Les échecs modernes; histoire, théorie complète

My thanks to Edward Winter, of Chess Notes, for sending me a copy of the Jerome Gambit analysis from Henri Delaire's Les échecs modernes; histoire, théorie complète, 1914


"Jerome Gambit"

Imagined in 1871 by an American player, A.-W. Jerome, of Paxton, this gambit can surprise by the brusqueness of its attack; but an attentive defense is rightly without great difficulties. Also it is seldom tried.

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

The essential blow

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5

5...Kf8! this second defense is also good and less dangerous 6.Nxc6 dxc6 7.0-0 Nf6 8.Qf3 (8.d4 Bg4 9.Qe1 Qxd4 etc) 8...Qd4 9.d3 Bg4 10.Qg3 Bd6 11.Bf4 g5 12.Bxd6+ cxd6 13.h3 Be6 14.Qxg5 Rg8 better 

6.Qh5+

6.d4 is less agressive 6...Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 (7...Qf6 8.Qd1 d6 9.0-0 g6 10.f4 Nc6 better) 8.0-0 Nf6 9.f4 Nc6 (9...c5 10.Qc3 Neg4 11.Nd2 b5 12.h3 h5! etc) 10.Qd3 Re8 11.Nc3 Be6 better]

6...Ke6

6...Kf8! 7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qf4+ Ke8 9.Nc3 d6 10.Qg3 Qf7 better; 6...Ng6? undergoing an awkward attack 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qc3 Nf6 10.d3 c6 11.0-0 Kd7 12.f4 Qb6+ 13.Kh1 Kc7 14.Qe1 Re8 even;
6...g6? a vain attempt to block the white Queen 7.Qxe5 d6! 8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.0-0 Nf6 10.Qd8 Bb6 11.e5 dxe5 12.Qd3 better

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.d4

8.f4 does not lead to a better offensive result 8...Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qf3 Nf6 11.d3 Kc6 12.Nc3 d6 better

8...Bxd4 9.Na3 c6

9...Ne7? incorrect defense 10.Qh3 Qf8 11.Nb5+ Kc5 12.Nxd4 Kxd4 13.Bg5 better;
9...Qf6? worse 10.Nb5+ Kc5 11.Nxd4 Qxf5 12.Nxf5 g6 13.Be3+ Kc6 14.Nd4+ Kd6 15.0-0-0 Ke7 16.Nb5 and wins

10.c3 Qf6 11.cxd4 Qxf5 12.exf5 Nf7 13.Bf4+ Ke7

Black, free from danger, has the advantage of a piece for a pawn.