One of my favorite chess writers is GM Andy Soltis. With over 100 books to his name, and almost 50 years as a chess columnist for the New York Post, he continues to write the longest-running column in the United States Chess Federation's magazine, Chess Life. "Chess to Enjoy" reflects Soltis' ongoing appreciation of both the weird and the wonderful in the Royal Game.
So, it is not surprising to run across "GM Follies", his August, 1997 Chess Life column. After acknowledging that Chess Informant had 57 symbols used in its annotations, he noted
Among them is "N" for "Novelty" - formerly known as "TN" for "Theoretical Novelty" - to designate some new and wonderful addition to opening theory.
However, GM Soltis has a caution, and a suggestion
Of course, not every good move is new - and not every new move is good. In fact, the last few years have seen a remarkable plague of HIs - Horrible Innovations...
After giving a couple of modern HIs, by a National Master and by a Grandmaster, he added
Those innovations are not likely to be repeated. But some really bad, yet not immediately refutable, novelties were tried more than once - and became famous enough to be recognized with their own name...
Why was I not surprised to read
THE JEROME GAMBIT
1. P-K4 P-K4 2. N-KB3 N-QB3 3. B-B4 B-B4 4. BxPch?? KxB 5. NxPch NxN 6. P-Q4 which gets it[sic] name because someone named Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, of Paxton, Illinois, recommended it in the American Chess Journal in 1876. Its only discernable value is showing how to sack two pieces as quickly as possible.
The reference to the American Chess Journal of 1876 is worth noting. As we have seen in earlier posts, Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's first recommendation of his gambit came in the Dubuque Chess Journal, April 1874, Vol. VI, No. 50, p. 358-9.
In pointing out that earlier recommendation by AWJ, I mean no disrespect to GM Soltis; he appears to have relied on The Oxford Companion to Chess (1984, 1992) by Kenneth Whyld and David Hooper as his source - and there were several Jerome Gambit references in the 1876 American Chess Journal. (Add to that a curious series of naming and re-naming of chess magazines reference...)
I recently heard from the great, great, great, great grandson of Dennis Platt Norton, a chess player who, along with his son, Frank C. Norton, played an early part in the development of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).
While I pursue the possibility of further historical discoveries, I thought I would point out earlier coverage of the Nortons on this blog:
"A sparkling variation to the tiresome Piano game"
"Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter II"
"Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter III"
"Critical Line: 5...Kf8 (1)"
"The Life of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome"
"The Jerome - Norton Games (Parts 1, 2, 3 & 4)"
"The Norton - Hallock Game (Parts 1, 2, 3 & 4)"
"Vortex"
While I am still a bit surprised that I overlooked posting one Jerome Gambit loss from my ongoing Chess.com tournament (see the previous "Jerome Gambit: Very Serious Business") the fact that I also did not share the following game is less of a mystery: I got outplayed in a line that I really don't have a fix for. If an opponent in the tournament wanted to look up the game, that was one thing; but I was not ready to share my gloom and doom (and ideas) on this blog, as a "suggestion" of what to play. (As I have written before, I share a whole lot, but not everything here.)
perrypawnpusher - Altotemmi
Giuoco Piano Thematic Tournament
Chess.com, 2016
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6. Qh5+Ke6
7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qxe5+
I have scored 11 -1 with the alternative 10.Qf3. Alonzo Wheeler Jerome was 3 - 2 with one incomplete game.
10...Kxe5
11.b4 Bd4
11...Bb6 was seen in perrypawnpusher - djdave28, Chess.com Italian Game Tournament, 2014 (1-0, 22).
12.c3 Bb6 13.d4+ Ke6
Prudent. The risks of 13...Kxe4 were shown in perrypawnpusher - djdave28, Italian Game tourney, Chess.com, 2015 (1-0, 32).
White will have to work hard to make something of his position, or he will find himself missing the power of his Queen.
As the game went, I was outplayed by my opponent.
14.O-O Nf6 15.Nd2 d6 16.Bb2 Bd7 17.Rae1 Be8
18.e5 dxe5 19.Rxe5+ Kd7 20.Rfe1 Rd8 21.Nc4 Bg6 22.Nxb6+ axb6 23.Re7+ Kc8 24.Rxg7 Rd7 25.Ree7 Rxe7 26.Rxe7 Re8 27.Rxe8+ Nxe8
White has two pawns for his sacrificed piece, and perhaps that might be enough to split the point against a weaker opponent, or in a blitz game; but not in this game.
28.Kf2 Kd7 29.Ke3 Ke6 30.c4 Nd6 31.d5+ Kd7 32.Kd4 Nf5+ 33.Ke5 Ne3 34.Kd4 Nxg2
35.c5
Instead, Stockfish 7 after the game recommended 35.Bc1 Bb1 36.a4 Nh4 37.c5 Nf5+ 38.Ke5 bxc5 39.bxc5 Ne7 40.Bg5 Ba2 41.Bxe7 Kxe7 42.a5 Bc4 43.Kd4 Bf1 44.Ke5 Kd7 45.Kd4 Be2 46.Ke3 Bc4 47.Kd4 Bf1 48.Ke5 Ba6 49.Kd4 Ke7 50.Ke5 Be2 and although Black still has the advantage, it does not look like either player is making any progress.
35...b5 36.Bc1 Nh4 37.Bf4 Nf5+ 38.Ke5 Ne7 39.a3 Bf7
40.d6
After the game Stockfish 7 took issue with this, suggesting a line that is not quite so much better for Black: 40.c6+ bxc6 41.dxc6+ Kxc6 42.Ke4 Bg6+ 43.Ke5 Nc8 44.Kd4 Nd6 45.Bg5 Bb1 46.Bd8 Ne4 47.Ke3 Kd7 48.Bh4 Nd6 49.Kd2 Kc6 50.Bd8 Nf7 51.Bh4 Bg6 52.Kc3 Kd5 53.Kb3 Nd6 54.Kc3 Bf7 55.Bd8 c6
40...cxd6+ 41.cxd6 Nd5 42.Bd2 Nb6 43.Bc1 Nc4+ 44.Ke4 Kxd6 45.Kd4 Kc6 46.Ke4 Bg6+ 47.Kd4 Nd6 48.Bf4 Nc4 49.Bc1 h5 50.h4 b6 51.Kc3 Kd5 White resigned
Whew! I am reminded of the silly phrase "trampled to death by a herd of turtles." Nice work by my opponent!
Wandering the internet the other day, I came across a document purported to be a "personal war sketch" of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, inventor of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). Some of the dates vary from earlier information I have uncovered, and I have added, below, some further information on Jerome's apparent activity with the 26th Infantry, United States Colored Troops.
Headquarters
Paxton Post No. 387
Department of Illinois
Grand Army of the Republic
Personal War Sketch
of
Comrade Alonzo Wheeler Jerome
Who was born on the eighth day of March, A.D. 1834 in Four Mile Point, County of Greene, State of New York was drafted or conscripted into the service at Jamaica Long Island Nov 16th 1863 and was made Quarter Master Sargeant of the 26th U.S. Colored Troops Feb. 16th 1864 and upon the recommendation of the Quarter Master was promoted by Special order of the War Department in July 1865 to 2nd Lieutenant in the same regiment, serving in this capacity until discharged.
It was Comrade Jerome's fortune to spend a great proportion of his time of service in doing Post and Garrison duty along the Atlantic Seaboard and discipline became a feature of military life with him rather than long marches and exciting campaigns. He took part in an expedition against the rebel defenses of Charleston S.C. during July 1864 from Beaufort S. C. Aside from this monotony was characteristic of service in garrison duty.After being commissioned he served on the staff of Cols Howard and Beed who at different times commanded the Post at Beaufort S.C. where the 26 U.S.C.T. were during guard duty...
He died March 22, 1902 in Springfield, IL and was buried in Glen Cemetary, Paxton, IL.
It is interesting to note the action, according to another source, listed for the 26th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry - it appears to have more than "monotony". (Information was gathered from the online site http://www.bjmjr.com/cwnorth/26usci.htm, which no longer is active.)
SERVICE -Reported at Beaufort, S.C., April 13, 1864 and post duty there till November 27. Expedition to Johns and James Islands July 2-10. Operations against Battery Pringle July 4-9. Actions on Johns Island July 5 and 7. Burden's Causeway July 9. Battle of Honey Hill November 30. Demonstration on Charleston & Savannah Railroad December 6-9. Action at Devaux's Neck December 6. Tillifinny Station December 9. McKay's Point December 22. Ordered to Beaufort, S. C. January 2, 1865, and duty there till August. Mustered Out August 26, 1865.
Alonzo Wheeler Jerome was not only the inventor of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), he was an ex-Civil War soldier ("Organized at Riker's Island, NYC on February 27th 1864, the 26thRegiment [U.S.C.T.] served three years in the Department of the East to March, 1864 and in Port Royal, SC in the District of Beaufort, Department of the South, until April, 1865. The 26th was honorably discharged and mustered out, under Colonel William B. Guernsey on August 28th, 1865." ) and a hard-working hemp farmer, holding several patents related and unrelated to his work.
He also wrote The Great Debate, subtitled A Platform Scene in the Seven Joint Discussions between Lincoln and Douglas. One of the Relief Pictures in the Dome of the State Capitol at Springfield, Illinois, (1899).
This work has been mentioned previously on this blog (see "The Great Debate" Parts I, II, III, IV, and Conclusion) and is currently available online in digital form in several download options for history buffs: Abby gz, Daisy, Epub, full text, Kindle and PDF.
The latest issue (#33) of Gary K. Gifford's ever-interesting and always-enlightening "Unorthodox Openings Newsletter" (in pdf format; see "UON", among others) is now available.
Among many topics, "UON #33" contains material from the "Dany Sénéchaud" post to this blog - an interesting game by the French chessplayer (and openings explorer) with notes, and speculation about possible early influences on Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's creation of the Jerome Gambit.
Well worth checking out.
Playing the Jerome Gambit is a lot like giving your opponent a weapon - and then stepping in and bopping him on the nose before he figures out how to use it. If you are fast or skilled (or lucky) enough, you can walk away with a win.
IagainstI - kingphilippineda
blitz, FICS, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7
This is Whistler's Defense, as opposed to the much better known 7...d6, Blackburne's Defense. The offered Rook is poison.
8.Qxh8
When Alonzo Wheeler Jerome played this move against D.P. Norton in a correspondence game in 1876, the American Chess Journal, June 15th, noted that it was "[P]layed experimentally; and analysis will probably show the capture to be unsound." White was fortunate to draw the game, however.
8...Qxe4+
Black immediately lost his way with 8...Qf6 9.Qxh7+ Kf8 10.O-O Black resigned, Wall,B - Sepoli, Chess.com, 2010. Bop!
9.Kf1
Even worse is 9.Kd1 although you couldn't tell by the result of Wall,B - Mathieubuntu, FICS, standard 40 0, 2011 (1/2 - 1/2, 14). Bop!
A more representative 9.Kd1 game is blackburne - perrypawnpusher, JG3 thematic, ChessWorld.net, 2008 (1-0, 17). The earliest example, equally educational, is Jerome,A - Whistler,G, correspondence, 1876 (0-1, 15).
9...Qc4+
9...Nf6 was the start of White getting off the hook in Jerome,A - Norton,D, correspondence, 1876 (1/2, 1/2, 20). Bop!
Likewise, the text gives White a breather, and that is all that he needs to reverse his fortunes.
Instead, Black needed to continue to both attack and defend with 9...Qh4.
10.d3
The only move.
10...Qxc2 11.Qxh7+
Now White's Queen is more dangerous, and Black's King is more at risk.
11...Kf8 12.Bh6+ Nxh6 13.Qxh6+ Kf7 14.Qf4+
Or 14.Qd2 Qa4 15.Nc3 d6 16.Nxa4 Black resigned, in Abijud - Jeru, blitz, FICS, 2005. Bop!
14...Ke8 15.Nd2 Qxd3+ 16.Kg1 Bd6 17.Re1+ Kd8
Black resigned
Mate will arrive in a couple of moves.
Even against the better defense 17...Be7, Black's unsafe King would guarantee more suffering, e.g. 18.Qf6 Qd6 19.Qh8+ Kf7 20.Nc4 when the entry of White's Knight will either cost Black his Queen, or lead to checkmate. Bop!
I noticed that the "Improving Chess Player" blog, in its not-too-long-ago "Feeling Ornery - Play the Traxler" presented the game Reinisch v. Traxler (1890) - 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5 5.Nxf7 Bxf2+ 6.Ke2 Nd4+ 7.Kd3 b5 8.Bb3 Nxe4 9.Nxd8 Nc5+ 10.Kc3 Ne2+ 11.Qxe2 Bd4+ 12.Kb4 a5+ 13.Kxb5 Ba6+ 14.Kxa5 Bd3+ 15.Kb4 Na6+ 16.Ka4 Nb4+ 17.Kxb4 c5 checkmate - and gave Traxler's notes which indicate that the line "somewhat resembles the Blackmar-Jerome gambit".
As I've puzzled before, what is the link, if any, between Armand Blackmar (of 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.f3) and Alonzo Wheeler Jerome (of 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+)?
I left a mesage at the website to see if blogger Glenn Mitchell could enlighten me. However, I got a quick email in response - no, he does not know the history of the "Blackmar-Jerome gambit".
My current hypothesis - complete speculation at this point - is that Traxler, writing in the October 11, 1892, chess column of Golden Prague, recalled the infamous Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1885 Jerome Gambit game and wanted to credit the successful master; but, in drawing up his note for Reinisch - Traxler, he erroniously attached "Blackmar" - instead of "Blackburne" - to "Jerome Gambit".
That would solve another "naming" problem, the first one being Blackburne referring to the Jerome Gambit as the "Kentucky Opening" - see "The Kentucky Opening Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4".
Play has been pretty fast and furious for me in the Chess.com Italian Game Thematic Tournament (see "Started").
I have drawn both my games against top-rated JoseSoza, the two completed games so far.
However, vz721, one sharp player (second-rated in our quad), improved on some of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's original analysis (!) and has been treating my one Jerome Gambit rather harshly. I am currently hanging in there, but the phrase "punch drunk" comes to mind...
With Black against MarkHundleby1, I am defending well against his Evans Gambit. When that is complete, I will have my last chance at a Jerome Gambit - and therein lies an interesting tale for a later date.
Five years and one week ago, I started this blog as a tentative look at a very disreputable chess opening, the Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+.
I started out posting daily, and after over four years, moved to posting every-other-day.
I have discovered many other adventurers who enjoy playing the Jerome, and variants of Alozo Wheeler Jerome's "Double Gambit". Their games make up The Database, almost 29,000 battles strong.
As this blog approaches its 1,700th post, it is amazing to know that there is still so much more to share.
Many thanks to everyone who has made this journey so enjoyable!
If Black has enough time, he can "solve" the Jerome Gambit.
Philidor1792 - guest4181
5+0 www.bereg.ru, 13.02.0028
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8
First seen in Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's analysis in the Dubuque Chess Journal, April 1874, Vol. VI, No. 50, p. 358-9, "New Chess Opening".
6.Nxc6 dxc6 7.0-0 Be6
Jerome's analysis continued optimistically 7...Nf6 8.Qf3 Qd4 9.d3 Bg4 10.Qe3 Qxe3 11.Bxe3 Bxd3 12.fxe3 Ke7 "and White should draw by the judicious use of his pawns". A year later he varied from his own advice and played 10.Qg3, instead, in Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, 1875 (1/2-1/2, 29).
Black's move in today's game is very reasonable.
8.d3 Qh4 9.Nd2 Bg4 10.Qe1 Nf6 11.Nc4 Kf7
Preparing to castle by hand.
12.Bf4 Rhf8 13.c3 Kg8 14.d4 Be7 15.Bxc7 Be6
White has three "Jerome pawns" for his sacrificed piece, and the game is about equal.
16.Nd2 Nh5 17.f4 Rac8 18.Qxh4 Bxh4 19.Be5 Black lost on time
("Objectively," of course, the position was even.)
Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, as far as I have been able to determine, did not leave an indication as to what openings inspired him to develop 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+.
Certainly one of the first possible lines that could have caught his eye was in the old Bishop's Opening symmetrical variation: 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+.
Some sources refer to this line, too, as the Jerome Gambit, although they must be relying on the Bxf7+ trope, as there is no indication (yet turned up) that AWJ played the Bishop's Opening version of his "Double Gambit". I have elsewhere referred to it as the "Abrahams Jerome Gambit".
Not that the line doesn't have some bite...
