The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) can affect defenders differently. Some will think "Somehow I never learned about this crushing attack, I am doomed" while others will think "I now have a won game that will play itself". Both mind sets can lead to disaster over-the-board, and another thought, that there are other games to play...
chagnusmarlson - oslang
10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 b6 9.Qd5
9.Qe3 Ba6 (9...Bb7 10.d4 Nf6 11.Nc3 Qe7 12.O-O Ng4 13.Nxe4 Bxe4 14.c4 13.Qg3 Nf6 14.Bg5 d6 15.e5 dxe5 16.dxe5 Nxe5 17.Rfe1 Qf7 18.Rxe5+ Kf8 19.Rae1 Qg6 20.Nb5 Rd8 21.Nxc7 Kf7 22.Qb3+ Nd5 23.Nxd5 Bxd5 24.Rxd5 Rxd5 25.Qxd5+ Kf8 Black resigned, Charlick,H - Cooke,W, Adelaide Chess Club, 1884) 10.d3 N8e7 11.O-O c6 12.f4 Rf8 13.Nc3 Rc8 14.Bd2 d6 15.Rae1 Bb7 16.e5 dxe5 17.fxe5 Rxf1+ 18.Rxf1 c5 19.Ne4 Nd5 20.Qf3 21.Nd6+ Kd8 22.Bg5 Qxg5 23.Nf7+ Kd7 24.Nxg5 Nxe5 25.Qf5+ Kd6 26.Qe6+ Kc7 27.Qxe5+ Kc6 28.Nf7 Kb5 29.Nd6+ Ka6 30.Nxc8 Bxc8 31.Qxd5 Bg4 32.Qg5 Be2 33.Rf2 Bxd3 34.cxd3 b5 35.Qxg7 Ka5 36.Rf5 b4 37.Rxc5+ Kb6 38.Qc7+ Ka6 39.Qa5+ Kb7 40.Rc7+ Kb8 41.Qxa7 checkmate, Lumix - ItsEricxm, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020.
9...Ba6 10.d3 Nf6 11.Qb3 d5
Often a good move for Black, it is not well-timed here, as he has overlooked something.
12.Qa4+ Black resigned
Clearly, Black was discouraged after his slip. The game could have continued 12...Qd7 13.Qxa6 dxe4 14.0-0 exd3 15.Rd1 Qe6 16.Qxd3 Kf7, when Black would have simply been down a pawn.
The Jerome Gambit has a way of making opponents think that moving on to the next game might be a good idea...
Henry Charlick was known for his gambit 1.d4 e5!?, (also known as the Englund Gambit). That was not his only sacrificial creation, however. One is reminiscent of a reversed Jerome Gambit.
From the Adelaide Observer, Saturday, June 14, 1884 (page 44) column CHESS, "Chess in Adelaide". Notes are from the column, changed from descriptive notation to algebraic notation. Diagrams have been added.
Appended are two [see previous post for Charlick - Cooke, Adelaide Chess Club, 1884, a Jerome Gambit - Rick] of a series of even games now being contested between Messrs. H. Charlick and W. Cooke, of the Adelaide Chess Club. The notes are by Mr. E. Govett, of the Semaphore Chess club.
Cooke, W. - Charlick, H.
Adelaide Chess Club, 1884
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Bc5!
The Charlick Gambit. This move will probably not more surprise our readers than it did Mr. Cooke. No walnut shells are needed. Mr. Cooke humourously dabbed this "alarming sacrifice" the " Charlick Gambit."
[The line is also known by the modern name the Busch-Gass Gambit, although Salvio's analysis of the line, from Il Puttino, altramente detto, il Cavaliero Errante, del Salvio, sopra el gioco de Scacchi, dates back to 1604. After a further 3.Nxe5 Nc6 it is known as Chiodini's Gambit. The similarity to a reversed Jerome Gambit is noted. - Rick]
3.Nxe5 Bxf2+!!
"Let shining charity adorn your soul."
4.Kxf2 Qh4+ 5.g3 Qxe4 6.Nf3 Nf6
7.Qe2 d5 8.Qxe4+
This must have placed Black in the same uncomfortable position as the woman who -
Before her face her handkerchief she spread
To hide the flood of tears - she did not shed.
8...dxe4 9.Nd4 O-O
10.Bg2
He should stop the range of the N.
10...Ng4+ 11.Ke2 f5 12.h3
Somewhat weakening. He should develop his pieces quickly.
12...Ne5 13.d3 c5 14.Nb5 Nbc6 15.dxe4
The Black pawns have a sinister look, but there is nothing immediately dangerous about them if White's position is assisted by Be3, Nd2, and so on. Taking the P only opens out Black's game.
15...a6 16.Nc7 Nd4+ 17. Kd2 Ra7 18.Na3 b5 19.c3 Ndc6
20.Nd5 fxe4 21.Ke3 b4 22.Nc2 Nc4+ 23.Kxe4 Rb7!!
24.Nce3
Out of the frying-pan (...Bf5+) into the fire (an exquisite little mate in two). 24.Bf4 would have enabled him to hold out a little longer.
And Black mates in two moves. Time, 80 minutes.
When presenting a chess game, it is easy to overlook something in a suggested line. Modern annotators have the help of computer chess engines, but 130 years ago, they were, of course, not available.
From the Adelaide Observer, Saturday, June 14, 1884 (page 44) column CHESS, "Chess in Adelaide". Notes from the column, by Mr. E. Govett, of the Semaphore Chess club, have been changed from descriptive notation to algebraic notation. Diagrams have been added.- Rick
Charlick, H. - Cooke, W.
Adelaide Chess Club, 1884
1.e4
This is a sacrifice of the same kind as that in the previous game
[Cooke - Charlick, Adelaide, 1884, a Charlick Gambit, see next blog post - Rick]. It is a sacrifice of sound chess to benevolence.
1...e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+
This is good after the fourth more. White obtains two Pawns for his piece, and has withal a fairly open position.
5...Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 b6 9.Qe3 Bb7
10.d4 Nf6 11.Nc3 Qe7! 12.O-O
We prefer 12.f3, as by the text White lays himself open to the loss of a Pawn or two with no compensating advantage.
12...Ng4
But Black does not avail himself of it. He should play 12...Nxe4 when one of the two following continuations would probably follow 13.Nxe4 (13.Nb5 0-0 [the columnist forgets that Black can no longer castle - Rick] 14.Nxc7 Rac8 15.Nb5 Rxf2 with a fine game [I have corrected move numbers - Rick. The Saturday June 21, 18814 CHESS column in the Adelaide Observer - the next week - noted "In the Jerome Gambit, published last week, the note to Black's 12th move should have had the moves numbered 12, 13, 14, &c., instead of 16, 17, 18, &c." There was no correction, however, about the suggestions to castle - Rick] 13... Bxe4 14.c4 0-0 and he should win [But Black is still unable to castle - Rick].
13.Qg3 Nf6 14.Bg5 d6
Disastrous. He should play 14...Qf7.
15.e5 dxe5 16.dxe5 Nxe5 17.Rfe1 Qf7 18.Rxe5+
And finishes off with no difficulty.
18...Kf8 19.Rae1 Qg6 20.Nb5 Rd8 21.Nxc7 Kf7
22.Qb3+ Nd5 23.Nxd5 Bxd5 24.Rxd5 Rxd5 25.Qxd5+ Kf8
White mates in two moves.
