Wednesday, May 13, 2009

A Jerome Discovery (Part 2)


As compared to its Composite Game, The Literary Digest's Consulation Game with its readers – see "A Jerome Discovery (Part 1)" – a test of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) got off to a slow start.

A couple weeks after its introduction, on June 23, 1900, the following notice appeared in the chess column.
The Consultation Game

We are sorry that so far only nine persons have shown an interest in this game, by sending Black's 7th move; and five of them, so it seems to us, did not make the best move for black. The strength or weakness of the Jerome Gambit depends on black's 7th move; but a weak move here does not prove anything. the benefit of a Consultation Game is the opportunity it gives for analysis of some opening, thus showing the best continuations. It is, in a certain sense, a problem for the time being. We shall give Black's 7th move in our next issue. We think it best not to give the move sent by the majority, but, after giving the several moves sent, select as the move the one which, in our opinion, is the best.

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