I thought that Jon Speelman had had the last, friendly, justifiable, Grandmaster laugh at the Jerome Gambit four years ago, in his "Agony Column #24" over at chessbase.com, where he dissected a couple of my games that I had shared with him - but it turns out that I was wrong.
YouTube.com has recently posted a video by Canadian GM Aman Hambleton (aka TOMMYFOOKINSHELBY, at Chess.com, see the previous blog posts "Jerome Gambit: Smash Finish" and "Unasked Questions") that hilariously gives the Jerome Gambit, this blog, and me, our just due - and then some. All in good fun.
It is must viewing for all Readers.
In the meantime, especially to those new to this blog, let me quote from a post from the first month of this blog, a dozen years ago, titled "But - Is this stuff playable? (Part 1)"
Of course not.The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) has many refutations.
I'm glad that's settled.
Maybe a more useful question would be -- Under what conditions might the Jerome Gambit be playable?
Perhaps in friendly games, in bullet games, in blitz games, in games where you are giving "Jerome Gambit odds" to a weaker player - the opening might just be playable. (It is helpful to keep in mind Geoff Chandler's whimsical "blunder table" in this regard.)
I am reminded of Gary Kasparov's response, when someone suggested 1...g5!? as a response to 1.c4 - "Chess isn't skittles". Certainly he was right - at the grandmaster and master level of play. But, for many club and amateur players, chess is skittles; and the Jerome Gambit fits right in.
By the way, from an academic point of view, the Jerome Gambit is often a study of "errors in thinking" - exactly how does someone lose to "the worst chess opening, ever"?
Just ran across Jerzy Konikowski's Polish language blog "Chess in my life" that provides the additional "We provide information that is successful or not, but always true!"
His post on the Jerome Gambit has a link to Jonathan Speelman's "Agony" column #24, at the chessbase website, that covers a couple of my Jerome Gambit games.
Nice to be causing mischief the world over!
Chessfriend Yury Bukayev was disappointed that Grandmaster Jon Speelman, in his ChessBaseNews "Agony" column coverage of two of my Jerome Gambit games (e.g. the Jerome Gambit is "balderdash in the highest sense") failed to mention other opening lines covered in this blog.
Indeed, the GM probably did not discover the post "Opening Innovation Resource", for example, or read and check out the links in "An Email Discussion", or do a site search here for "Bukayev gambit".
With Yury's encouragement I have added the subtitle "(risky/nonrisky lines, tactics & psychology for fast, exciting play)" to this blog's heading.
I would like to share a poem he sent, as well.
Study WEAK Jerome gambits
For a magic playing blitz!
Study STRONG Jerome gambits -
You'll beat Carlsen, Hou, "Fritz"!
This previous post is worth repeating
for those who may have missed it.
I mean, how often do you see "balderdash in the highest sense"
to describe a chess opening?
Grandmaster Jon Speelman's "Agony Column" at the ChessBase news site presents games submitted by average players. Each week he shows one player's "agony" game, where the outcome was not a happy one; and the same player's "ecstacy" game, where the result was more enjoyable.
GM Speelman's analysis is, as always, instructive, enlightening, fair and enjoyable.
This week he takes a look at two of my Jerome Gambit games.
Wow. "And lived to tell the tale", as they say.
Be sure to stop by the site and read the column! Be sure to check out the "Discuss"comments as well.
Grandmaster Jon Speelman's "Agony Column" at the ChessBase news site presents games submitted by average players. Each week he shows one player's "agony" game, where the outcome was not a happy one; and the same player's "ecstacy" game, where the result was more enjoyable.
GM Speelman's analysis is, as always, instructive, enlightening, fair and enjoyable.
This week he takes a look at two of my Jerome Gambit games.
Wow. "And lived to tell the tale", as they say.
Be sure to stop by the site and read the column!
[Hmmmm..... I posted this on October 19, as GM Jon Speelman said that is when it would go up. I have seen the column, with a link provided in an email by Frederic Friedel of ChessBase. But - as of the morning of October 20, it does not seem to be up on the ChessBase News site. As they used to say on TV: PLEASE STAND BY. - Rick]
[Aha! There it is: At last! - Rick]
I recently received an email from David Black (see "Exploring the Evans Jerome Gambit", "Alternate Universe" and "Influence") with some hilarious news.
Hiya Richard,
Thought you would be interested in this.
Jon Speelman former world championship candidate has started a new column and was asking for readers games. So I sent him one of my Jerome gambit games for a bit of fun and here is his response.
Hi Dave,
Many thanks,
What a splendidly purulent gambit which nevertheless must be horrible to face in a five minute game and quite tough at slower time limits.
Cheers,
Jon
cheers
Dave
I think Dave is referring to GM Speelman's new "Agony Column" at ChessBase.com. It should be very, very interesting.
