A Conspiracy of Silence?

Yesterday's post ("Travelling a Dangerous Path") showed a line in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) that was challenging enough to give even one of the premier players of the Jerome – Pete Banks ("blackburne") – enough to keep him on his toes.

It can be hard playing against a line recommended by either International Master Gary Lane – The Greatestest Ever Chess Tricks and Traps (2008) – or FIDE Master Eric Schiller – Unorthox Chess Openings (1998, 2002), Gambit Chess Openings (2002), and Survive and Beat Annoying Chess Openings (with John Watson, 2003): 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke3 7.f4 and either 7...d6 (Lane) or 7...Qf6 (Schiller).

But what about the alternative 7th move, 7.Qf5+ ? It turns out that blackburne has played that move, too, for example: 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Bd4 9.fxe5+ Bxe5 10.d4 Qh4+ 11.Kd1 Nh6 12.Qxe5+ Kc6 13.Qc5 checkmate, blackburne - Temmo, Chessworld, 2008.

Hope you didn't blink: that was a fast win, there.

I have to admit that although more than half of my losses with the Jerome Gambit have come after playing 7.Qf5+, I have a few wins with it, as well. Over a dozen.

So, what do our friends IM Lane and FM Schiller have to say about that alternative to 7.f4, 7.Qf5+ ?

Nothing.

That's right: nothing.

It's almost as if the two, each of whom enjoys writing about and playing offbeat openings, are announcing the death of the Jerome Gambit (for the umpteenth time) to the chess world at large when it comes to 7.f4 – and then giving a wink and a nod to the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde when it comes to 7.Qf5+.

Editorial oversight, or Conspiracy of Silence?

You decide.

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

Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (23)

A game wherin the human discovers that, all jokes aside (see "Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (22)") that the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) isn't a "forced draw" after all...



RevvedUp - Fritz 8
blitz 2 12, 2006

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


7.f4 d6
Dutifully returning one of the sacrificed pieces. As Eric Schiller wrote about the Jerome Gambit in his Unorthodox Chess Openings (1998, 2002), "Being two pieces up has its advantages!"

8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Qh3+


9...Ke7

Too bad! Earlier, RevvedUp had played 9...Kd6, and Crafty 19.19, troubled by it's self-assessment of being in a lost position, forced a draw by repetition -- which Black readily agreed to.

10.Qh4+ Nf6 11.d3 Kf7 12.Nc3 Ng4 13.Rf1+

Fritz8 is looking to start some trouble, but so is RevvedUp. An alternative to consider was 13.Bg5 Qd4 14.0-0-0.

13...Kg6 14.Qg3 Be7 15.Ke2

White's King is very uncomfortable. His Queen is, too.

15...Bh4 16.Qf3 Be6 17.h3 Nh2 18.Qe3 Nxf1 19.Kxf1 Rf8+ 20.Ke2 Qf6 21.Nd5 Qf1+ 22.Kd2 Bxd5 23.exd5 Bg5 White resigns

The next best thing...

A few posts ago (see "London calling... Seven Months of Blog") I asked readers to suggest "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."

Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Pete Banks ("blackburne"), in a Comment, suggested 1.h4, a move with which he has had some success, following his own idea of 2. g3, 3.Nh3, 4.Bg2, and 5.0-0.

So I did a little research.

Althought Tim Harding, in his Dynamic White Openings (1989), calls 1.h4 "The most despised of openings, not even worthy of a name," it has sometimes been called the Deprès Opening, according the Oxford Companion to Chess (1984).

More often, though, 1.h4 goes by the name of the Kadas Opening. Eric Schiller, in his Unorthodox Chess Openings (1998, 2002), writes

The Hungarian player Kadas has the dubious distinction of being perhaps the greatest living exponent of 1.h4, a move even Myers, a true fan of bizarre openings, considers poor.

He is referring to Hugh E. Myers, who in his Exploring the Chess Openings (1978) had this to say

If there were an election for the worst possible first move, 1.P-KR4 would have excellent winning chances.

Grandmaster Bent Larsen, in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings, Volume A (1979), gave "1.h4? e5 =/+"

So Kadas' Opening would seem to meet the criteria set above for "disreputable" – even if it receives more complete and respectful treatment in Stefan Bücker's Groteske Schacheröffnungen (1990).

Do readers have other suggestions?

Firsts

An exchange of emails with Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Pete Banks ("blackburne"):

Hi Rick,

Not sure if I mentioned this, but one of my Internet wins with the Jerome is in Gary Lane's book The Greatest Ever Chess Tricks and Traps .

I wonder if this is the first publication of a complete Jerome game in book form?

Pete

Hi Pete,

I've got dibs on the review copy of Gary's book when it shows up at Chessville, so I'll be able to see your game in print with my own eyes. Congratulations all over again!

As for the first publication of a complete Jerome Gambit game in book form, I think your game is a rare item, but not the first.

Andres Clemente Vazquez included three Jerome Gambits from his second match with William Carrington in his book Algunas Partidas de Ajedrez (1876); and he shared his game against L. Giraudy in the 2nd & 3rd editions of his Analisis del juego de ajedres: libro a propositio para que pueda aprender dicho juego, el que lo ignore del todo, in necesidad de maestro (1885, 1889). (Not in the 1st edition, mind you: it was published in 1874, the first year that the Jerome Gambit saw print.)

Of course, the infamous game Amateur - Blackburne, London 1885, appeared in Mr. Blackburne's Games at Chess (1899), and thereafter in numerous books, including Handbuch des Schachspiels - 8th ed (1916); Du Mont's 200 Miniature Games of Chess (1942); Chernev and Harkness' An Invitation to Chess A Picture Guide to the Royal Game (1945); and Wenman's Master Chess Play (1951).

More recently, Eric Schiller has included Amateur -Blackburne in his Unorthodox Chess Openings (1998, 2002) and Gambit Chess Openings (2002); and, with John Watson, his Survive and Beat Annoying Chess Openings (2003).

Hope that isn't rain on your parade -- your game appears to be the first game from this century and the past one to appear in book form, as far as I know. Good enough?

Best wishes,

Rick

"Bishop in a Hurry"

A few days after posting on the Jerome-ish 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 4.Bxf7+ (see "Offside!" and "The Other Side") I discovered that a similar line of play from the Vienna Opening rather than the Italian Game (a reminiscent reflection of "Godfather of the Jerome Gambit?" Part I, Part II, Part III and Endnote) – 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 4.Bxf7+ – had been addressed in a "Reader's Challenge" at ChessPublishing (

http://www.chesspublishing.com/content/1/puz2.htm):

Reader’s Challenge P2.1.1 referring to M.Adams-P.Motwani, London 1989

The idea of ...Na5 has been mentioned, but would it have been OK for Black to play it even earlier, at move three?

Solution

3...Na5? loses to 4 Bxf7+

! Kxf7 5 Qh5+, intending 5...g6 6 Qe5 (forking the loose black pieces on a5 and h8) or 5...Ke6 6 Qf5+ Kd6 7 d4 and then, for example, 7...Qf6 8 dxe5+ Qxe5 9 Bf4 or 7...Qe8 8 dxe5+ Kc6 9 e6 b6 10 Qd5# or 7...Nc6 8 dxe5+ Nxe5 9 Bf4 Qf6 10 Bxe5+ Qxe5 11 0-0-0+, costing Black his queen.

It's pretty easy to back this analysis up with games, as I have only a handful in my database:

Schelkonogov - Morozenko, corr, 1989: 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Qh5+ Ke6 6.Qf5+ Kd6 7.d4 Nc6 8.dxe5+ Kc5 9.Be3+ Kb4 10.a3+ Ka5 11.e6+ d5 12.exd5 Nce7 13.b4+ Black resigned;

Keizer - Kroes, corr NLD, 1991: 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 4.Bxf7+ Ke7 5.Bxg8 Rxg8 6.Nd5+ Kd6 7.d4 Black resigned;

Stalker - Palmer Douglas, Scotland Tch B, 1994: 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Qh5+ g6 6.Qxe5 Nc6 7.Qxh8 Nf6 8.Nf3 Bh6 9.Qxd8 Nxd8 10.d4 Bg7 11.0-0 d6 12.Re1 Nc6 13.e5 dxe5 14.dxe5 Ng4 15.e6+ Black resigned;

Gutt - Schiller, Bergisch Gladbach (4), 1996: 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Qh5+ Ke6 6.Qf5+ Kd6 7.d4 exd4 8.Bf4+ Ke7 9.Nd5+ Ke8 10.Nxc7+ Ke7 11.Nd5+ Ke8 12.Nc7+ Ke7 13.Qxa5 d6 14.Qg5+ Nf6 15.Nxa8 h6 16.Qg6 Be6 17.Nf3 Qxa8 18.Bxd6+ Kxd6 19.e5+ Kd7 20.exf6 gxf6 21.0-0-0 Qc8 22.Nxd4 Kc7 23.Qxf6 Bg4 24.Nb5+ Black resigned;

McCall - Harvey, Kent vs Essex, Swanscombe, 2001: 1.e4 Nc6 2.Nc3 e5 3.Bc4 Na5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Qh5+ Ke6 6.Qf5+ Kd6 7.d4 Qe8 8.dxe5+ Kc6 9.e6 Qxe6 10.Qb5+ Kd6 11.Bg5 c6 12.Qxa5 b6 13.Qa3+ c5 14.Nf3 Kc6 15.0-0-0 h6 16.Bf4 Nf6 17.Qa4+ Kb7 18.e5 Ne8 19.Rhe1 g5 20.Bg3 a6 21.Nd5 Ka7 22.Nf6 b5 23.Qa5 Nxf6 24.Qc7+ Bb7 25.exf6 Rc8 26.Rxe6 Rxc7 27.Re8 Rc6 28.Rxd7 Rxf6 29.Bb8+ Kb6 30.Bc7+ Kc6 31.Ne5 checkmate;

Olmos - Esteves, 54th Villa Ballester (5), 2004: 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Qh5+ Black resigned

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, "The Wizard of Draws"

Another nail in the coffin...

Readers are aware that I have not shied away from presenting refutations of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) when I run into them (or am run over by them). It's time to give Master Eric Schiller credit (again) for both writing about the Jerome Gambit and providing a reasonable refutation for one of the main lines.

His Unorthodox Chess Openings (1998, 2002), Gambit Chess Openings (2002) and Survive & Beat Annoying Chess Openings (2003) have the following line:

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7

This rather extravagant gambit is included by popular request, as the Internet newsgroup rec.games.chess.analysis had quite a bit of discussion on it in the summer of 1997 and several of the participants asked me to include it. White sacrifices a piece just to draw the enemy king into the game... (Unorthodox Chess Openings)

5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+

This too ambitious gambit has a following in some gambit circles, but it is totally unsound and Black has very little cause for concern. Just play aggressively and don't fall into passive cowardice. (Survive & Beat Annoying Chess Openings)

6...Ke6 7.f4

White will win back one of the sacrificed pieces. Black should react calmly be developing and protecting the king. It is useful to keep in mind that for an attack to succeed the attacker usually requires greater force than that which defends the king. Here the Black king is surrounded by pieces, and White has only the queen and a pair of pawns. The Black king can retreat to e7, but this would confine the Black queen. Therefore the correct move suggests itself. (Unorthodox Chess Openings 2)

7...Qf6! 8.Nc3 Ne7 9.Rf1 g6 10.Qh3+ Ng4 11.Qxg4+ Kf7

Black can easily defend with ...Rf8 and ...Kg8, and can also move the d-pawn, attacking the enemy queen. (Gambit Chess Openings)

Jerome Gambit: Awaiting A Hero!

While talking down the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) in his Gambit Chess Openings (2002) National Master Eric Schiller suggested that the opening was still "awaiting a hero!"

While I'm willing to sign on as a "advocate" of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's creation, my play – while frequently successful – remains too skittish to qualify me as a genuine "hero."

Fortunately, other members of the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde, far move brave and ruthless than I, are stepping forward regularly to defend the Gambit's "honor."

Here is my latest Jerome Gambit effort, an online blitz game played at 2 12.

perrypawnpusher - DodgyGong
FICS rated blitz game, 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5



Black is set up to play Whistler's Defense (see "Beware: Mad Dog!" and "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter VIII"), 7...Qe7! and begin the destruction of my position.

7...Qh4

Wow! I've never seen this move before – yet it kind of makes sense: counter-attacking with the threat of mate.

Still, it seems I can just capture the Bishop and come out ahead...

8.Qxc5 Qxe4+


9.Qe3

Handing the game back over to Black!
Unbelievable...
9.Kf1 was necessary, when White maintains his edge.

9...Qxc2

No, no, no... When you strike at a King, you must kill him...
If Black plays 9...Qxg2 then he has a step-by-step path to victory: 10.Rf1 (this Rook is vulnerable) Nf6 11.Qb3+ d5 12.d4 Bh3 13.Qb5 Rhe8+ (this file is a danger) 14.Be3 a6 15.Qe2 c5 16.c3 cxd4 17.cxd4 Ng4 18.Nd2 Nxh2 (this pawn is just gravy) 19.0-0-0 (this "escape" is irrelevant) – you get the idea.

10.0-0 Nf6

The game is even.

11.Nc3 Ng4 12.Qf4+

More thoughtful – and therefore stronger – was 12.Qd4 Nf6 13.Qc4+ Kg7 14.d3, when Black's Queen is out of play.

12...Nf6 13.Nd5

Better yet, as above, was the transposition 13.Qc4+ Kg7 14.d3.

13...Qf5 14.Qxf5 gxf5 15.Nxc7
All hail the conquering hero!
My insipid plan was to grind out a pawn-plus endgame.

15...Rb8 16.Nb5 a6 17.Nc3 d5 18.d4 Be6
Now here's a "blood thirsty" idea: play against the "bad" Bishop.

19.Bf4 Rbg8 20.Be5 h5 21.Rae1 Rh6 22.Bxf6 Kxf6 23.Re3
23...Rhg6 24.Rg3 Rxg3 25.hxg3 Rg4 26.Ne2 b5 27.Rc1 Re4




Looks like a case of "good" Rook vs "bad" Rook, too. Black's game slips, then slides away from him.

28.Kf1 h4 29.f3 Re3 30.Kf2 Rd3 31.gxh4 Kg6 32.Nf4+ Kf6 33.Nxd3 f4 34.Rc6 Black resigns

Ok: a win, and I'm scoring better than 80% overall with the Jerome Gambit – but I still don't feel like a hero.

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, "The Wizard of Draws"

The Jerome Gambit Gemeinde (modern)

I start the "modern" era of the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde somewhat arbitrarily, taking note of the contribution of L. Elliott Fletcher, whose quite enjoyable Gambits Accepted, a survey of opening sacrifices (1954) contains an interesting Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game. Alas, the players are listed as anonymous, and the location and date are not given.

Invented by an American named Jerome in the latter part of the nineteenth century much of the analysis given below was originated by another American, S. A. Charles, and subsequently revised by Freeborough and Ranken. The opening is frankly unsound but Black's task is by no means easy and he can quite likely go wrong...

Micah Fisher-Kirshner (see"A Few Words With... Micah Fisher-Kirshner") certainly deserves membership, for defending the honor of the Jerome Gambit against an early chess program, Knight Stalker (aka Fritz1) in a 1993 match.Certainly Master Jack Young ("Bozo" of "Bozo's Chess Emporium") should have his enthusiasm for the Jerome Gambit in his "Meet Jerome" article in Randspringer #6, 1990-1991 rewarded with membership.

Although FIDE Master Eric Schiller might shrug off the honor, he deserves a place in the Gemeinde for writing about the Jerome Gambit during a time when few even thought or knew about it, let alone analyzed it or shared their assessments. Unorthodox Chess Openings (1998, 2002), Gambit Chess Openings (2002), and Survive and Beat Annoying Chess Openings (2003) have new analysis, although the author's attitude was less tongue-in-cheek than thumb-in-eye

This is another cyberspace gambit. Virtually no attention was paid to this reckless move [4.Bxf7+] until its supporters started talking about it on the Internet. It can't be found in recent tournament games, and there is a good reason: It stinks. White whips up a brief attack, easily parried, and then spends a long time trying to justify the sacrifice. A popular gambit in cyberspace, but in the real world, it only succeeds in games where Black is a very weak player.

It is important to include Tim McGrew (see "A Few Words With... Tim McGrew") author of "The Gambit Cartel" series of articles at ChessCafe, and explorer of some of the vicissitudes of the Jerome Gambit.

The Gemeinde likewise has membership for Life Master Brian Wall, who has a 100% record with the Jerome Gambit (at least after one game) and who has presented devestating analysis of the Whistler Defense (see "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter VIII") – one of the best refutations of the Jerome Gambit to date.

It's not every day (month, year, decade, century...) that an International Master mentions or makes a suggestion concerning the play of the Jerome Gambit, and because he has, IM Gary Lane (see "International Master Gary Lane") has a place in the Gemeinde; although this is not likely to be mentioned on the FIDE website.

There also are a number of players who deserve mention for their brave commitment to playing the Jerome Gambit, starting with Pete Banks ("blackburne"), whose game GM Lane analyzed in one of his "Opening Lanes" columns at ChessCafe.

Of note also are Louis Morin, whose name should have been mentioned here much earlier for his Jerome Gambit swash-buckling, and A.B. Hailey, who has produced his share of theoretical games.

Gary Gifford, current editor and publisher of the Unorthodox Openings Newsletter (and co-author of the brand new and exciting Winning with the Krazy Kat and Old Hippo) – see "But - Is this stuff playable??" – has been supportive of Jerome Gambit discoveries.

Finally, there are the many players who have ventured Jerome's Double Opening. It is not possible to mention all, but certainly those who have played in the five thematic Jerome Gambit tournaments mentioned on this blog should be welcomed into the Gemeinde: bobbob78, brain50, braken, breaker, calchess10, Capt.Mandrake, Carlos Azcarate, casker, dandoo, delboy138, drewbear, eddie43, Gary_Seven, gobo, hogmaster, HPotter, jelgava, jemasc, Kevin the fruitbat, koloman, mediax, mika76, panga74, Piratepaul, queen st, Rail2Rail, Sir Osis of the Liver, splott, Temmo, TJay2465, tonik, TWODOGS, vlad-tepes, willitfw and yorkypuddn.

You, too, can add to Jerome Gambit theory!

Find something new in the Ruy Lopez or the Petroff Defense, and you may be talking about a wrinkle at the 20th or 25th move. Innovate in the Jerome Gambit – and you can make your mark much, much sooner.

Here is a small example, wrapped around some background.

Blackstone - Dommeyer
skittles game, California, USA 1960

John Blackstone was 15 or 16 at the time of this game (as was his opponent, I suppose). A few years later, he was a USCF master.

"Skittles game"? Why, Anderssen - Kiesertitzky, London 1851, "The Immortal Game," was a casual affair, too.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+
So far, standard fare. White is, of course, quite lost.

5...Ke8

Now, this is interesting!

Alonzo Wheeler Jerome – not to mention analysts from Sorensen (1877) to Schiller (2003) – seems neither to have brought up this move nor faced it in his games. (Please Note: I've been researching the Jerome Gambit for years, but all such "definitive" statements are, of course, open to revision based on future discoveries. )

The most discussed, recommended and played alternative to the main line 5...Nxe5 is 5...Kf8, going back to Jerome's first published analysis in the Dubuque Chess Journal, April 1874.

Of course, if you opponent springs the "Theoretical Novelty" 5...Ke6 on you, you'll be prepared with 6.Qg4+ Kxe5 7.d4+ Bxd4 8.Bf4+ Kf6 9.Bg5+ Kf7 10.Bxd8 Nxd8 (or 10...Bxb2 11.Qf3+ Ke8 12.Bxc7 Bxa1 13.Nd2 – a mess, but Black's uncertain King gives White the edge) and although the position is roughly even Black may not recover from "losing" his Queen.

6.Qh5+

Certainly tempting.

Correct (if such a word can be used in discussions of the Jerome Gambit, as opposed to, say, "5.Resigns!") is 6.Nxc6. White needs nothing more than to wait for Black to recapture, whereupon 7.Qh5+ will lead to the win of the Bishop on c5 and much the better game.

Black's best after 6.Nxc6, however, is the counter-attacking 6...Qh4 when 7.d4 leads to an even game after either 7...Bb6 or 7...Qxe4+.

6...g6 7.Nxg6 Bxf2+

A nifty move, although the simple 7...Nf6 8.Qxc5 hxg6 also gives Black the advantage.

8.Kxf2 Qf6+

Understandable: Check the King, protect the Rook at h8, prepare for 9...hxg6 – oh, and lose the game. The way to stay on top was 8...Nf6.

White now consolidates and is better.

9.Nf4+ Kd8 10.d3 d6 11.Rf1 Qd4+ 12.Be3 Qf6

One last hurrah would be 12...Qxb2 13.Nd2 (now 13...Qxc3 falls to 14.Ng6) but the first player still has advantages in material, development and King safety.

13.c3 1-0

My Jerome Gambit Database

I have over 950 Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games in my database, allowing for transpositions.

I'm always looking for more.

Some are historical

D'Aumiller - A. P.
Livorno, 1878
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 d6 8.d4 Bxd4 9.c3 Bb6 10.fxe5 dxe5 11.Na3 Nf6 12.Qf5+ Kd6 13.Nc4+ Kc5 14.Qxe5+ Kxc4 15.b3+ Kd3 16.Bf4 Kc2 17.Rc1+ Kb2 18.c4+ Ka3 19.Rc2 Re8 1-0

Some are tragic modern over-the-board games

Banks - Rees
Wolverhampton Summer League
Division 3S
Halesowen v Lucas BS, 2003
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 6.Qh5 Qf6 7.Nxd7+ Bxd7 8.Qxc5+ Qd6 9.Qxd6+ cxd6 10.c3 Nf6 11.f3 Kf7 12.0-0 Rhe8 13.d4 Kg8 14.Bf4 d5 15.e5 Nh5 16.Bg5 Nxe5 17.dxe5 Rxe5 18.Bc1 Bb5 19.Rd1 Rae8 20.Bd2 Re2 21.Na3 Bd3 22.Re1 Nf4 23.Rxe2 Nxe2+ 24.Kf2 Rf8 25.b4 Nf4 26.Bxf4 Rxf4 27.Ke3 Rh4 28.Kxd3 Rxh2 29.Rg1 Kf7 30.Nb5 Rh6 31.Re1 a6 32.Nd4 g6 33.a4 Rh2 34.g4 Ra2 35.a5 Ra3 36.Re5 Ra2 37.Rxd5 Rh2 38.Rd7+ Kf6 39.Rxb7 h5 40.gxh5 gxh5 41.Rb6+ Kg5 42.Rxa6 h4 43.Ne6+ Kf5 44.Ke3 Rc2 45.Nd4+ 1-0

Some are internet beasties

blackburne - karmmark
Jerome Gambit thematic tournament
www.chessworld.net, 2007
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Nc6 8.Qxc5 Qe7 9.Qd5+ Kf6 10.Qf5 mate

Some are sleepy affairs

Brescak - Hefti
EU-ch U10 Girls, 1998
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ draw agreed.

In all about 7% are over-the-board games, 12% involve computers (person vs computer or computer vs computer), 2% are traditional (snail mail) correspondence games and 79% are games played on the internet (various time controls).

These statistics reflect the explosion of chess in general on the internet – as well as the continued challenge of unearthing historical games, as reflected in the two smallest per centages above. With good reason National Master Eric Schiller includes the Jerome Gambit, despite its untamed early life, among those he calls a "cyberspace gambit" in his Gambit Chess Openings (2002).

In fact, a ChessBase-generated graph of the games, distributed by year played, looks like a very skinny Bozo the Clown taking a nap on his back: his nose beeps up in the mid-1870s to mid-1880s and then there's very little in the sillouette until his large clown shoes explode in the 2000 to present era...

"...as long as they spell your name right"

P.T. Barnum liked to say that “there’s no such thing as bad press, as long as they spell your name right.”

Barnum was also a contemporary of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome.

With that short intro, I bring you a quote from National Master Eric Schiller, who has probably been the highest-rated player writing the most (something [anything!]) about the Jerome Gambit until International Master Gary Lane recently brought the opening up in his ChessCafe column.

From Schiller's Gambit Chess Openings (2002)

The High-Risk Gambits

The following gambits are considered terrible for the gambiteer, as far as computer evaluations are concerned...

One might think that they are entirely unsound but it is not always so. Some of these are generally considered playable in the books, others are acknowledged as refuted. In a few cases, the computer evaluation seems way off because experience has shown good results...
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
This is another cyberspace gambit.
Virtually no attention was paid to this reckless move until its supporters started talking about it on the Internet. It can't be found in recent tournament games, and there is a good reason: It stinks.

White whips up a brief attack, easily parried, and then spends a long time trying to justify the sacrifice. A popular gambit in cyberspace, but in the real world, it only succeeds in games where Black is a very weak player.

Uh, thanks Eric.
I think.