Preston Guardian

Here is the first of three Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games, printed in the Preston Guardian, provided by Tim Harding, from the deep resources of his correspondence chess databases.

The notes are by Harding, and from the Preston Guardian.

Lowe, EB - Parker, J (Grimsby)
Preston Guardian tournament, 1879

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

Invented by A. W. Jerome of Paxton, Illinois

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8

Parker: My opponent remarked that this was not the best or recognised defence. It may be he was right, but it seems to me to give White less chance of attack than 5... Nxe5

[Readers may want to compare with the "Norton -  Hallock Game," Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4 - RK]

6.Nxc6 dxc6 7.O-O Nf6 8.e5

8...Bg4

9.Qe1 Qd4 10.c3

Referring to this game when printing the later friendly, the Preston Guardian says this was a mistake White did not recover from. Lowe maintained that Parker didn't play the best defence to White's 8th so they played the new game for a 5 shilling book stake.

10...Qd3

11.b4 Bb6 12.a4 a6

13.a5 Ba7 14.Bb2 Ne4

15.Qc1 Be2 16.Ra4 Bxf1 17.b5

17...Bxf2+ 18. Kh1 Qe2 19. Ba3+ Kg8

The paper just says 'K moves', not naming the square, so this may not be right.

20.Rxe4 Bxg2+ 21. Kxg2 Be3+ 22. Kg3 Qf2+ 23. Kg4 h5+ 24. Kh3 Qf3+ 25. Kh4 g5 checkmate