Knock-Down Drag-Out Battle

The "Play the Jerome Gambit Quad" at Chess.com is evolving into two two-player races. Bill Wall and ubluk (whose first game was mentioned by IM Gary Lane in his recent "Opening Lanes" column at ChessCafe.com) are contesting for first and second places while DeDrijver and bfcase are battling for third and fourth places. In an earlier game, we saw the latter win, but in the following contest (another win for White) DeDrijver evens things up with his opponent.

DeDrijver (1438) - bfcace (1486)
Play The Jerome Gambit Quad
Chess.com, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.c3

White goes for a "modern" Jerome Gambit variation, bypassing 5.Nxe5+.

5...Nf6 6.Ng5+ Kf8 7.d3 d5 8.exd5 Qxd5 9.f3 Bg4

Black offers to return a piece to rip open White's fortress. Rybka says "take the piece" but Rybka isn't human...

10.c4 Qd4 11.Qe2 Re8 12.fxg4 e4 13.Be3 Qe5

Black eases up on the presssure, whereas after 13...exd3 14.Bxd4 Rxe2+ 15.Kd1 Bxd4  he would have had a crushing position.

14.Bxc5+ Qxc5 15.dxe4

White returns the favor: he should have recaptured with the Knight, 15.Nxe4. In such crazy positions, it can be hard to find your bearings. 

15...Nd4 16.Qd3 Qa5+

More complications. It was okay to grab a piece with 16...Qxg5 and try to hold on.

17.Nc3 Qe5 18.Nd5 Nxg4

The knight at g5 is leading a charmed life! Black could have kept the game even with 18...Qxg5. But White's play lets him regain the balance.

19.Rf1+ Kg8 20.Nf3 Nxf3+ 21.Rxf3 Nxh2

22.Rf5

An illusion: the piece is not protected.

22...Qd6

Thinking, perhaps, about consolidating his position. However, the Rook imprisoned at h8 plays no part, and it begins to look like Black is a piece down. Worse, White has a nice shot.

23.Rd1 c6 24.Nf6+ Qxf6 25.Rxf6 gxf6

26.Qg3+ Kf7 27.Qxh2 Rxe4+ 28.Kf1 Rxc4 29.Rd7+ Ke8 30.Rxb7 Rc1+ 31.Ke2 Rc2+ 32.Kd3 Black resigned

Unorthodox International Master

If you are looking for an International Master who writes regularly on unorthodox chess openings, including some rather strange and arguably unsound ones, you could hardly do better than to check out IM Gary Lane's monthly "Opening Lanes" column at ChessCafe.com.

This month, like last month and the month before (and at least a couple of times before that), IM Lane has something to say about the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), among other openings. He manages to be serious enough to give the opening a fair shake, without dissolving into either giggles or epithets.

Check it out!

The Return of Jerome Gambit for Dummies (Part 1)

Looking for the "essence" of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), or at least an insight into how it "works" – still pondering IM Gary Lane's challenge to identify some good, representative modern examples – I decided to turn to The Database.

Searching by position after the first 4 moves, I found about 8,780 games (admittedly missing those games that transpose later), which I then sorted by length (number of moves).

I began by examining the shorter games.

Not only did I find the elegant 1998 game between Yvonne Brescak and Stephanie Hefti, but I also found the quintessential Jerome (and four more with identical moves, but different players)

Carlos Azcarate - jemasc
Jerome Gambit Thematic, ChessWorld, 2008
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 1-0

What could be simpler?

Unfortunately, I also found three games that went like this

flplayboy - parrot
standard, FICS, 2007
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 0-1

Worse, there were 28 games that went like this

one-eye bishop - blackburne
ChessWorld, 2004
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 0-1

Obviously I was going to have to dig deeper!

Every European School Girl Knows...

As IM Gary Lane mentions in his current "Opening Lanes" column
at ChessCafe.com, I had a difficult time choosing the "best" or "most important" modern Jerome Gambit games to pass along to him.

Silly me, I fogot about the following classic. While it may be true that there is a lot of chess that "every Russian school boy knows," it seems that "every European school girl knows" that when it comes time for a pre-arranged draw, the Jerome Gambit is a great choice.

Brescak,Y - Hefti,S
EU-ch U10 Girls, 1998

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+  Draw

Looking Forward

I look forward to International Master Gary Lane's upcoming (March 7) "Opening Lanes" column at ChessCafe.com, with building excitement, as I recently mentioned.

I have answered his call for some Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games by sending some classics and a couple of modern examples.

It will be fun to see what other readers have contributed, as well.

Jerome Gambit and "Opening Lanes"

As Michael Goeller pointed out in his comment to the recent post "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service", International Master Gary Lane has again (see here and here) taken a look at the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), an opening that he admits he has "a soft spot for", in his "Opening Lanes" column at ChessCafe.com.

As Gary has mentioned me by name, and asked for some games, I will be sending him a few. Be sure to watch for next month's edition of "Opening Lanes"!

Of course, readers who have interesting Jerome Gambit games are encouraged as well to send them to garylane@chesscafe.com

Blackmar Diemer Gambit

I received a very pleasant email from Guido de Bouver of Grimbergen, Belgium, the other day,

Hello Richard,
I have been following your posts on your blog regularly.
I am not an 1.e4 player but enjoy the attacking positions in the gambit.
I have created a new blog http://blackmardiemergambit.blogspot.com/ on the Blackmar Diemer Gambit.
Please have a look - you might want to add some words on your blog and add a link, so I get some additional publicity!
Thanks for your help and keep up the good work !
Guido

Readers will see that I have added a link to Guido's web page.

After all, not everybody plays the Jerome Gambit all the time, but they still like to attack. (And if you open with 1.e4, looking for the Jerome Gambit, and your opponent plays 1...d5, you can counter his Center Counter with 2.d4 and go for the BDG!)

You should also know that Guido has written a very exciting book on the Blackmar Diemer Gambit (I have a copy, and when Chessville.com comes back online you will be able to see my review): Attack with the Blackmar Diemer, A Computer Analysis of the Teichmann, Gunderam, O'Kelly lines in the Blackmar Diemer Gambit.

International Master Gary Lane, in his "Opening Lanes" column at ChessCafe.com has written about the book "My advice if you have a love of the opening is to seek it out and buy it at the first opportunity."

According to Tom Purser, at Tom's BDG Pages, Guido is working on a second BDG volume, including the Euwe and Bogoljubow Defenses.

One Thousand Days

Today this blog reaches one thousand consecutive days of posting. We've covered a lot of ground since the first day, June 10, 2008.

From the first published analysis of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's opening, to the latest games available, we've been there.

From the pipe dreams of having an article on 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ published in the well-respected magazine Kaissiber, to the far reaches of Jerome's Double Gambit seen as a Martian invasion, it has been fun to exercise imagination to its fullest extent.

Tournaments have been chronicled, history corrected, mysteries uncovered, and loose ends tracked down.

There have been a few interviews, not nearly enough.

The opening has faced skepticism and worse, as well it should, given its many refutations.

On the other hand, IM Lane (who I sometimes erroniously granted the GM title to in my references) has mentioned the Jerome Gambit in his columns at ChessCafe.com and more recently in his book The Greatest Ever Chess Tricks and Traps.

The Database of games (available to all readers) has grown from 950 to almost 23,500.

According to Google Analytics, the number of countries that readers have visited from passed 100 quite some time ago. Almost 1/4 of readers have stopped here 100 times or more. One-sixth of readers have stopped here over 200 times.

What is ahead for this blog for the next 1,000 days?

More of your games, I hope. I share mine because I am familiar with them, but I post readers' when I get them. Your games are often better.

I hope to post more historical research, more tournaments, more analysis... and maybe even finally get down to writing a book on the Jerome Gambit. Now that would be a challenge!

Alternate Universe

Readers may need a small reminder to recall Mr. David Black, who, a couple of seasons ago, shared one of his blitz games after he had entered "the Jerome gambits alternate universe."

Here is a recent over-the-board game that David supplied, noting 

For some reason in my last league match when presented with a chance to play it I couldn't resist! Despite the result of the game I'm hoping this isn't a trend.

I can understand Mr. Black's hesitation at the thought of playing the Jerome Gambit regularly in league play: he seems like a nice guy, he probably feels that embarassing one opponent is quite enough... 

Black,D - Plumb,M
Portsmouth A vs Chichester B, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8

The Sorensen Variation (see "Jerome Gambit Nomenclature")

6.Qh5

The Banks Variation, named after Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Pete Banks ("blackburne") and discussed by IM Gary Lane in his "Opening Lanes" columns at the Chess Cafe and in his book The Greatest Ever Chess Tricks and Traps . It offers a transposition to the 5.Nxe5 lines.

6...Qf6

Consistent with the early game Banks - Rees, Wolverhampton Summer League, 2003, but 6...Qe7 is likely stronger.

7.Nxd7+ Bxd7 8.Qxc5+ Qe7

White has three pawns for his sacrificed piece. He needs to tend to his development.

Black has a piece for his three pawns. He needs to tend to his King safety.

9.Qe3 Nf6 10.d3

White plans the pawn formation d3 + e4 + f4. He could also have tried d4 + e4 + f3.

10...Kf7 11.f4 Rhe8 12.h3

A useful move, both to keep enemy pieces off of g4 and as a prelude to g2-g4.

It seems odd to point out that what Black really needs is a pawn move like d7-d4, to confront the "Jerome pawns" – but Black no longer has that option.

12...Nb4 13.Na3 c5 14.Bd2 Nc6 15.g4 h6 16.0-0-0 a6

17.Rdf1 Kg8 18.Nc4 b5 19.Nb6 Rab8 20.Nxd7 Nxd7 21.h4

It looks like White has equalized, and has the initiative.

21...Nd4 22.g5 h5 23.c3 Nc6 24.f5 Nce5 25.f6

Relentless.

25...gxf6 26.gxf6 Nxf6 27.Qg5+

With the pawn sac, the walls of Black's fortress have been breached.

27...Kf7 28.Qxh5+ Ke6 29.Qf5+ Kf7 30.Bg5

30...Rb6 31.Kc2 Rd6 32.Rh3 Qe6 33.Qh7+ Black resigned

The Killing Blow (Part I)

It is annoying to play a familiar opening line – only to slip and end up in grave danger. There is little margin for error in any variation of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).

While I awaited the killing blow, I consoled myself with something IM Gary Lane wrote in one of his "Opening Lanes" columns at ChessCafe:

It is always fun to find an opening which can cause confusion with something unusual. The psychological impact can be huge and the hapless opponent is obliged to consume large amounts of time coping with the new situation.

ICCF Senior IM Tim Harding was equally philosophical in one of his "The Kibitzer" columns, also at ChessCafe

One of Black's (psychological) problems is that... looks so obviously unsound that it is hard to decide which "refutation" to adopt. Psychologically, opponents often don't play in a stable and rational way when they believe their game is won from a very early stage and they tend to underestimate their opponents

Lane and Harding were not writing specifically about the Jerome Gambit, but they could have been.

perrypawnpusher  - KenWhitaker
blitz 6 12, FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6

Counting this game, I have had this position 10 times, and scored 9 1/2 points. I was feeling comfortable, while my opponent was already eating into his time.

8.Qd5+

It is, of course, possible to capture the Bishop directly with 8.Qxc5, (see RomanDurdis - ifufocop, FICS, 2005, abhailey - cumelen,mm Open Fast #1, net-chess.com, 2008 and Black Puma - TWODOGS, JGTourney4, ChessWorld, 2009) but I prefer the "nudge" to give my opponents more to think about.

8...Ke8

Alternatives: 8...Kf8 9.Qxc5+ d6 (9...N8e7 10.Nc3 b6 11.Qe3 Bb7 12.f4 d5 13.f5 d4 14.fxg6+ Kg8 15.Qf4 dxc3 16.Qf7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - sarBear, blitz FICS, 2009) 10.Qe3 N8e7 11.d4 Kg8 12.Nc3 Kh7 13.f4 Rf8 14.f5 Nh8 15.g4 Kg8 16.g5 hxg5 17.Qxg5 Nf7 18.Qg3 Nc6 19.f6 g5 20.Bxg5 Nxg5 21.Qxg5+ Kf7 22.Qg7+ Ke6 23.d5+ Ke5 24.Qg3+ Kd4 25.Qd3+ Ke5 26.Qg3+ Kd4 27.Qd3+ Ke5 28.Qg3+ Kd4 29.Qd3+ Ke5 30.Qg3+ Kd4 31.Qd3+ Ke5 32.Qg3+ Kd4 draw,  perrypawnpusher - pascalwilliams, blitz FICS, 2007; and
 
8...Kf6 9.Qf5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ Ke8 11.f4 d6 12.Qe3 Qf6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4 15.Qg3 Qxd4+ 16.Kh1 Kd7 17.Nc3 b6 18.Bf4 Ba6 19.Rad1 Qc5 20.Qxg7+ Ne7 21.e5 Rag8 22.e6+ Kc6 23.Qxe7 Re8 24.Qd7+ Kb7 25.b3 Nd2 26.Bxd2 Bxf1 27.Rxf1 Qd4 28.f6 Rhf8 29.Nb5 Qxd2 30.Qxc7+ Ka6 31.Qxa7+ Kxb5 32.Qd7+ Ka6 33.e7 Qe2 34.Rg1 Rxf6 35.Qxe8 Rf1 36.Qa8+ Kb5 37.e8Q+ Qxe8 38.Qxe8+ Kb4 39.Rxf1 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - episodeninetynine, blitz FICS, 2009.

9.Qxc5 d6

Not quite as good is 9...Qe7, as in 10.Qe3 Nf6 11.Nc3 c6 12.f4 b6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Ba6 15.dxe5 Qxe5 16.Re1 Kf7 17.Qf3 Rhe8 18.Bf4 Qc5+ 19.Be3 Qb5 20.Bd4 Qxb2 21.e5 Nd5 22.e6+ Kg8 23.Qg4 Nxc3 24.Qxg7checkmate, perrypawnpusher - Cibola, blitz FICS, 2009.

Creative alternatives are : 9...b6 10.Qe3 Bb7 11.Nc3 Nf6 12.f4 Qe7 13.d3 d6 14.f5 Nf8 15.Bd2 Kd7 16.Rae1 Re8 17.Qd4 Kc8 18.Qa4 Kb8 19.Nb5 Ba6 20.Qxa6 Qd8 21.Qxa7+ Kc8 22.Qa8+ Kd7 23.Qxd8+ Kxd8 24.Bc3 N8d7 25.Nd4 c5 26.Ne6+ Ke7 27.Nxg7 Reg8 28.Bxf6+ Kxf6 29.Ne6 Re8 30.Re3 b5 31.Rg3 b4 32.Rg6+ Black lost on time, perrypawnpusher - BHAseagull, blitz FICS, 2010; and

9...N8e7 10.f4 d6 11.Qe3 Rf8 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Ng4 14.Qg3 h5 15.h3 Nf6 16.e5 Ne4 17.Qe3 d5 18.f6 gxf6 19.exf6 Nc6 20.Qh6 Rf7 21.Bg5 Nxd4 22.Nc3 Nxg5 23.Qxg5 Ne6 24.Qg8+ Rf8 25.f7+ Ke7 26.Qg6 Qd7 27.Rae1 c6 28.Qf6+ Kd6 29.Qe5+ Ke7 30.Qf6+ Kd6 31.Qe5+ Ke7 32.Qxh5 a6 33.Qg5+ Kd6 34.Qe5+ Ke7 35.Qg7 Kd8 36.Rxe6 Qxe6 37.Qxf8+ Kc7 38.Qe8 Bd7 39.Qxe6 Bxe6 40.f8Q Rxf8 41.Rxf8 b5 42.g4 Kd7 43.Kg2 Ke7 44.Ra8 d4 45.Ne2 b4 46.Rxa6 Bc4 47.Rxc6 Bxe2 48.Kf2 Bb5 49.Rb6 Ba4 50.b3 Bd7 51.Rxb4 Kf6 52.Rxd4 Bb5 53.a4 Be8 54.a5 Kg5 55.Kg3 Bc6 56.a6 Bh1 57.h4+ Kf6 58.a7 Ke5 59.Rd8 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - apinheiro, blitz FICS, 2010.

10.Qe3 Nf6

Or 10...Qf6 11.f4 N8e7 12.Nc3 c6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4 15.Qd3 b5 16.b3 Nb6 17.Bf4 Nd7 18.Rae1 Qf7 19.Bxd6 Nf6 20.Bxe7 Kxe7 21.e5 Nd5 22.f6+ Kf8 23.fxg7+ Kxg7 24.Rxf7+ Kxf7 25.Qf3+ Ke7 26.Nxd5+ Kd8 27.Qf6+ Kd7 28.Qe7checkmate, perrypawnpusher - saltos, blitz FICS 2009.

Provocative was 10...Ne5 11.d4 Ng4 12.Qg3 N8f6 13.Nc3 Be6 14.h3 Bc4 15.Re1 Qd7 16.hxg4 Nxg4 17.f3 Nf6 18.e5 Nh5 19.exd6+ Kf7 20.Qh2 g6 21.Re7+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Kotimatka, blitz FICS, 2009

11.d4

Slightly better might have been 11.f4 Qe7 12.d3 d5 13.e5 Nd7 14.Nc3 Nb6 15.Qg3 Nh4 16.Bd2 Nf5 17.Qg6+ Kd8 18.Rae1 Nd4 19.f5 Bxf5 20.Rxf5 Nxf5 21.Qxf5 Rf8 22.Qg4 c6 23.b3 Kc7 24.Bf4 Rae8 25.d4 Qe6 26.Qxg7+ Kb8 27.Na4 Nxa4 28.bxa4 Rxf4 29.Rb1 Rg8 30.Qxb7 checkmate perrypawnpusher - LeifPetersen, blitz FICS, 2010.

11...Kf7 12.f4 Re8 13.Nc3 Kg8

Here we have a familiar type of position: Black has castled-by-hand and brought his Rook to the e-file; while White has his "Jerome pawns" ready to advance.

I've taken about a minute of thinking time; my opponent, a good bit more.

It should be like taking a stroll in my own back yard...

14.f5 Ne7

15.h3

Preparing for g2-g4, but without much thought. Later, Rybka pointed out the right way to accomplish this: 15.Qg3 Kh7 16.Qh4 Rf8 17.Bg5 Qd7 18.Rad1 Qc6 19.Bxf6 Rxf6 20.g4

analysis diagram







Black would still have an edge, but White would have his thematic pawn play.

15...Nxf5

Ouch! The e-pawn is pinned... Even worse would have been: 15...d5, when White would have to give up the exchange, either by 16.e5 Nxf5 17.Rxf5 Bxf5 or (according to Rybka) 16.Qg3 dxe4 17.Bxh6 Qxd4+ 18.Kh1 Nh5 19.Qg5 Nxf5 20.Rxf5 Bxf5 21.Qxh5 Rf8 22.Bf4.

16.Qd3 Nh4

At this point I started using up thinking time. I found a way to complicate things, and made my move. 

17.Bf4

Oh, no! Where did that come from?? That wasn't what I was thinking about at all...

[to be continued]

Alekhine - Marshall, Baden-Baden 1925

When International Master Gary Lane wrote about the Marshall Defense to the Queen's Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nf6) in his March 2010 column at Chess Cafe, I decided to send him an English language version of the article that I had written on the defense, as highlighted in the game Alekhine - Marshall, Baden-Baden 1925, that was published in Kaissiber #27.

The article is now available in the "Skittles Room" at Chess Cafe. 

The Pete Banks Annotated Collection

For readers who have been wondering, "What has Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Pete Banks / "blackburne" been up to lately?" (besides his recent article "How to Win Without Thinking" in the British Chess Magazine, and his appearances in GM Gary Lane's ChessCafe column and recent book The Greatest Ever Chess Tricks and Traps), I would like to direct you to his web page, The Pete Banks Annotated Collection.

If you play over some of the games, you will see that he often has Bxf7+ on his mind – even against the Sicilian Defense. (No surprise there.)

Club Player's Opening

The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is a club player's opening. That's who plays it, that's who analyzes it (with a few exceptions, like NM Eric Schiller and IM Gary Lane), that's who improves it and that's who finds ways to stymie it.

Part of the excitement of the opening for me is the way players can put a personal touch on it. Pete Banks ("blackburne") has popularized the Banks Variation (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 6.Qh5) and continues to win with it, even after mika76 at Gameknot.com put forth a refutation.

Lt. G.N. Whistler may have invented Whistler's Defense (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7) but Brian Wall and Tyrin Price much more recently showed how dangerous it was.

It is always great fun for me too play through games in my database and look for individualized interpretations, from viejoasquerosos's predeliction for playing Bc4 and Bxf7+ (or ...Bc5 and ...Bxf2+) at the earliest possible moment, in any opening, to equally inventive ideas like in the following game.

weenar - Quixote
blitz, FICS, 2000

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+


4...Kxf7 5.Ng1

Wow... weenar decides that the essence of the Jerome Gambit is displacing the King, followed by a Queen check. In what has to be the most outrageous of the "modern" lines, this check is prepared without further sacrifice.

Other retrograde lines that I can think of offhand are 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Ng8 and 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.exf5 followed by Ng1.
5...Qf6 6.Qh5+
True to the main idea, although 6.Nf3 may have been stronger.

6...g6 7.Qg4
The Queen, mindful of such lines as 1.e4 e5 2.f4 Qh4+ 3.g3 Qe7, etc., should have retreated to e2.

7...Qxf2+ 8.Kd1 Qf1 checkmate
Admittedly, that didn't go too well.
It has been said that opening innovations will lose the first and last time they are played; the former because they are not quite understood, the latter because they are understood too well. In between the two? That's where the excitiement is.

Eric Schiller Doesn't Play the Jerome Gambit

American author and FIDE Master Eric Schiller doesn't play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). Despite his interest in unusual opening lines, he has spent far more time providing the club player with refutations of the Jerome.

His 2003 (with John Watson) Survive and Beat Annoying Chess Openings has a chapter on "Bashing the Jerome Gambit," which would be something akin to "Weapons of Mass Destruction versus the Mosquito" if it didn't at least shine a light on the poor, neglected creation of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome.

Still, as a followup to my two posts on Adolf Albin and the Jerome Gambit (see Part 1 and Part 2), I was wandering through my database when I came across the following game. There's at least a slight resemblance in the play to, well, you know...

Schiller - Shipman
New York, 1981

1.e4 Nc6 2.Bc4 e5 3.d3 Na5


4.Bxf7+
International Master Gary Lane (author of a couple of books on the Bishop's Opening), in one of his Opening Lanes columns at ChessCafe, wrote, in response to a reader who had asked about this line

I wanted to dismiss this bishop sacrifice, but in the spirit of the King's Gambit, I had to see what happens. I was surprised to realize that White is doing very well.

Michael Goeller (maintaining the best online resource for the Bishop's Opening), in his article on "The Hamppe - Meitner Motif" (see "Hamppe -Meitner Revealed" as well as "Godfather of the Jerome Gambit?" Part I, Part II, Part III, and Endnote) for the Kenilworth Chess Club website is more assertive, noting

If White does not have this move it's hard to see how he might even try to gain the advantage.

4...Kxf7 5.Qh5+ Ke6
Of course, the Jerome-ish 5...g6 was an option for Black, but not a particularly good one.

White plays 6.Qxe5 attacking the knight and rook, when 6...Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Nf6 8.Bxb4 is just very good for White – LaneInteresting, but ultimately unsatisfactory, is 5...g6!? 6.Qxe5 Nc6 7.Qxh8 h6 8.Bxh6! (8.Qc3?? Bb4! points up how much difference d3 for White can make!) 8...Bxh6 (8...Nxh6 9.Nc3) 9. Nf3 and White's Queen will not be trapped, meaning White retains a slight material edge and the safer King – Goeller

6.Qf5+

White has a much simpler alternative here: 6.Nf3! Qf6 (6...Nc6? 7.Ng5+ Ke7 8.Qf7+) 7.Ng5+ Ke7 8.Nc3 c6 and White wins back his material with advantage by 9.b4 or 9.Nxh7!? – Goeller
Instead, 6.Nf3 is met by 6...d6! and this simple way to deal with the threat against the e5-pawn 7.Ng5+ Kd7 8.Nf7 Qe8 9.Qf3 Nf6 10.Nxh8 Be7 slightly favors Black because he has two pieces for the rook, but 11.d4 is interesting since the king is misplaced on d7 – Lane

6...Kd6 7.d4

It appears that Schiller wished (mistakenly) to transpose directly to Hamppe - Meitner, but he thus missed his chance to turn White's extra tempo to advantage – Goeller

The move 7.f4 is stronger, according to Goeller and Lane ("The chase is on and White is in hot pursuit of the king").
7...Kc6 8.Qxe5 d5
9.exd5+ Kb6

Black can play for the win with 9...Qxd5! 10.Qe8+ Bd7!! 11.Qxa8 Nf6 12.Qxa7 (12.Nc3 Qxg2 13.Be3 Nc4 14.O-O-O Nxe3 15.fxe3 Qxh1) 12...Qxg2 13.Qxa5 Qxh1 14.d5+ Nxd5 15.Qa4+ Kb6 16.Qxd7 Qxg1+ 17.Ke2 Qxc1 18.Qxd5 Bc5. The text move should also favor Black, but it is much less clear – Goeller

10.Nc3 Qe7 11.Na4+ Kb5 12.Nc3+
Here 12.b3 was the move to draw.

12...Kb6
There was more in 12...Ka6.
13.Bf4 Bf5 Drawn

If Black had wanted to play for a win, he might have tried 13...Nc4!. It remains unclear to me whether this was a pre-arranged draw gone wrong or a real contest – Goeller