The Jerome Gambit Revisited (Part 1)

[This is another one of the articles from the "Unorthodox Openings Newsletter" (UON-18, May - August 2007), mentioned in an earlier blog post.]

The Jerome Gambit Revisited 

by Rick Kennedy 

I was going over the Jerome Gambit article in UON #17 and wanted to comment on some little ironies. Actually, a good while back I had started an article-sized response and, unfortunately, lost it! 

In the following computer versus computer game, play develops along "normal" Jerome Gambit lines: 

Colossus vs. Spike1.2 

Jerome-forced Computer Chess Match, USA, 2006 

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

6. … Ke6 is one of many defenses to the Jerome. It was originally suggested by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome himself, in the April 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal, in an article titled "New Chess Opening". 

7.f4

The early Jerome Gambit certainly had "coffee house" appeal. The first game I have with 7.f4, instead of Jerome's direct 7.Qf5+, was published in the May 1878 issue of the Italian publication, Nuova Rivista degli Scacchi. I include the moves of that game at the end of this article.

7...d6 

A reasonable move, prudently giving back some material.

8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Qh3+ 

This move was seen in the legendary human-computer match, M. Fisher-Kirshner vs Knight Stalker (otherwise known as Fritz1) Mission San Jose, Fremont, California 1993.

It must be "legendary" because, other than the Amateur versus Blackburne, London 1880 game, the 11 games of this match are the ones most people send to me. The human had the white pieces and played the Jerome Gambit in each game. The computer won 8-3. That's good or bad for the JG, depending on your perspective.

9...Kf7 10.Qh5+ Kf8 11.Qxe5

Interestingly enough, up to this point I have two 2003 computer vs computer games won by White -- Fritz5.32 - Shredder6.02 (1-0,59) and Junior7 - Shredder6.02 (1-0,37) -- but the opening was not the reason for the wins.

11...Bd6 12.0-0+ Nf6 13.Qg5

At this point, in the 1963 match, Knight Stalker three times played 13...Be6, which allows 14.e5 and the win of a piece, with an even game or a bit of an edge for White. (Fisher-Kirshner managed a win and a loss the two times he played 14.e5.) 

13...h6! 

Instead, in our modern game (featuring a much stronger program), we have a "TN" by Spike 1.2, improving on play by its predecessor! Now White will not have time to win the Knight on f6 and is simply lost. 

14.Qh4 g5 15.Qe1 Be5

Protecting the Knight at f6 and preventing d2-d4 (with the idea of e4-e5).

16.c3 c5 17.b4?!

Positional disaster. White's game falls apart from here.

17...c4 18.Qe2 Be6 19.Na3 Qd3!? 20.Qxd3 cxd3 21.Bb2 Kg7 22.Rae1 a5 23.bxa5 Rxa5 24.Kh1 Rha8 25.Rf3 Rxa3 26.Bxa3 Rxa3 27.Rxd3 Rxa2 28.g3 Kf8 29.Rd1 Bb3 30.Re1 b5 31.h3 Bc4 32.Rf3 Rxd2 33.Kg1 Ke7 34.g4 h5 35.Ra1 hxg4 36.hxg4 Nxg4 37.Ra7+ Kd6 38.Ra6+ Kc5 39.Ra1 b4 40.Rc1 bxc3 41.Rf5 Kb4 42.Rb1+ Ka3 43.Rf2 Rxf2 0-1 

[to be continued]