In the book review of The Art of the Checkmate by Georges Renaud and Victor Kahn at the online Chessentials site, the Jerome Gambit game NN - Blackburne (given as taking place in "London tournament, 1880", but this is likely in error) was presented, with the note
The author calls this opening a Jerome’s Gambit. It is of course nonsense in modern chess, but I still remember how I played it almost regulary immediately after I read this book.
Of course, upon reading this I immediately left a note requesting to see any of the site master's games!
I suspect other chess players did not take Joseph Henry Blackburne's "lesson" to heart, and, instead, were fascinated by the play of "NN" and his Jerome Gambit.
I will share what games turn up.
The Jerome Gambit is beginning to feel a bit like a "normal" chess opening - at times, anyhow.
I mean, I play a game, I publish it on this blog, someone takes that information and uses it in another one of my Jerome Gambits. I publish that game in this blog, someone else uses that information in another of my Jerome Gambits...
Innovate or perish, as Edward Kahn wrote.
I have shared the prelude to this saga before
After my discouraging loss with the Jerome Gambit in my previous Chess.com Italian Game tournament (perrypawnpusher - Buddy_Thompson), I knew that I had to cook up something new, or risk facing a future opponent who just "looked the refutation up" (and not even on this blog, mind you, but in my recent games on Chess.com).
Such worry bore fruit, however, in terms of a win in my return game with djdave28, as the post showed.
Today's tale started with perrypawnpusher - Hywel2, Italian Game tournament, Chess.com, 2015 (0-1, 44). Of particular interest - besides my missing a chance for a nifty draw - was a novelty (according to The Database) my opponent played on the 13th move.
I received some enlightening notes to the game from Bill Wall, and I added them to what I had written about the game, sharing it all with readers in "More Errors in Thinking 2.0".
Then came perrypawnpusher - Heler, Giauoco Piano tournament, Chess.com, 2015, (1-0, 33), which had Hywel2's TN and followed the earlier game until I varied on move 17 (Bill's earlier suggestion). There was an opportunity to transpose back to the earlier game at move 19, but I didn't take it.
Most recently I played perrypawnpusher - apurv83, Giuoco Piano tournament, Chess.com, 2015. Black again followed the lead of perrypawnpusher - Hywel2, only this time he varied on the 14th move, nudging his a-pawn instead of placing his King in the corner. How much would that matter? Let's see.
(By the way, my opponent several times played "The Vacation Gambit" against me. If he was truly on vacation, and not messing with my head - good for him! I wish I could play something like a "retirement gambit"...)
perrypawnpusher - apurv83
Giuoco Piano tournament, Chess.com, 2015
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6
A typical Jerome Gambit position. Black has an extra piece, while White has a couple of extra pawns.
10.0-0 Kf7 11.f4 Re8
White castles, Black castles-by-hand.
12.f5 Nd5 13.d4 Nc6
Hywel2's move. Then Heler's move. Now apurv83's.
Instead, 13...Neg4 goes back at least as far as Vazquez,A -Carrington,W, Mexico, 2nd match, 1876 (1-0, 34).
14.Nc3 a6
apurv83's innovation is not to be dismissed. Is it a crucial "loss of tempo"? I don't think so. After all, with ...b7-b5 Black will be able to fianchetto his light-squared Bishop, as in earlier games; plus he will have the chance to kick my Knight on c3 with ...b5-b4. That was not enough for me to change my general plans, however. I followed earlier games, a tempo up.
15.Qd3 Kg8 16.Bg5 Qd7 17.Bxf6
This capture is based on Bill Wall's suggestion after perrypawnpusher - Hywel2.
17...gxf6 18.Nd5 Kf7
Well, somebody has to guard the f-pawn. In earlier games, the Queen was properly given the responsibility.
After my last move, I was pondering the typical malady for Black in this kind of position - the light-squared Bishop and Queenside Rook are still at home. In fact, the Queen currently blocks the Bishop - and with Black's 18th move, the King, in turn, blocks the Queen (from the Kingside).
My challenge here was: could I add this possible "gained time" to Black's 14th move and make something out of it?
[to be continued]
