Jerome Gambit: Startling Discovery

Dan Watson continues to do research on the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and its inventor (see "Alonzo Wheeler Jerome Update"). He has recently shared some historical news stories, and an over-the-board game that I never seen before.

Most interesting, he has a correction to the year that a particular Jerome Gambit game was played - instead of about 25 years after Jerome's analysis in the Dubuque Chess Journal, it appeared about a decade before Alonzo Wheeler Jerome debuted his opening.

His source is The New York Clipper,  vol. 38 no. 27, Saturday September 13, 1890, which I quote, below, while adding diagrams. My notes are in blue - Rick.

Tonetti - Ruggieri

Rome, 1863

Up until I received this article, I had dated this game 1890. - Rick

The following dashing skirmish is historically interesting as a commentary on the propensity to multiply the nomenclature of the gambits. It was played at Rome in September 1863 - Nuova Riviste.

The Chess columnist in the Clipper is referring to Nuovoa rivista degli scacchi, Genn. - Febb. - Marzo, 1890, Anno XVI, p.34. - Rick

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

But we never heard that the brilliant Italian master ever demanded that it be dubbed the "Tonetti gambit;" in fact, we suppose that the variation has been known ever since there was a "Giuoco Piano".

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.d4 Bxd4

To this point the game may be found in Miller's Cook's Synopsis. White's 9.. [sic] seems a strong and important variation.

In 1884, J.W. Miller, of Cincinnati, published Cook's Synopsis of Chess Openings A Tabular Analysis by William Cook, With American Inventions in the Openings and Fresh Analysis since 1882 - Rick

9.Bg5 Nf6 10.c3 Bc5 11.b4 Bb6 12.O-O Re8 

13.Rd1+ Kc6 14.b5+ Kxb5 15.Na3+ Ka5 16.Nc4+ Kb5 17.Nxe5 d6

18.Rab1+ Ka6 19.Qf3 c6 20.Qd3+ Ka5 21.Nc4+ Ka6 22.Nxb6+ Ka5 23.c4 Black resigned

Dan also sent an English translation of Italian commentary on the game

This game played in Rome in September 1863 proves how the originate attack, of modern origin, put into vogue in 1874 by A. W. Jerome, an American player, practiced much earlier in the Roman academy. Unfortunately, Italians often leave the glory and the name of their discoveries to foreigners.

This game is the earliest Jerome Gambit that I have in The Database. I have focused my research on 1874 (the date of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's first published article on the gambit) and later. Clearly, I need to return to the Morphy era to search some more.

By the way, in 1877 Nuovoa rivista degli scacchi published a game by Alonzo Jerome playing his gambit, as well as Sorensen's analysis of the Jerome Gambit, and in both cases, did not mention the Tonetti - Ruggieri game. 

Any Reader who has more information on this game, Tonetti - Ruggieri, Rome, 1863, is encouraged to share.