Before I began this blog, much of my investigation into the Jerome Gambit appeared online in the "Puzzles and Mysteries" section of Edward Winter's The Chess History Information and Research Center. Although it highlighted my mis-steps almost as often as my true discoveries, it provided valuable exposure to my quest, and put me in touch with a number of helpful sources, for which I remain expecially thankful to Mr. Winter.
With the help of the online Wayback Machine, I was able to bring much of this information forward. It adds to my earlier series of posts containing my longer Jerome Gambit article.
I don't know whether you are just looking for the origins of this gambit, but here's some more modern information.
It is mentioned in a footnote as being "unsound" in Gerald Abrahams' book The Chess Mind, originally published in 1951. I can't find my copy, or I'd be more specific.
It is still played occasionally in serious chess - if not at a very high level! I won a game with 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. Bxf7 ch Kxf7 5. Nxe5 Nxe5 6. Qh5ch Ng6 7. Qxc5 d6 8. Qc3 etc This was played in the Birmingham (England) League Division 4 on 5th September 2000.
Peter Banks, 21.05.03
Abrahams' The Chess Mind refers to the line 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ as the once popular Jerome Gambit.
I have never seen that line before, having come to the Jerome as a variant of the Giuoco Piano - 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+. I wonder if others are familiar with it?
It is not mentioned in Gary Lane's Winning with the Bishop's Opening (1993), and although Tim Harding mentions some main lines in his remarkable Bishop's Opening (1973), as well as "other rare of absurd moves," he does not touch on 3.Bxf7+.
Rick Kennedy, 04.06.03
Elliott Fletcher, in his enjoyable Gambits Accepted (1954), covers the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and follows in Abraham's (The Chess Mind, 1951) footsteps when he writes "Some authors have called the opening with the moves 1.P-K4, P-K4; 2.B-B4, B-B4; 3.BxPch, by the name Jerome."
Other than Abrahams - who may simply have been a victim of a typesetting error (see earlier entry) - has anyone else beside Fletcher mentioned this line in the Bishop's Opening, or attributed it to Jerome?
Rick Kennedy, 02.10.03
Probably the best-known example of the Jerome Gambit is Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1880
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.0-0 Nf6 10.c3 Ng4 11.h3 Bxf2+ 12.Kh1 Bf5 13.Qxa8 Qxh3+ 14.gxh3 Bxe4# 0-1. This is how the game appeared in Mr. Blackburne's Games at Chess(1899). To the best of my knowledge, the game was not published earlier than that.
The first player in the game has also sometimes been referred to as "NN" or "Anonymous" or "Stranger." Occasionally (e.g. www.superajedrez.com; or, with the wrong year, at www.chesslab.com ) the player has been given as "Millner," although I have not been able to find out why. At least once the player was erroneously referred to as "Jerome" - by Eric Schiller, Unorthodox Chess Openings (1988, 2002) .
Poring through some chess databases, I recently found that same game has been attributed to Halpern,J - Von Scheve,T, England, 1880.
In addition, a very similar game, varying only at White's move 10, was Amateur - Neumann Guestav R L, London ENG, 1880:
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.0-0 Nf6 10.b3 Ng4 11.h3 Bxf2+ 12.Kh1 Bf5 13.Qxa8 Qxh3+ 14.gxh3
Bxe4# 0-1
This raises a few questions (apart from the accuracy of computer databases, of course):
Did Blackburne's game pre-date Halpern - Von Scheve and Amateur - Neumann?
If not, whose game came first?
If so, were the latter games similar by coincidence, by imitation of Blackburne (and, if so, how did Von Scheve and Neumann come to know the line?), or by a common (with Blackburne) previous source?
Any information readers might have on "Halpern,J Von Scheve,T, England, 1880" and "Amateur - Neumann Gustav R L, London ENG, 1880" would be enlightening and greatly appreciated!
Rick Kennedy, 02.03.04
I've always trusted The Black Death's memory when he reported in Mr. Blackburne's Games At Chess (1899) that the Amateur - Blackburne game which crushed the Jerome Gambit occurred "about 1880."
Recently, though, I found the game reported in the August 15, 1885 issue of the Brooklyn Chess Chronicle, with the note "played some months ago in London."
Well, you play thousands of games in your life - match, tournament, casual, blindfold, simultaneous - and you're allowed to mis-remember a few!
Rick Kennedy, 30.04.04
As you can see, some Jerome Gambit mysteries remain!
