing Utes and trying to keep warm with the mercury at 20 degrees below zero on the 'tented field' in Colorado; some allowances must therefore be made for failure to make the best moves." - Turf
13.0-0-0 h5
This move is hard to fathom. Either here or on the next move ...b4 seems best.

14.d4 Bxd4 15.Rxd4 c5 16.Bxf6+ gxf6 17.Nd5+
White is developing a bit of initiative, which Black should blunt with either 17...Nf7 or 17...Qf7, when it is unclear how White can reach an advantage.
17...Kf7 18.Qxf6+ Kg8 19.Ne7+ Kh7 20.Rxd6 Ng4 21.Qg5 Black resigns