The Jerome - Norton Games (Part 1)

Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's analysis of his gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) was first published in the April 1874 Dubuque Chess Journal.

Jerome tested lines of play in both over-the-board and correspondence games. He played at least four games with D. P. Norton of DesMoines, Iowa.

The first published Jerome - Norton game appeared in the June 15, 1876 issue of the American Chess Journal (notes from the ACJ):

Jerome,A - Norton,D.P.
1876

Played recently by correspondence.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qxh8

Played experimentally; and analysis will probably show the capture to be unsound.

8...Qxe4+ 9.Kf1

Best. If 9.Kd1 Qxg2 10.Qxh7+ Kf8 11.c3 d5 12.Re1 Qf3+ 13.Kc2 and Black can force mate shortly.

9...Nf6 10.d3 Qf5

The defence was playing for the capture of White's Queen.

Black has a won game as follows: 10...Qd4 11.Be3 Qxb2 12.Bxc5 d6 13.Bxd6 Best 13...cxd6 14.Qd8 Best 14...Qxa1 15.Qc7+ Best and Black wins.

11.f3 Bf8

Necessary in order to hold the Queen in limbo and prevent Bh6

12.Nc3! d5

Forced in order to prevent Ne4

13.h4

The best move. If 13.Bh6 Bxh6 14.Qd8 Qxf3+ 15.gxf3 Bh3+ &; and Black has a slight advantage.

13...Qd7 14.h5 Bg7 15.hxg6+ Kxg6

Overlooking one of Black's resources on his 18th move, viz 15...Ke6 Best 16.Rxh7 Bxh8 17.Rxd7 Bxd7 and Black has a piece, will capture the doubled pawn and Knight to win.

16.Rh6+ Bxh6 17.Bxh6 b6 18.Ne2!

Sound and beautiful. Anticipating 18.Qf8 Bb7. Q goes, Kxh6 with a winning position.

18...Qf7

Forced. 18...Bb7 now would lose the game

19.Qf8 Qxf8 20.Bxf8

and the result was a draw

It is possible that this game – showing the difficult result of capturing Black's Rook (8.Qxh8) in what would be called Whistler's Defense, based on the Jerome - Whistler correspondence match – is one reason that Jerome apparently preferred 6.d4 to 6.Qh5+ in his early play of the gambit.