Winning With the Jerome Gambit: A Game Full of Lessons

Winning with the Jerome Gambit, as many posts here have shown, can be explosive and fun. It can, as we have also seen, be slow, difficult and demanding.

In the following game Bill Wall faces a prudent opponent who is in no hurry to self-destruct. This reticence works against the defender, however, when his best line requires boldly sacrificing material to initiate an attack. The moment passes - and Bill fights his way to victory.

Playing through this game and enjoy its lessons.

Wall,B - Albulus
PlayChess.com, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

White enters the Jerome Gambit via the Two Knights Game or a closed variation of the Giuoco Piano. In doing so, he transposes into a "modern" Jerome - one without 5.Nxe5.

5...Kxf7 6.0-0

If Black had tricked White, a proponent of the "classic" Jerome lines (with 5.Nxe5), into an unfamiliar area of chess theory, that might have been a plus. Ah, but Bill has been here, and near here, before. Alternatives include

6.Nc3 Ng4 7.Ng5+ Kg8 8.Qxg4 d6 9.Qf3 Nb4 10.Qf7 checkmate, Wall,B - Richard123, Chess.com, 2010; and

6.Be3 Bxe3 (6...Bb4+ see Wall,B - Westender, Chess.com, 2010 [1-0, 19] ) 7.fxe3 Rf8 8.0-0 Kg8 9.c4 d6 10.Nc3 Ng4 11.Qe2 Qe8 12.Nd5 Qd7 13.Nh4 Nf6 14.Rf2 Nxd5 15.Rxf8+ Kxf8 16.exd5 Ne7 17.Rf1+ Kg8 18.Qh5 b6 19.Qf7+ Kh8 20.Ng6+ hxg6 21.Qf8+ Kh7 22.Rf7 Bb7 23.Qxg7 checkmate, Wall,B - Hovo,D, Chess.com, 2010.

6...Re8 

Alternatives Bill has faced include

6...h6 7.Nxe5+ (7.Be3 see Wall,B - Mukak, Chess.com, 2010 [1-0, 24] or 7.Nc3  Wall,B - Guest2622844, PlayChess.com, 2013 [1-0, 39]) 7...Nxe5 as in Wall,B - Lee,S, PlayChess.com, 2015, (1-0, 22);

6...Kg8 7.c4 as in Wall,B - KRM, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 25); and

6...Rf8 7.c3 Kg8 (7...d5 8.b4 Bb6 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.b5 Nce7 11.c4 Nf4 12.Bxf4 exf4 13.Nc3 Kg8 14.Qb3 Be6 15.Ne4 h6 16.Rae1 Bf7 17.Ne5 Ng6 18.Nxg6 Bxg6 19.c5+ Bf7 20.Qc3 Rc8 21.cxb6 cxb6 22.Qd2 Qd5 23.Qxf4 Qxa2 24.Nd6 Bb3 25.Qe4 Rcd8 26.Nf5 Bf7 27.Qe5 Qe6 28.Qxg7 checkmate, Wall,B - Mokdad,M, Chess.com, 2010) 8.b4 Bb6 9.a4 a6 10.Be3 d6 11.Qb3+ Kh8 12.Bxb6 cxb6 13.Nbd2 Ng4 14.h3 Nh6 15.d4 exd4 16.cxd4 Qf6 17.Qc3 Ne7 18.Qc7 a5 19.Qxb6 axb4 20.Qxb4 Nc6 21.Qc3 Bd7 22.Rfc1 Na5 23.Qc7 Bc8 24.d5 Rf7 25.Qb6 Qg6 26.Qd8+ Ng8 27.Rxc8 Rxc8 28.Qxc8 Black resigned, Wall,B - Bandera,M, Chess.com, 2010. 

7.Nc3 Nd4 

There is nothing wrong with the ordinary 7...d6.

8.Na4 Nxf3+ 9.Qxf3 Be7 

Black continues to play ultra-safely. It is interesting to see how White proceeds against this.

10.d4 d6

Black can give a piece back with 10...exd4 11.e5 d6 12.exf6 Bxf6, but he prefers to make White do the work.

11.dxe5 dxe5 12.Rd1

Pressure along the d-file.

12...Bd6 13.h3

Bill points out the dangers of going after the b-pawn: 13.Qb3+ Be6 14.Qxb7 Rb8 15.Qxa7 (15.Qa6 Nxe4 16.Be3 Qh4) 15...Ra8 16.Qb7 Rxa4. White needs to be patient. He starts by keeping enemy pieces out of g4. Perhaps he will be able to launch his kingside pawns later.

13...Kg8 14.Bg5 Rf8

Lining the Rook up on the same file as the enemy Queen. Apparently Black did not want to "create a weakness" on his Kingside, as he had available 14...h6 15.Bxf6 (15.Bh4 g5 16.Bg3 Qe7) 15...Qxf6 16.Qxf6 gxf6, as pointed out by Bill; which looks okay for the second player.

15.Qb3+ Kh8 16.Nc3 c6 

Bill's comment in an email about this game is enlightening: I was losing for a long time in the opening and middlegame... 

"Objectively", White does have a "lost" game after 4.Bxf7+, despite the complications. He has to play on, however, hopefully - often towards success.

17.f4 Qe7 18.f5

The f-pawn may become the spearhead of a pawn advance. Currently, it limits the movement of Black's light-squared Bishop (which, in turn, limits the movement of Black's Rook), which is another small benefit.

18...h6 19.Be3 b5

Black's solution to the pressure on the b7 pawn (and the Queenside) is a pawn advance. This allows him to feel comfortable "doing something", and leads to the win of a pawn - which turns out to be poisoned, alas.

20.g4 a5 21.Ne2

The alternatives Bill gives do not look attractive: 21.a3 a4 22.Qa2 Bc5 23.Bxc5 Qxc5+ 24.Kg2 Nxe4 25.Nxe4 Qxc2+ 26.Nd2 Rd8; or 21.a4 Bc5 22.Bxc5 (22.Re1 Bxe3+ 23.Rxe3 Qc5 24.Nd1 b4) 22...Qxc5+ 23.Kh1 b4 24.Ne2 Nxe4.

The game move leads to a very complicated position.

21...Nxe4 22.Qd3 

Black has grabbed the e-pawn, but now faces the possible loss of either his Knight or his dark-squared Bishop. He decides to continue building up his attack.

22...Bb7

The fact is that even after this move Stockfish 6 sees Black as better. However, the fact that the second player has to meekly give back a piece cannot feel good to the human competitor.

Did he have a better move? He did, as Bill pointed out: 22...Bxf5! 23.gxf5 Qh4 24.Kg2 (24.Kh2 Rxf5 25.Rf1 Raf8 26.Rxf5 Rxf5 27.Bg1 Rf6 28.Rd1 Nf2) 24...Rxf5 25.Rf1 Raf8 26.Rxf5 Rxf5 with an attack on the enemy King.

The sacrifice was hard to see. Worrying about losing Piece A or Piece B, Black misses the fact that he should give up the cramped and limited (until now!) Piece C...

23.Qxe4 c5 24.Qd3 Rfd8 25.Nc3

It certainly was not time for 25.Qxb5? Ba6 26.Qb3 Bxe2 as Bill points out. 

25...c4 26.Qf1 

26...b4 27.Nd5 Bxd5 28.Rxd5 Bc7

Black suddenly goes in for exchanges. Does he believe in his passed pawn that much?

29.Qxc4 Rxd5 30.Qxd5 Rd8 31.Qe4 Qh4 32.Kg2 Qe7

33.Rf1 Rd6 34.Bc5 Rd2+ 35.Rf2 Rxf2+ 36.Bxf2 Qd6

It is a good thing that White is not emotionally exhausted from his struggle from a "losing" position back to a "better" one. Converting his extra pawn will take a good bit of work, as long as the Queens and Bishops remain on the board. White decides to stir things up.

37.Qa8+ Kh7 38.Qb7 e4

Bill points out a couple of alternatives: 38...g6 39.fxg6+ Kxg6 40.Qe4+ Kf7 41.Qh7+ Ke8 42.Qg8+ Kd7 43.Qf7+ Kc6 44.Be3; or 
38...Bd8 39.Qe4 Kh8 40.Qf3.

Black has miscalculated: unfortunately, he does not have a mating attack.

39.Qxe4 Qh2+ 40.Kf1 Qxh3+ 41.Ke2 Kh8

This is not Black's best defense, but it is now only a matter of choosing which way to lose.

42.Qe8+ Kh7 43.Qg6+ Kh8 44.f6 Black resigned

A "Jerome pawn" assists in the mating attack.

"And I would have gotten away with it..."

I just received the latest Jerome Gambit (delayed) game from Bill Wall. Before - or after - checking it out, you might want to visit "Bill Wall's Chess Page" which has been updated to have even more interesting chess stuff.

The graphic at the top of this post is from the animated series featuring "Scooby-Doo" and his human pals, who got into all sorts of mischief as they solved mysteries. Often the captured villain, at the end of the episode, would lament, "And I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids!"

Some players who defend against the Jerome Gambit have the same feeling about White's "Jerome pawns". 

Wall,B - Lee,S
PlayChess.com, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

5...Kxf7 6.0-0

Bill has played this kind of delayed Jerome Gambit a little differently, before, for example: 6.Be3 Bb4+ 7.c3 Ba5 8.b4 Bb6 9.b5 Na5 10.Nxe5+ Kf8 11.0-0 d6 12.Nf3 Ke7 13.Qc2 Re8 14.d4 Kf8 15.e5 Nd5 16.Qxh7 Nxe3 17.fxe3 Nc4 18.Ng5+ Ke7 19.Qxg7 checkmate, Wall,B - Westender, Chess.com, 2010.

6...h6

An alternative that shows up in different Jerome Gambit game collections is 6...Re8 7.Bg5 d5 8.Nbd2 Bg4 9.c3 Qd6 10.Qb3 Rab8 11.Bxf6 gxf6 12.exd5 Na5 13.Qa4 Bxf3 14.Nxf3 Qb6 15.b4 Bxf2+ 16.Rxf2 e4 17.dxe4 Nc4 18.Qd7+ Kg6 19.Qf5+ Kg7 20.a4 Qe3 21.Nd4 Qxc3 22.Qxf6+ Kg8 23.Raf1 Qxb4 24.Ne6 Qe7 25.Qd4 Nb6 26.Rf3 Nd7 27.Rg3+ Black resigned, Brookshire,T - Cunningham,D, IECC ,1999 (1-0, 27); alternately, 6...Kg8 would allow transposition to Wall,B - KRM, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 25).

7.Nxe5+

Bill has also played this position without the second piece sacrifice:
7.Be3 would lead to Wall,B-Mukak, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 24); while 7.Nc3 was seen in Wall,B - Guest2622844, PlayChess.com, 2013: 7...Rf8 8.Nd5 Kg8 9.Be3 Bb6 10.c4 d6 11.Qb3 Na5 12.Qc3 Nxd5 13.cxd5 c5 14.Nd2 Bc7 15.a3 b5 16.b4 Nb7 17.Nb3 c4 18.dxc4 bxc4 19.Nd2 a5 20.Nxc4 axb4 21.axb4 Rxa1 22.Rxa1 Qh4 23.f3 Bd7? 24.Nxe5 dxe5 25.Qxc7 Bc8 26.Qxe5 Qf6 27.Qxf6 Rxf6 28.b5 Rf8 29.b6 Kf7 30.Rc1 Na5 31.Rc7+ Kg6 32.Bd4 Rg8 33.Kf2 Nb3 34.Bc3 Ba6 35.b7 Rb8 36.Rxg7+ Kh5 37.g4+ Kh4 38.Bf6+ Kh3 39.Rh7 Black resigned

7...Nxe5 8.d4 

Bill has played a similar game, achieving d2-d4 in one move instead of two: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.0-0 h6 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Nf6 8.dxe5 Nh7 9.Qd5+ Kf8 10.Qxc5+ d6 11.Rd1 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest2170955, PlayChess.com, 2012. 

8...d6 9.dxc5 dxc5 10.Qe1 Re8 

Black has a piece for a pawn as well as better development. He is better, but he needs a plan.

In the mean time, White will develop and unleash his "Jerome pawns".

11.Nc3 Ng6 12.f3 Qd4+ 13.Be3 Qe5 14.f4 Qe7 15.e5 Nd7

Black's Queenside looks dangerously congested.

Bill points out that 15...Bf5 was possible, as 16.exf6? simply loses a piece to 16...Qxe3+ 17.Qxe3 Rxe3

16.Nd5 Qh4

Black's move feints at an attack on the Kingside, threatens to exchange Queens - and ignores the problems of his Queenside.

One fascinating possibility in this position is 16...Qd8 17.Rd1 c6 18.e6+ Kg8  when White simply snags the Knight on d7, with at least equality after 19.exd7 Bxd7 20.Nc3. The point is that Black cannot take the obnoxious White e-pawn with 18...Rxe6, as White can activate his other advanced "Jerome pawn" with 19.f5 Re5 20.fxg6+ Kg8 and the tactics, as Stockfish shows, are in the attacker's favor: 21.Nc7!? Qxc7 22.Qg3 Qa5 23.Rxd7 Bxd7 24.Qxe5 Re8 25.Bxc5 Qd8 26.Qf4 with an advantage to White.

17.f5 Qxe1 18.e6+ Kg8 19.Raxe1 Rf8 20.fxg6 Rxf1+ 21.Rxf1 Ne5 

Perhaps Black breathed a sigh of relief here. True, he has had to return his extra piece, but he has traded Queens and one pair of Rooks, and he can look forward to the possibility of a Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame where White's extra pawn may make no difference.

22.Ne7+ 

Or not.

Here Black resigned, as 22...Kh8 23.Rf8 would be checkmate.

Jerome Gambit: Early Opening Tomes (Part 2)

In 1891, reflecting the chess world's ambivalence about the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), G.H.D. Gossip's Chess Player's Vade Mecum and Pocket Guide to the Openings Gossip had analysis of the Jerome, while his Theory of Chess Openings did not. The Handbuch was silent as well.

By 1900 a reader could still find references, but they might be delegated to instruction for novices. Chess Openings for Beginners, by Edward Ernest Cunnington, for example, exhausts itself with "Here we may mention, with a caution, as being quite unsound, the Jerome Gambit." The following year, Cunnington's The Modern Chess Primer mentions the first 6 moves of the named gambit.

In 1902, William Cook's (of Synopsis) The Chess Player's Compendium had no mention of the Jerome Gambit. For that matter, neither did his 1906 The Evolution of the Chess Openings.

Perhaps the 1904 The Complete Chess Guide, by G.H.D Gossip F.J. Lee, showed the Jerome Gambit's hanger-on status best. At the start of the book the authors proclaim

We have therefore eliminated obsolete openings and confined ourselves merely to a brief examination of a dozen of the leading debuts...; omitting those openings in which the defense is declared by the most competent theorists to be weak or inferior, as for example Philidor's and Petroff's Defenses to the Kings Knight's opening; the Sicilian; the Greco Counter Gambit; Center Counter Gambit; Fianchettoes, Blackwar [sic] and Jerome Gambit, etc.

HOWEVER, Part III of the book, "Guide to the Openings," contained Jerome Gambit analysis!

It was left up to the March 1906 edition of Lasker's Chess Magazine to pronounce
"Our Question Box"

Ichabodf: - No; the Jerome gambit is not named after St. Jerome. His penances, if he did any, were in atonement of rather minor transgressions compared with the gambit.

Like a Needle in a Haystack (Part 1)

Researching the history of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) can be a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Some resources are obvious places to look. Checking the past equivalents of today's Encyclopedia of Chess Opening and Modern Chess Openings is a good start (note: MCO, from its first edition in 1911, has not had coverage).

The Handbuch des Schachspiels, for example, has a Jerome Gambit game reference in its 8th edition (1916) but nothing in its 7th (1891) or 6th (1880) editions.

 Cook's Synopsis of the Chess Openings, 1st and 2nd editions (1874, 1876) have no coverage of the Jerome, while its 3rd edition (1882) does.

The first edition of Chess Openings Ancient and Modern (1889) has analysis. Steinitz' Modern Chess Instructor, Part II (1895), of course, has nothing.

There are many other 19th century chess books touching on the opening – and many, many more, not – and each must be checked for Jerome Gambit material.

Some past authors are apparently ambivalent about the line. G.H.D. Gossip's 1891 Theory of the Chess Openings has nothing on the Jerome Gambit, while his The Chess Player's Vade Mecum and Pocket Guide to the Openings, also published in 1891 does have analysis. Gossip out-does himself in his (with F.J. Lee) 1903 The Complete Chess Guide by writing one place that he has "eliminated obsolete openings" such as the Jerome Gambit, which he mentions by name, and then, later on in the book, he gives analysis of that same opening.

Travelling a Dangerous Path

The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) can be a dangerous route for the enterprising and plucky gambiteer to follow. Theoretically, each of its paths leads to a dead end.

As a practical matter, however, some travel it regularly. The games of modern Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Pete Banks ("blackburne") will be used to explore further a byway in the line given in "An International Master Refutes the Jerome Gambit".

White doesn't win every time, but play over the games, and enjoy his unflagging, fighting spirit!

blackburne - macsek
ChessWorld, 2004

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

7.f4 Qf6

This is an interesting alternative to 7...d6 – the move recommended by many, including IM Gary Lane in his The Greatest Ever Chess Tricks and Traps, to put the kabosh on the Jerome Gambit, by returning a piece directly.

The text move was seen as early as in a note in G.H.D. Gossip's 1891 The Chess Player's Vade Mecum and Pocket Guide to the Openings with all the latest theoretical discoveries and traps in the openings revealed. Lee and Gossip's The Complete Chess Guide (1903, 1905, 1907, 1910) carried the same analysis.

It has been more recently revived by FM Eric Schiller, who recommended it in his Unorthodox Chess Openings (1998, 2002), Gambit Chess Openings (2002) and (with John Watson) Survive and Beat Annoying Chess Openings (2003).

8.Qxe5+

This was blackburne's first response to the move, but there are other choices.
Somewhat surprisingly, Gossip gave 8.fxe5 as White's move in his analysis, followed by 8...Qxe5. In this manner, blackburne - Piratepaul, Chessworld, 2008 continued: 9.Qf5+ Qxf5 10.exf5+ Kxf5 11.Rf1+ Kg6 12.Rf8 Bxf8 13.d4 d5 14.Nc3 Bb4 15.Bd2 Bxc3 16.Bxc3 Nf6 17.0-0-0 a5 18.Re1 Ne4 19.Rf1 h6 20.g4 Bxg4 21.Rg1 Kh5 22.Be1 g5 23.c3 Be2 24.Kc2 a4 25.Rg2 Bc4 White resigned – hardly a fair test of the line, as the first player was clearly having a bad game; but, still, ominous.

More to be expected after 8.fxe5 is 8...Qf2+ after which blackburne had a couple of Lord of the Rings-style adventures: 9.Kd1 Qxg2 10.Qf5+ Ke7 11.Rf1 Nh6 12.Qf3 (after 12.Qf4 b6 13.Nc3 d6 14.exd6+ Bxd6 15.Nd5+ Ke8 16.Nf6+ Kd8 17.e5 Bg4+ 18.Nxg4 Black lost on time, blackburne - manago, Chessworld, 2008) 12...Qxf3+ 13.Rxf3 d5 14.Rf4 Bg4+ 15.Ke1 Raf8 16.Rxf8 Rxf8 17.d3 Bf2+ 18.Kd2 d4 19.c3 Be3+ 20.Kc2 Rf2+ 21.Nd2 Bxd2 22.Bxd2 dxc3 23.bxc3 Nf7 24.Rg1 Nxe5 25.h3 Nf3 26.Rxg4 Rxd2+ 27.Kb3 Rxd3 28.Rxg7+ Kf6 29.Rxc7 Nd4+ 30.Kc4 Rd1 31.Rxb7 Ne2 32.Rxa7 Ra1 33.Kb3 Rc1 34.Rc7 h5 35.c4 Nd4+ 36.Ka4 Ke5 37.Rc5+ Kxe4 38.Rxh5 Rxc4+ 39.Ka5 Nc6+ 40.Kb5 Rc2 41.a4 Nd4+ 42.Kb4 Ra2 43.Rg5 Nc6+ 44.Kc5 Ne5 45.Kb5 Nf3 46.Rg4+ Kf5 47.a5 Ne5 48.Rg8 Rb2+ 49.Ka6 Nc4 50.Rg4 Ne3 51.Ra4 Nd1 52.Ka7 Nc3 53.Ra1 Rh2 54.a6 Rxh3 55.Kb7 Nb5 56.Ra5 Rb3 57.a7 Ke6 58.a8Q Nd6+ 59.Kc6 Rc3+ 60.Rc5 Rxc5+ 61.Kxc5 Ke5 62.Qd5+ Black resigned, blackburne - AAlekhine Chessworld, 2007.

Another adventure followed 8.Qh3+, as blackburne - Kemik, Chessworld, 2005 continued 8...Ke7 9.fxe5 Qxe5 10.d3 d5 11.Qh4+ Nf6 12.Nc3 c6 13.Bf4 Qh5 14.Bg5 Qxh4+ 15.Bxh4 Bb4 16.0-0-0 dxe4 17.Nxe4 Bg4 19.Rf4 Ba5 20.Rxg4 Rg8 21.Rf1 h6 22.Nxf6 gxf6 23.Bxf6+ Ke6 24.Re4+ Kd6 25.Be7+ Kc7 26.g3 Rae8 27.Rf7 Kb6 28.b4 Bxb4 29.Rxb4+ Ka6 30.Bd6 b6 31.Ra4+ Kb5 32.Rfxa7 c5 33.Bf4 h5 34.c4+ Kc6 35.Rc7 checkmate

Currently 8.Rf1 is seen as the strongest move for White; but it was not considered by Gossip, Lee or Schiller; nor played by Blackburne.

8...Qxe5 9.fxe5 Kxe5

According to Schiller, Black's King is "perfectly safe in the center" in this interesting endgame position, but most players will have a "better" game against the Jerome Gambit – right up to the point where they resign.

10.Nc3 Nf6 11.d3 d5
11...Bd4 is not a "bad" alternative, but iltimately failed against White's active play in blackburne - drewbear, chessworld, 2008: 12.Rf1 Ke6 13.Nb5 Bb6 14.Bf4 d6 15.0-0-0 a6 16.Nc3 Bd7 17.Rf3 Rhf8 18.Rdf1 Ng4 19.h3 g5 20.Bxg5 Rxf3 21.Rxf3 Ne5 22.Rf6+ Ke7 23.Nd5+ Ke8 24.Rh6 Kf7 25.Nf6 Be8 26.Nxh7 Kg7 27.Nf6 Bg6 28.Nd5 Rf8 29.Ne7 Nf7 30.Rxg6+ Kh7 31.Bf6 Ne5 32.Rg7+ Kh6 33.Nf5+ Kh5 34.g4+ Black resigned

12.Rf1 Ke6 13.Bg5 Bb4 14.exd5+ [14.Bxf6 first was stronger] Nxd5 15.0-0-0 Nxc3 16.bxc3 Bxc3 17.Bd2 Bf6 18.Rde1+ Kd7 19.Re4 b6 20.g3 Bb7 21.Re2 Rae8 22.Rfe1 Rxe2 23.Rxe2 Re8 24.Rxe8 Kxe8 25.Bf4 Kd7 26.Kd2 Bd5 27.c4 Be6 28.Kc2 g5 29.Be3 c5 30.Bd2 Bd4 31.Be1 Bh3 32.Bd2 h6 33.Be1 Bg1 34.a4 Bxh2 35.Bf2 Ke6 36.d4 cxd4 37.Kd3 h5 38.Kxd4 Bf5 39.c5 Bc2 40.cxb6 axb6 41.Kc4 Bxa4 42.Kb4 b5 43.Be1 Kf5 44.Kc3 Kg4 White resigned

The Obsolete Jerome Gambit

The year 1903 saw the publication of The Complete Chess Guide by F.J. Lee and G.H.D. Gossip. It was a large book, with "four parts in one volume": Part I - Chess Player's Mentor, Part II - Modern Chess Brilliancies, Part III - Guide to the Openings, and Part IV - Games at odds.

In the Chess Player's Mentor portion the book the authors write

We have therefore eliminated obsolete openings and confined ourselves merely to a brief examination of a dozen of the leading debuts...; omitting those openings in which the defense is declared by the most competent theorists to be weak or inferior, as for example Philidor's and Petroff's Defenses to the Kings Knight's opening; the Sicilian; the Greco Counter Gambit; Center Counter Gambit; Fianchettoes, Blackwar [sic] and Jerome Gambit, etc."

One can argue, despite Lee and Gossip's claim, that all of those openings mentioned – except the Jerome Gambit of course – are hardly obsolete today.

The exacting reader of the time might have noticed that the analysis given in the Guide to the Openings section of The Complete Chess Guide is an exact reprint of Gossip's analysis from his 1891 The Chess Player'sVade Mecum – including coverage of the Jerome Gambit! (The analysis is also the same in the 1903, 1905, 1907 and 1910 versions of The Complete Chess Guide.)

The obsolete Jerome Gambit: even when it's not supposed to be there, it's there!