"How to Refute the Jerome Gambit in 21 Moves"

 

I was glad to encounter the video "How to Refute* the Jerome Gambit in 21 Moves" by RequiemChess, whose YouTube page refers to "Chess as Art - Moves, Music, Brilliance".

The video presents the game Alonzo Wheeler Jerome - William Shinkman, Iowa, 1874, as reported in the Dubuque Chess Journal of July, 1874, almost the earliest published Jerome Gambit game  - preceeded by Tonetti - Ruggieri, Rome, 1863 (1-0, 23).

(Giovanni Tonetti is a subject in himself: see "Jerome Gambit: Giovanni Tonetti", "How Strong A Player Was Giovanni Tonetti?", "Who is the 1st inventor of JG in chess – A.Jerome or G.Tonetti?    The new approach (Part 1)" and "JG: The New in Its Opening Theory, in Its Psychology (Part 12)" - but I digress...)

Shinkman was an interesting and appropriate opponent for Jerome (see "William A. Shinkman [Parts I & II]") and the game, above, when published, ended with the note

and Mr. Shinkman announced loss of the Queen or mate in six moves.

Here is the game 

Jerome, Alonzo W - Shinkman, William A

Iowa, 1874

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qf3 Nf6 11.d3 Ke7

A thoughtful retreat. As I mentioned in "(Un)Seen Before (sort of)"

Over the years Jerome faced 11...Ke7 (Amateur, Brownson, Kinnieu, Pane and Shinkman) 

To which I can add, Jerome scored 3 - 1 in those games, with one outcome (Kinnieu) unknown. 

12.Nc3 g5 13.Rf1 c6 14.g3 d5 15.Bd2 Bg4 16.Qg2 Rhf8 17.h3 Nxe4 18.Bf4 gxf4 19.gxf4 Rxf4 20.Nxe4 Rxf1+ 21.Kxf1 0-1

With RequiemChess' video, I should probably, finally, give the end of the game - if it had continued.

The video adds the move 21...Rf8+, not in the original game, and Black now can win White's Queen and checkmate by either

22.Ke1 Bf2+ 23.Qxf2 Rxf2 24.Kxf2 Qf4+ 25.Kg1 Qe3+ 26.Nf2 Be2 27.Re1 Qg3+ 28.Kh1 Qxf2 29.Rxe2+ Qxe2 30.c3 Ke6 31.c4 Ke5 32.b3 Kf4 33.d4 Kf3 34.a3 Qg2 checkmate

or, a move later, with

22.Ke1 Qxb2 23.Qxg4 Qxa1+ 24.Ke2 dxe4 25.Qg5+ Kd6 26.Qg3+ Qe5 27.Qxe5+ Kxe5 28.dxe4 Kxe4 29.Kd2 Bd4 30.a4 Rf2+ 31.Kc1 Bc3 32.Kb1 Kd4 33.Ka2 Kc4 34.a5 Rf1 35.h4 Ra1 checkmate

Not quite six moves.

On the other hand, Black could try 21...Qf4+, when 22.Nf2 (22.Qf2 Bxf2 23.hxg4 dxe4 24.Ke2 Qe3+ 25.Kf1 Bg1 26.Kg2 Qf2+ 27.Kh3 Qh2# might have been more of what Mr. Shinkman was thinking) Bxh3 23.Re1+ Kf7 24.d4 Bxg2+ 25.Kxg2 Rg8+ 26.Kf1 Bxd4 27.Ke2 Qh2 28.Rf1 Rg1 29.Kd3 Rxf1 30.Kxd4 Qxf2+ 31.Kc3 Qe3+ 32.Kb4 Rf4+ 33.c4 Rxc4+ 34.Ka5 Qc5 checkmate finishes

Such complications! It all reminds me of the opinions in "Were they talking about the Jerome Gambit or...?"

*-Recall "But – Is this stuff  playable?? (Part I)" for a very early, skeptical, assessment, 18 years ago.