Full Circle (Part 1)

While Lt. Sorensen's article (see "Early Opening Tomes: Addendum") was making its rounds, Alonzo Wheeler Jerome was learning more about the line that we have been pursuing (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.d4 Bxd4 9.Na3), and about the dangers of having one's published analysis available for others to crack – as can be learned from the November 24, 1877 issue of News of the Week, that carried a Jerome Gambit correspondence game.

That game can already be found, thanks to Dr. Tim Harding, in "The Jerome - Norton Games (Part 4)", to which can be added the following notes:


Jerome,A - Norton,D
correspondence, 1877

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.d4 Bxd4 9.Na3

9...Qf6 10.Nb5+ Kc5 11.Nxd4 d6

Instead of Norton's 11...d6 in this game, Jerome's analysis in the Dubuque Chess Journal gave both 11...Qxf5 and 11...Kd6.

Филидор1792's recent game showed 11...Kxe4 to be playable, but very dangerous for Black.

As the News of the Week commentator pointed out, "This move decides the game. White reels from the shock, is henceforth pressed to the wall, and Black has an easy victory."

12.Nb3+ Kb6 13.Qg5 Qxg5 14.Bxg5 Nf6 15.f3 Be6 16.Nd4 Rhe8 17.0-0 c5 18.Nb3 Bxb3 19.cxb3 a5 20.Rfd1 Kc6 21.a4 b6 22.Rd2 Rad8 23.h3 Nf7 24.Bh4 g5 25.Bf2 d5 26.Rad1 dxe4 27.Rxd8 Rxd8 28.Re1 Re8 29.fxe4 Rxe4 30.Rf1 Re6 31.Be3 h6 32.g4 Ne5 33.Bd2 Ne4 34.Bc3 Nxc3 35.bxc3 c4 36.bxc4 Kc5 37.Rb1 Kxc4 38.Rb5 Kxc3 39.Kg2 Nd3 40.h4 gxh4 41.Kh3 Nc5 Black resigned

The Jerome - Norton Games (Part 4)

Thanks to Senior International Master of Correspondence Chess Tim Harding (see "Tim Harding, PhD") and his correspondence chess resources, we know that Alonzo Wheeler Jerome and D.P. Norton played at least four correspondence chess games to test the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).

The following game was apparently published in a late October or early November 1877 issue of News of the Week. Notes are by Harding; some quote from the NotW column.

Norton (Kansas) sent letter dated 29 Oct 1877 to News of the Week columnist noting the interest in Europe in Jerome's gambit. 'Having contested several games myself by corr. with Mr Jerome, I presume a specimen of our play might perhaps interest your readers...'

Jerome, A. - Norton, D.P.

correspondence 1877

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+?! Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.d4 Bxd4 9.Na3

It is understood that Mr Jerome admits the unsoundness of the variation 9 Na3... Nevertheless great care is necessary for the defence, especially in play across the board.

9...Qf6!?

9...c6 preferred by Sorensen in Danish magazine (Nordisk Skaktidende?); Norton disagrees and thinks the text at least as good, but both allow White to win back the piece. He hints a third move is better than either and invites readers to find it. 9...Kc6! is perhaps what he meant.

10.Nb5+ Kc5 11.Nxd4 d6!-+

This move decides the game. White reels from the shock, is henceforth pressed to the wall, and Black has an easy victory.

11...Qxf5? 12.Nxf5 g6 13.Be3+ Kc6 14.Nd4+ Kd6 15.0-0-0 Ke7 16.Nb5 was given in the Danish magazine.

12.Nb3+ Kb6 13.Qg5 Qxg5 14.Bxg5 Nf6 15.f3 Be6

16.Nd4 Rhe8 17.0-0 c5 18.Nb3 Bxb3 19.cxb3 a5 20.Rfd1 Kc6 21.a4 b6 22.Rd2 Rad8 23.h3 Nf7 24.Bh4 g5 25.Bf2

25...d5 26.Rad1 dxe4 27.Rxd8 Rxd8 28.Re1 Re8 29.fxe4 Rxe4 30.Rf1 Re6 31.Be3 h6 32.g4 Ne5 33.Bd2 Ne4

34.Bc3 Nxc3 35.bxc3 c4 36.bxc4 Kc5 37.Rb1 Kxc4 38.Rb5 Kxc3 39.Kg2 Nd3 40.h4 gxh4 41.Kh3 Nc5 White resigned