Jerome Gambit: Blackburne Defense, Suspended

I was playing through some games from the recently completed "Jerome Gambit Classic #1" tournament at Chess.com, when I spied a 10-move game in a critical line in the Blackburne defense...

LuffyChess64 - wolfwerner

Jerome Gambit Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6 

This is how Joseph Henry Blackburne sacrificed a Rook, in the most notorious and best-known Jerome Gambit game, Mr. M - Blackburne, London, 1884 (0-1, 14). 

I suspect that that game is about all most chess players know about the Jerome Gambit, which can add to the surprise when they first face it.

8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.O-O Nf6 10.Qd8 

By the way, although the Blackburne game is sometimes given as an example of how to crush a faulty attack, as far back as the August 15, 1885 issue of the Brooklyn Chess Chronicle, J.B. and E.M. Munoz suggested this move as good for White, although later analysis by Chandler and Dimitrov suggested that a draw would be the likely outcome.

The Database has 61 games with 10.Qd8, with White scoring 60%.

Interestingly enough, the lichess.org site has 241 games with 10.Qd8, with White scoring 62%.

10...Qxe4 11.Qxc7+ Bd7 12.d3 Qd5 13.Nc3 Qf5 

At this point, Stockfish 16.1 (32 ply) sees White as almost a Rook ahead in evaluation.

So, it is unfortunate that here White resigned.

A quick look at the Chess.com website shows that White withdrew from the tournament. At the time he had scored an impressive 41-13-0, which suggests that he might simply have wanted to turn his attention to other games that he was playing in other tournaments.

Our loss.