A Jerome Discovery (Part 5)

It seems that after the following exchange, either the chess columnist for The Literary Digest or Alonzo Wheeler Jerome himself lost interest in further discussion of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) as no further mention of the Consultation Game appears in subsequent issues.

From the July 28, 1900 issue of The Literary Digest [descriptive notation changed to algebraic notation]

The Jerome Gambit

Consultation Game

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5 Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4 7.0-0 Ng4 8.h3 Bd6 9.f4 h5

Mr. Jerome suggests White's 9th move instead of e5, and writes: "This looks like a sure move for White." Black has, in reply, two moves: ...Nh6, saving the piece, or ...h5. We prefer the latter, as it is evident that Black [sic: it should read White] can not play hxg4.

A Jerome Discovery (Part 4)

Continuing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) analysis from the pages of The Literary Digest from over a century ago...

Be sure to check out Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 as well.

From the July 14, 1900 issue of The Literary Digest [descriptive notation changed to algebraic notation]:

The Jerome Gambit

Consultation Game

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5 Nxe5 6.d4

Mr Jerome writes: "Your move (...Qh4) is undoubtedly the best, as it puts White on the defensive at once," and suggests as White's 7th 0-0.

F.H. Johnston believes that White's best (7th) is Nc3, "thus defending the e-pawn. It would not be sound to play 0-0 at this stage, neither would it do to play dxc5." Nc3 is dangerous on account of ...Ng4 forcing White to defend his f-pawn, and preventing him from castling.

The best continuation seems to be: 7.0-0, Ng4; 8.h3, Bd6 9.e5, etc.

A Jerome Discovery (Part 3)

This is a continuation of the series of articles on the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) from The Literary Digest of 1900 – see "A Jerome Discovery (Part 1)" and "A Jerome Discovery (Part 2)" for earlier information.

On June 30, 1900, The Literary Digest's chess column contained the following [notation changed from descriptive to algebraic]

The Jerome Gambit

Consultation Game

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4

A majority of those who sent Black's 6th move played 6...Bxd4. The reason given for this move is that as Black must lose a piece he had better get a P for it. This is not good reasoning, as White's continuation demonstrates: 6... Bxd4; 7.Qxd4 d6; 8.f4, and White still has the attack. If 8...Nc6; 9.Qd5+ Be6 10.Qh5+ g6 11.Qf3 Nd4 12.Qd3 Nc6 13.f5 and White has a good game.

Another move suggested was 6...Qf6. The object of this is (a) to prevent 7.dxe5; (b) to continue ...d6, ...Ng4, etc. The weakness of this is that it allows White to Castle. For instances: 6...Qf6 7.0-0 d6 8.dxe5 Qxe5 9.Nc3 Be6 10.Kh1 followed by 11.f4 giving White a strong attack.

We believe that Black's best (6) is ...Qh4. the superiority of this move is discoverable in several directions. White can't play 7.dxe5; if 7.dxc5 then ...Ng4, with a strong game. We hope that Mr. Jerome and others will suggest White's best move after Black's (6) Qh4.

A Jerome Discovery (Part 2)

As compared to its Composite Game, The Literary Digest's Consulation Game with its readers – see "A Jerome Discovery (Part 1)" – a test of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) got off to a slow start.

A couple weeks after its introduction, on June 23, 1900, the following notice appeared in the chess column.

The Consultation Game

We are sorry that so far only nine persons have shown an interest in this game, by sending Black's 7th move; and five of them, so it seems to us, did not make the best move for black. The strength or weakness of the Jerome Gambit depends on black's 7th move; but a weak move here does not prove anything. the benefit of a Consultation Game is the opportunity it gives for analysis of some opening, thus showing the best continuations. It is, in a certain sense, a problem for the time being. We shall give Black's 7th move in our next issue. We think it best not to give the move sent by the majority, but, after giving the several moves sent, select as the move the one which, in our opinion, is the best.

A Jerome Discovery (Part 1)

In early 1900, the chess columnist for the weekly magazine The Literary Digest received a suggestion to play a "composite game." The idea was "to have 30 or 40 players on a side; each player having a number, representing the number of the move he is to make."

"While" [the correspondent] says, "the game would not prove anything as to the merits of the respective sides, it would be a curiosity of Chess."

The suggestion was mentioned on March 10. A rallying cry was given two weeks later, as only 20 players had so far signed up.

By April 21, however, "about seventy" players, "from California to New York; from Louisiana to Vermont; from Texas to Wisconsin" had offered to take part.

On May 5 the teams were announced, and the following week the curious game began, a Ruy Lopez, Berlin variation.

This experiment may have inspired Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, as the June 9 issue of The Literary Digest contained the following [notation changed from descriptive to algebraic]

A Consultation Game

We begin a series of games to-day which ought to be interesting and instructive. The special features are these:

(1) The move to be made will be that of the majority; (2) Notes or comments by the players and others. As the first of these games we give the opening moves of the Jerome Gambit. The author of this Opening, Mr. A. W. Jerome, Springfield, Ill., writes that in offering this Opening he has an interested motive, i.e., to test the soundness of the Gambit, and to furnish a bushel, perhaps five pecks, of fun.

The Jerome Gambit

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4

As Mr. J. says, "Here is where the fun begins." We will give the first of the comments:

(a) This is a very risky opening and can not win against a player of equal strength. At the same time, Black must make the proper defense. In all games of this kind, White, in a sense, presupposes that black will make a false move.

Send Black's 6th move, with reasons for making it.