Did he jump, or was he pushed?

My guess is that the first chessplayer to follow 1.e4 with Bc4 (either right away, as in the Bishop's Opening, or later, as in the Italian Game or the King's Gambit) already had the move Bxf7+ in mind. That seminal moment would have been long before the birth of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) – and who knows which of those early attacks might have inspired Alonzo Wheeler Jerome to create his "Double Gambit"?

In the following game, Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member blackburne is playing the venerable King's Gambit Accepted, until the game takes a Bxf7+ swerve. Was blackburne's hand forced by the ghost of Lolli, Salvio, or Muzio, or of A.W. Jerome himself?

blackburne - notverydeepblue
ChessWorld, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 a6

I have found only 3 or 4 game examples of this move, all from amateur play. Black is either experimenting wildly, or he is essaying the weak psychological gambit: do you know your opening as White well enough to play it without any help from me??

Either way, knowing blackburne, this signals a short game.

4.Bc4 b5 5.Bxf7+

Of course, there was nothing preventing White from playing 5.Bb3 followed by 6.d4, instead – except, perhaps, his sense of adventure.

5...Kxf7 6.Ne5+ Ke6 7.d4

Does any reader care to wager that the next time blackburne reaches this position, he will offer a further piece with 7.O-O ?

7...c6 8.Qg4+ Kd6 9.Nf7+ Black resigned

Piratepaul Tops Wild Muzio Tournament

Some time back (see "Wild!") I mentioned that Chessworld was holding a Lolli / Wild Muzio (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.Bxf7+) Gambit Thematic Tournament (for some Wild Muzio's see "Wilder!", "Wildest!", and ""And Yet Wilder Still...") that might be of interest to Jerome Gambiteers.

The tournament is now complete, and Piratepaul – who is also leading the current Chessworld Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Thematic Tournament – was the winner, with 24 wins out of 28 games. Second place, on a tie-break, was blackburne, nudging out BigFace888 and Crusader Rabbit, all scoring 18 points out of 28.

Here are a few of the short games – one by the tournament winner, one by the runner-up, and one (his sole win, but always fighting) by the tail-ender, brain50.

Piratepaul - Macken
Chessworld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.Bxf7+

5...Kxf7 6.Ne5+ Ke8

7.Qxg4 d6

Black needed to play 7...Nf6, and according to old analysis after 8.Qxf4 d6 9.Nf3 Rg8 10.0-0 Rg4 11.Qe3 Rxe4 he would be much better.

8.Qh5+ Ke7 9.Qf7 checkmate




TWODOGS - blackburne
Chessworld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.Bxf7+

5...Kxf7 6.Ne5+ Ke6 7.Qxg4+ Kxe5

8.d4+ Kxd4


Here, Black claimed a win on time – just when the game was getting interesting.

White had the crafty move 9.b4, and play could have continued 9...Bxb4+ 10.c3+ Kc5 – instead, 10...Bxc3+ 11.Nxc3 Kxc3 12.Bb2+ Kxb2 13.Qe2+ Kxa1 14.Kf2 checkmate was played by Spencer (see "And Yet Wilder Still...") – 11.cxb4+ Kb6 12.Bb2 and White had a chance for advantage.



brain50 - DREWBEAR 63
Chessworld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.Bxf7+

5...Kxf7 6.Ne5+ Ke6 7.d4 White's best was, instead, 7.Qxg4+ so that after 7...Kxe5 he would be able to force a draw by repeatedly checking Black's King.

Now Black can play 7...Qh4+ (a move familiar to those who play the Jerome Gambit) with advantage. Instead, he plays a quieter move.

7...d6 8.Qxg4+ Kf6

Black's best was 8...Ke7 9.Qh4+ Nf6 10.Ng6+ hxg6 11.Qxh8 with an unclear game that is still playable.


9.Qxf4+ Ke7 10.Qf7 checkmate

Fried Jerome Attack

Not everyone is interested in facing the Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ (see, for example "It's a good thing I read this blog"). One way to avoid it is to play Philidor's Defense, 2...d6, instead of allowing the Italian Game with 2...Nc6. Still, one shouldn't provoke too much of an attacking spirit in the heart of the Jerome Gambiteer...


perrypawnpusher - azzaonnet
blitz 5 12 FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Nf6
An unusual, but playable, variation of the Philidor.

4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5

With this move Black allows his opponent to play an attack similar to the Fried Liver Attack in the Two Knights Defense: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxe5 6.Nxf7 – only in this case Black has not developed his Queen's Knight.

In one of his Gambit Cartel columns for ChessCafe, "Going Fishing," Tim McGrew (see "A Few Words With...Tim McGrew") points out that the proper move in this line of the Philidor is 5...h6, after which "The similarities to the Elephant [Gambit] line [which he discusses] are striking."

6.Nxf7

Of course. Never mind that the last time I played the Fried Liver Attack was 30 years ago. Or that the move 6.d4, similar to the Lolli Attack in the Two Knights (not to be mistaken for the Wild Muzio Gambit, mind you: see "Wild!", "Wilder!" and "Wildest!") was probably stronger.
6...Kxf7 7.Qf3+ Ke6

Black's King must venture into danger to hold onto the piece: 7...Ke8 8.Qxd5 Qxd5 9.Bxd5, as in perrypawnpusher - xPOGOx, FICS 2009, simply leads to a Queenless middlegame a pawn down.

8.Nc3

An alternative was 8.0-0 c6 9.d4 Qf6 10.Qe2 Ke7 11.dxe5 Qf5 12.f4 Be6 13.Bd3 Qg4 14.Rf3 g6 15.h3 Qh5 16.Bd2 Kd8 17.c4 Bc5+ 18.Kf1 Ne7 19.b4 Bd4 20.Bc3 Bxc3 21.Nxc3 a6 22.Rd1 Kc7 23.b5 axb5 24.cxb5 Nd7 25.a4 Rhf8 26.Qd2 g5 27.Be4 Nd5 28.Nxd5+ Bxd5 29.Bxd5 Nxe5 30.fxe5 Rfd8 31.Rf7+ Qxf7+ 32.Bxf7 Rxd2 33.Rxd2 Rxa4 34.e6 Black resigned, Eliason - Leow, Berlin 1856.

8...c6 9.d4 exd4

Or 9...b5 10.Bb3 b4 11.Nxd5 cxd5 12.dxe5 Nc6 13.c4 Ne7 14.cxd5+ Nxd5 15.0-0 h5 16.Rd1 Bb7 17.Bg5 Qxg5 18.Bxd5+ Bxd5 19.Qxd5+ Kf5 20.Qxa8 Qe7 21.Qf3+ Kg6 22.Rd6+ Kh7 23.Qf5+ Kg8 24.Rad1 g6 25.Rxg6+ Bg7 26.Rd7 Qf8 27.Rgxg7+ Qxg7 28.Rd8+ Black resigned, abhailey-vkroll, net-chess.com 2007.


10.Qe4+

Rybka 3 turns its nose up at this move, preferring the further piece sacrifice: 10.Bf4 dxc3 11.0-0-0 after which it sees White as having a winning game. Amazing!

10...Kd6

This is not accurate, either: the King should be one step further back.

11.Nxd5

I admit that I was at a bit of a loss for a plan, here. Later Rybka 3 suggested capturing with the other minor piece: 11.Bxd5 Kc7 12.Qxd4 b6 13.Nb5+ Kb7 and White has the advantage.

11...Be6

Wow. Clearly my opponent was seeing something that I wasn't seeing. Later the computer suggested that Black would be better after 11...cxd5 12.Qxd5+ Kc7 13.Bf4+ Bd6 14.Qxd4 Qe7+ 15.Be2 Rd8 16.0-0-0 Nc6.

Now the game ends quickly.

12.Bf4+ Kc5


Or 12...Kd7 13.Nc7, which turns out badly.


13.b4+ Kxc4 14.Qd3+ Kxd5 15.c4 checkmate

Wildest!

Here's a Wild Muzio, presented in Edward Winter's 1996 Chess Explorations (source British Chess Magazine, September 1903, page 392):

Blackburne, J.H. - Amateur

simultaneous exhibition

Canterbury, 1903

(notes by Blackburne)

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4

On this occasion, to follow the fashion, I offered the King's Gambit wherever I had the chance; and to my utter astonishment, nearly allwere accepted. 'That's the way to learn chess', said I.

3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.Bxf7+

An almost obsolete variation. Some 40 years ago or more, I frequently played it, but came to the conclusion that it did not lead to such a lasting attack as the ordinary Muzio.

When I sacrificed the bishop, one of the lookers-on asked what Gambit I called that, pointing to the next board. 'That', I said, 'is the Bishop's Gambit, and this is the Archbishop's'. The Archbishop was present at the time.

5...Kxf7 6.Ne5+ Ke8

The only move. Any other loses immediately.

7.Qxg4 Qf6

The correct reply is 7...Nf6

8.d4 Bh6 9.0-0 Qg7 10.Qh5+ Ke7 11.Bxf4 Bxf4 12.Rxf4 Nf6 13.Qh4 d6 14.Nc3 c6 15.Raf1 Rf8 16.Nf7

16.Nxc6+ would equally have won, but I could not resist this; it is the sort of move sure to intimidate the ordinary amateur. Anyway it somewhat non-plussed my opponent, for he immediately exclaimed, 'What have you taken?'

16...Rxf7 17.e5 dxe5 18.dxe5 Nbd7 19.exf6+ Nxf6 20.Ne4 Be6 21.Nxf6 Kf8 22.Nxh7+ Kg8 23.Rxf7 Bxf7 24.Nf6+ Kf8 25.Qb4+

How's that, umpire?

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, Wizard of Draws

Wilder!

Taking the lead from Pete Banks (see "Wild!") I stopped by the Lolli Gambit (aka Wild Muzio) tournament on Chessworld.

He was right: I found a number of quick wins for White, including ten (so far) that followed the same line: 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 g4 5. Bxf7 Kxf7 6. Ne5 Ke8 7. Qxg4 d6 8. Qh5 Ke7 9. Qf7 checkmate.

There was another game that was even shorter: 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 g4 5. Bxf7 Kxf7 6. Ne5 Ke6 7. Qxg4 Kd6 8. Nf7 Black resigns.

Obviously the Wild Muzio has some "shock and awe" impact.

It's also pretty double-edged, as I noticed some quick wins by Black, in 11, 13 and 14 moves.

Clearly this opening and the Chessworld site are worth a closer look.

In the meantime, here's a bit longer Lolli Gambit win from my database, between two players from the Ukraine:

Nasikan - Pasemko
12th Stepichev Memorial
Kiev, 2004

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Ne5+ Ke8 7.Qxg4 Nf6 8.Qxf4 d6 9.Nf3 Bg7

Better is 9...Rg8, according to Polerio – and Fritz 8.

10.0-0 Kf8

This idea seems a bit extravagant and leads to an equal game, whereas 10...Nc6 seems to hold Black's edge.

11.d4 Kg8 12.e5 dxe5 13.dxe5 Nd5 14.Qg3 h6 15.c4 Nb6 16.b3 Nc6 17.Bb2 Be6 18.Nc3 Bxc4

Playing with fire. Wiser was 18...Kh7.

19.Rad1

Why not simply 19.bxc4 ?

19...Qe7

Sealing his doom: withdrawing the en prise Bishop with 19...Bd5 was best.

20.bxc4 Nxc4

After this White either wins the Black Queen or checkmates his opponent.

21.Nd5 Qc5+

This allows mate. 21...Ne3 may be "best", as it "only" leads to the loss of the Queen

22.Kh1 Nxb2

Or: 22...Qxd5 23.Rxd5 Ne3 24.Rd7 Nf5 25.Qg6 Rh7 26.Qxf5 Rf8 27.Qg6 Ne7 28.Rxe7 c5 29.e6 Kh8 30.Bxg7+ Kg8 31.Bf6+ Rg7 32.Qxg7 checkmate

23.Nf6+ Kf7

Or: 23...Kf8 24.Nd4 Nxd4 25.Nh5+ Ke8 26.Qxg7 Kd8 27.e6 Qd6 28.Qxh8+ Ke7 29.Qf6+ Ke8 30.Ng7 checkmate

24.Nd7

Quicker: 24.Nh4 Nd3 25.Qg6+ Kf8 26.Nd7+ Ke7 27.Qxg7+ Kd8 28.Nxc5 Kc8 29.Qxh8+ Nd8 30.Rxd3 a6 31.Qxd8 checkmate

24...Qe7

"Better": 24...Rhf8 25.Nxc5 Nxd1 26.Rxd1

25.Nh4+ Ke8 26.Qg6+ Kd8 27.Nb6+ Nxd1 28.Rxd1+ Qd6 29.Rxd6+ cxd6 30.Qxd6+ Ke8 31.Nxa8

White has his win in mind, and so misses the faster: 31.Qe6+ Ne7 32.Nf5 Bf8 33.Nd6+ Kd8 34.Qd7 checkmate

31...Bxe5 32.Nc7+ Kf7 33.Qe6+ Kg7 34.Nf5+ Kf8 35.Qe8 checkmate

Wild!

A discussion started in "London Calling... Seven Months of Blog", (is there another totally obscure and disreputable tactical opening line or gambit that I could go digging for information about, while I'm researching the Jerome Gambit?) eventually led to a comment by chessfriend and Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Pete Banks ("blackburne") to the post "Worth a Second Look... (Part 1)"

Rick,

I've just started a Lolli Gambit (aka Wild Muzio) tournament on Chessworld. It's similar to the Jerome in that a Bishop is sacced very early on f7. 1.e4 e5 2.f4 ef 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5. Bxf7ch?! It seems to have more potential for quick wins than the Jerome. there have been several wins for White in under 10 moves already.

Pete

Now that's wild!

I did some quick research to learn more about Pete's suggestion, and ran into this game attributed to Greco:

Greco,G - NN, Europe, 1620
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Ne5+ Ke6 7.Qxg4+ Kxe5 8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.d4 Bg7 10.Bxf4+ Ke7 11.Bg5+ Bf6 12.e5 Bxg5 13.Qxg5+ Ke8 14.Qh5+ Ke7 15.0-0 Qe8 16.Qg5+ Ke6 17.Rf6+ Nxf6 18.Qxf6+ Kd5 19.Nc3+ Kxd4 20.Qf4+ Kc5 21.b4+ Kc6 22.Qc4+ Kb6 23.Na4 checkmate

Anyone whose King has been hounded to death while facing the Jerome Gambit will sympathize with poor NN, above.

From http://wapedia.mobi/en/Giambattista_Lolli:

Giambattista Lolli (1698 in Nonantola, Italy- 4 June 1769) was an Italian chess player. Lolli was one of the most important chess theoreticians of his time. He is most famous for his book Osservazioni teorico-pratiche sopra il giuoco degli scacchi (English: Theoretical-practical views on the game of chess), published 1763 in Bologna. It contains analyses of chess openings, in particular the Giuoco Piano. In the King's Gambit the variation 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5. Bxf7+ is designated after Lolli. It illustrates the Italian masters' style of uncompromising attack, which clearly differs from the rather more strategic considerations taken by, for example, the French chess player Philidor. In addition, the book contain listings of 100 chess endgames. One of these positions was used by Wilhelm Heinse in his novel Anastasia und das Schachspiel (English: Anastasia and the game of chess).

W. John Lutes' fantastic Cunningham Gambit (1980) (anything written by Lutes is fantastic - he was a relentless researcher) has an in-depth history of the King's Gambit, and it's worth tracing the Wild Muzio a bit.

One such series of Italian manuscripts were written by the brilliant analyst and player, Giulio Cesare Polerio, around 1590. He had accompanied Leonardo da Cutri to Spain in 1575 and had first-hand knowledge of the opening analysis done by the Spanish players. As well, his recorded variations and comments show that he had both played and analyzed the King's Gambit for some time.

Polerio discusses the King's Gambit at considerable length and a few examples are necessary to illustrate the extraordinary depth of his play... 1.e4 e5 2.f4 ef 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Ne5+ Ke6 7.Qxg4+ Kxe5 8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.d4... ["And although he has lost two pieces, yet he will win the game by force from the given position, provided he knows how to go on with the attack. If Black observes the loss of the game after 6...Ke6, and does better, perhaps by 6...Ke8!, then 7.Qxg4 Nf6 8.Qxf4, and seeking to Castle, White will have the best attack, despite having lost a piece for severals Pawns, as Black can no longer Castle."]

In a footnote, Lutes adds

5.Bxf7+ is presently known as the Lolli Muzio Gambit, from its having appeared in the Osservazioni Teorico-pratiche sopra il Giuoco degli Scacchi; ossia Il Giuoco degli Scacchi..., 1763, written by Giambatista Lolli.

Polerio's observation that the best defense is 6...Ke8! 7.Qxg4 Nf6! (7...Qf6 was Lolli's idea) was borne out by extensive analysis by Zukertort (1868), Schmid (1886), Alapin (1889), and Savenkoff (1897). The main line runs: 8.Qxf4 d6 (8...Bd6 [Zukertort, 1868] 9.0-0 Rf8! 10.d4 Nc6 11.Qh6!, gives White a strong attack. Analysis by Paul Bohl, 1884; Alapin, 1899; and Savenkoff, 1897) 9.Nf3 (9.Nc4 Nc6 10.0-0 Bg7 11.d3 Be6 12.Qg3 Qe7. -/+. Allgaier, 1802) Rg8! 10.e5 de 11.Nce5 Bd6 12.0-0 Bh3 13.Re1 Bc5+ 14.d4 Bxd4+ 15.Be3 Rxg2+ 16.Kh1 Rg4! -/+. Dr. C. Schmid: Deutsche Schachzeitung, 1886, p. 325.

The Lolli connection shows up later, after several authors, including Greco

With Greco, the King's Gambit became a fearsome weapon of attack. He whipped together the best analysis of the old Italian masters and hammered out a system of uncompromising assault on the enemy f7 square; sacrificing as many Pawns or pieces as necessary to achieve this objective...

According to Lutes,

Lolli took Ercole del Rio's bare analysis from the Sopra il giucco delgi Scacchi..., 1750, and added copious notes and explanations; as well as a few well chose contributions. The following variations from Lolli are of interest: (A) 1.e4 e5 2.f4 ef 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Ne5+ Ke8! 7.Qxg4 Qf6 8.Qh5+ Ke7 9.Nf7 Qxf7 10.Qe5+ Qe6 11.Qxh8 Nf6 12.b3 Nc6 13.Bb2 Ne5 14.Nc3 c6 15.0-0-0 (K at b1 and QR at e1) Qf7 16.Nd5+ cd 17.ed Bg7 18.Rxe5+ Kd6 19. Qd8 b6 20.d4 Bb7 21.Ba3 mate...

Again, playing through the analysis, it's hard not to see themes that show up in the later Jerome Gambit.