Jerome Gambit: Too Hazardous

 

Dan Watson (see "Jerome Gambit: Startling Discovery" for one of his previous contributions) has found an early over-the-board Jerome Gambit.

I have translated notation from descriptive to algebraic, added diagrams, and contributed the occasional note in blue.

The Earth (Burlington Vt)  January 7, 1899, page 8  "Chess"  

The game between Barnett of Burlington and Gingras of Winoski resulted in a win for the latter, showing that the Jerome gambit is too hazardous when the opponent is a strong player, as Mr. Gingras is, and the loss of the bishop and knight at the outset, can not be compensated for by the advantages of position. Following is the game. 

Barnett - Gingras

Vermont, 1899

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

4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Nxe5 6. d4 

The usual continuation here is 6.Qh5+ and is probably better than 6.d4. 

6...Qh4 

Well played, leading to a strong defense.

The earliest example of this move is Sorensen - Anonymous, Denmark, 1888 (1-0, 27 ) - Rick

7. O-O d6 

Stockfish 11 criticizes this rare move (4 examples in The Database), preferring 7...Qxe4, but it is interesting to note that it was the computers' choice in Hiarcs 11 - Deep Shredder 11, 2008 (1-0, 87) and Wall - Stockfish level 6, lichess.org, 2017 (1-0, 47) as well as a strong human's choice in Kurtenkov - Carlos100S, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020 (1-0, 42). - Rick 

8.dxe5 Qxe4 9.Nd2 Qd5 10.exd6 Bxd6

11.c4 Qd3 12.Qh5+ Qg6 13.Qh4 

This was ill considered, and led to the exchange of queens, which White was anxious to avoid. 

13...Qh6 14.Nf3 Qxh4 15.Nxh4 Nf6 16.Be3 b6 17.Nf3 h6 

18.Rac1 c5 19. Rfe1 Bb7 20. Nh4 Rad8 21. h3 Ng8 

The beginning of a well devised and strong attack.

22.Rc3 Ne7 23. g3 Rhe8 24. Ra3 a5 25. Rb3 Bc7 26. Bxc5 

Well planned, but premature, not having well considered Black's next move, which was the closing tour of the Kt in his ferocious perigrinations.Mr. Gingras is, undoubtedly, one of the strongest players in the state, and this game demonstrates his superior ability. 

26...Nf5 27. Be3 Nd4 28. Rd3 Ne2+ 29. Kh2 Rxd3 30. Rxe2 Rd1 

Black has a Rook for a couple of pawns, and a deadly attack. Countering it with exchanges would allow Black to gather in more material, e.g. 31.Ng2 Ra1 32.b3 Rd8 33.Re1 Rxe1 34.Nxe1 Rd1 35.Ng1 Ra1 36.a4 Rb1- Rick

31.f3 Rd3 32.Ng2 Bxf3 White resigned