Jerome Gambit: A Bit Dizzy

 

I sometimes start my day with an internet search (Google, Bing, Yandex, Dogpile) for the term "Jerome Gambit".

Today's search led to an adventure that left me a bit dizzy.

First off, let me say that years ago, I used to review chess books for the (now defunct) website Chessville. (See "From My Psychology Career to This Blog & Wiki's Attention") I favored books from small presses or those that were self-published, because they often were the product of a lot of hard work, and a love for the topic covered.

That said, early this morning I stumbled across the following from an online article on the Jerome Gambit, that it

involves sacrificing a pawn in the early stages of the game to gain a positional advantage

Okay, that looks like a case of mistaken identity. The Jerome Gambit involves sacrificing one or two pieces. Maybe the writer was thinking of the Evans Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4)?

Continuing

It was named after the American master and chess writer Jerome Gambit 

The Jerome Gambit was named after Alonzo Wheeler Jerome (see my posts "The Life of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome" and "The Man, the Myth, the Legend..."), who enjoyed chess as much as the next person (although his work often got in the way - e.g. a comment by S. A. Charles in the October, 1881 issue of Brentano's Chess Monthly: "Unfortunately Mr. Jerome's business engagements have prevented him from playing out the full number of games originally started...") but who was hardly considered a "master".

Jerome wrote the booklet "The Great Debate (Parts I, II, III, IV & V)" while serving as a guide at the statehouse in Springfield, Illinois. He wrote letters to editors of publications like the American Chess Journal and the Dubuque Chess Journal, but I think it is a stretch to consider him a "chess writer."

Still, it is quite true that 

By willingly sacrificing material, players utilizing the Jerome Gambit aim to disrupt their opponent’s plans

Also,

Over time, the Jerome Gambit garnered attention from chess enthusiasts worldwide 

This last point is illustrated by the American Chess Journal of September & October 1877 

We are plaesed to note that the daring and brilliant debut invented by our friend Jerome, of Paxton, Ill, is receiving recognition abroad, both among players ande analysts. Sr. Vazques, the Mexican Champion, plays it with fine success when yielding the odds of a Knight ,while Mr. Charlick, a strong Australian player, has been giving us some fine specimines of his chess skill in the new opening; some time since the Italian Chess Magazine published a game at this opening with favorable commenst on the "new departure" and in the May number of the Nordisk Skaktidende, S.A. Sorensen gives us a sparkling analysis of the "Americanism", a translation of which we herewith present. The MSS was submitted to Mr. Jerome, who expresses himself highly pleased with the thoroughness and ability with which our Danish contemporary has presented the subject. Here we may state that the Chess Players Chronicle for June gives a translation of the analysis of the Danish magazine.

And, yet, today's article said

One common line starts with 1.e4 e5, 2.Bc4 Bc5, and 3.b4, offering the pawn sacrifice.

 Well, the Jerome Gambit is 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+.

Instead, 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.b4 has been called the Bishop's opening, wing gambit; the Bishop's opening, McDonnell's gambit; and the La Bourdonnais-Denker Gambit.

Still, it is only fair to give the article's author the last word

As with any chess opening, the Jerome Gambit has its own set of pros and cons. On the positive side, it can catch opponents off guard, disturb their usual plans, and create imbalances that can lead to tactical opportunities. However, the Jerome Gambit can also be risky, as it involves sacrificing a pawn and potentially exposing weaknesses in your own position. It requires a deep understanding of positional play and tactical awareness to fully utilize its potential.

I actually discussed the OCF website last year, specifically its post: "EXPLORING THE JEROME GAMBIT: A RISKY BUT FUN OPENING". See "Jerome Gambit: Wandering the Internet". There are around 300 topics covered at the OCF Chess & Board Games site, mostly concerning chess, and certainly all are educational and entertaining.

I recommend that you take a look.