Why 2k?

Why, indeed?

Today jeromegambit.blogspot.com hits 2,000 posts.

That's a lot of focus on "Jerome's Double Gambit" and related subjects.

Many, many thanks for those who have contributed - and continue to contribute - games and analysis.

With my focus on completing All or Nothing! The Jerome Gambit, I still have plenty of time for the blog that started it all, and the chess friends who have kept me company along the way.

I have tried a new layout, simpler and more direct.

As the Grateful Dead have noted, in another context, of course, What a long, strange trip it's been!

WWAWJD?

Further questions continue to arise regarding the announcement (see "Jerome Gambit Book") of my plan to write a book on the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), tentatively titled All Or Nothing! The Jerome Gambit, and sub-titled Losing, Drawing, and Even Winning with the World's Most Notorious Chess Opening.

Primary among them is

Q. Will All Or Nothing! focus only on the Jerome Gambit, or will it be a repertoire book, guiding readers on how to meet defenses other than 1...e5, like, say, 1...c5 or 1...e6 or 1...c6?

At this point I suspect that someone is trying to pull the Readers' legs, but it is probably germane to point out that years ago Jyrki Heikkinen, the creative gambiteer host of the blog "Gambits and Pieces" mentioned that he had played a Sicilian Jerome Gambit (see "Sicilian Jerome").

Certainly a "Jerome Repertoire" would feature Bc4 and Bxf7+, as well as Qh5 for White, but that is well beyond the scope of All Or Nothing!  I have no Alonzo Wheeler Jerome games or analysis to support such speculation, by the way.

In any event, it would be unwise for me to commit to a second book while the first one is in its planning stages, but I welcome thoughts from readers on such a "Jerome Repertoire".

Jerome Gambit Book

After regular encouragement by Readers, and with the awareness that I will reach 1,950 blog posts before the end of this year, I have finally decided that it is time to commit myself to writing a book on the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).

With a head nod to the legendary Chiam Schmendrick, the book will be titled All Or Nothing! The Jerome Gambit, and sub-titled Losing, Drawing, and Even Winning with the World's Most Notorious Chess Opening.

Aimed at the amateur and club player, the book will include history of the opening, starting with the life and games of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome. It will have plenty of analysis, both ancient and modern. Of course, none of the many refutations will be neglected - although I will include suggestions on how to address them.

There will also be hundreds of games included, to illustrate the wild and wacky play that can develop from the opening, and to give insight into why Jerome invented his gambit, and why the line continues to be re-invented by other chess-loving souls.

Readers who have their own favorite Jerome Gambit games are encouraged to send them via email for inclusion, to richardfkennedy@hotmail.com.

Before This Blog Began...

Before I started this blog (see "Welcome") I had a series of Jerome Gambit-related posts at www.chesshistory.com (under the "Puzzles and Mysteries" section) from 11/24/01 to 9/6/04. A lot of topics were explored, and some paths crossed and re-crossed, as I was finding my way in the world of "Jerome's Double Gambit".

Probably the funniest episode was my mis-guided search for the imaginary book All or Nothing! The Jerome Gambit, by Chiam Schmendrick...

Trips to the White Collection in the Cleveland Public Library helped fill in the gaps of my knowledge, as did the contribution of many chessfriends world-wide. 

Following that "debut", I started to find my "voice" in the ChessPub Forum (www.chesspub.com), a discussion forum for ChessPublishing.com, from 1/19/05 to 12/29/07. What began as a series of posts by me, responding to others, quickly became a series of posts by me, responding to me -- and I was eventually dis-invited to continue.

[Although there was a bit of a fall-off from the previous months, the number of visitors to this blog in February 2014 was the best for a February since I began posting. Welcome, again - and many thanks for visiting! - Rick]