Jerome Gambit: Blackburne Shilling / Kostic Jerome Gambit (Part 1)

William Faulkner wrote in Requiem for a Nun (1919), “The past in never dead. It's not even past.”

Did Faulkner play chess? Quite possibily, as his Knight’s Gambit, a collection of six short stories written in the 1930s and 1940s, featured attorney Gavin Stevens (later to appear in his Intruder in the Dust, 1948) playing chess.

The following modern has significantly older roots.

IvanRusskih - zzzwww

Europa League 2022 - 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit, so named because Joseph Henry Blackburne supposedly used the opening in many off-hand games, with a shilling wager apiece. (See David Hooper and Kenneth Whylde's The Oxford Companion to Chess, 1984.)

This is reflected in Edward Winter's "Chess Note" #3786,

        From Rick Kennedy (Columbus, OH, USA):

The opening 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Nd4 has been called the Blackburne Shilling Gambit, in recognition, apparently, of J.H. Blackburne’s use of it to win small stakes from players. However, I have yet to find a single game with it played by Blackburne. In fact, the earliest game uncovered was played in New Zealand in 1911. How did Blackburne’s name become attached to the variation? Indeed, when did it become attached?

Steinitz’s [The] Modern Chess Instructor [1889] has a note on the line, but does not refer to Blackburne. Mr Blackburne’s Games at Chess [1899] makes no mention of it. Nor does Freeborough and Ranken’s Chess Openings Ancient and Modern [1893] attribute the line (given in a footnote) to anyone. E.E. Cunnington’s books (one on traps [1903], one on openings for beginners [1900]), which were published in London shortly after the turn of the century, give the moves but do not name Blackburne...

What we do know is that several times Blackburne played a variation of what is called the Bird Defense (named after Henry Edward Bird) to the Ruy Lopez, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Bc4, arriving at the Blackburne Shilling Gambit position with an extra tempo for Black.

Lipke, Paul - Blackburne, Joseph Henry

DSB-09.Kongress, Leipzig, Germany, 1894

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Bc4 d6 5.Nxd4 exd4 6.O-O g6 7.c3 Bg7 8.cxd4 Ne7 9.d5 f5 10.d3 O-O 11.f4 Kh8 12.Nc3 c6 13.dxc6 bxc6 14.Kh1 Rb8 15.Bb3 Ba6 16.Re1 d5 17.e5 d4 18.Na4 Nd5 19.Nc5 Bc8 20.Bd2 Qe7 21.Rc1 Rd8 22.Ba5 Rb6 23.Na4 Qb7 24.Qf3 Bf8 25.Re2 Be6 26.Nc5 Bxc5 27.Rxc5 Rxb3 28.axb3 Rg8 29.b4 Ne3 30.Qxc6 Qxc6 31.Rxc6 Bd5 32.Rd6 g5 33.Bd8 Kg7 34.fxg5 f4 35.Kg1 f3 36.gxf3 Bxf3 37.Rf2 Bd5 38.Rf4 h6 39.Rxd4 Ba8 40.h4 hxg5 41.Bxg5 Nf5 42.Rd7+ Kh8 43.Rg4 Ng7 44.Bf6 Black resigned

Duras, Oldrich - Blackburne, Joseph Henry

Ostend-B, Belgium, 1907

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Bc4 d6 5.Nxd4 exd4 6.c3 dxc3 7. Nxc3 c6 8.O-O Be6 9.Bxe6 fxe6 10.d4 Nf6 11.Qb3 Qd7 12.Bg5 Be7 13.Bxf6 gxf6 14.d5 cxd5 15.exd5 e5 16.f4 O-O 17.Rae1 Kh8 18.Kh1 Rg8 19.Re3 Rg7 20.Qb5 Rd8 21.Qd3 Rdg8 22.Re2 Bd8 23.f5 Rg5 24.Qf3 Rg4 25.g3 Qf7 26.Rd1 Bb6 27.Ne4 Qf8 28.Qa3 R4g7 29.Qxd6 Qxd6 30.Nxd6 Rd7 31.Ne4 Kg7 32.Rc2 Kf7 33.Kg2 a5 34.Kf3 Ba7 35.g4 Rgd8 36.d6 h6 37.h4 Bb8 38.Rcd2 Rc8 39.g5 hxg5 40.hxg5 fxg5 41.Rh2 Rg8 42.Kg4 Rdd8 43.Rh7+ Kf8 44.f6 Black resigned

Lewis, John A - Blackburne, Joseph Henry

BCF, Oxford, England, 1910

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Bc4 d6 5.Nxd4 exd4 6.d3 g6 7.O-O Bg7 8.c3 Ne7 9.Qb3 O-O 10.cxd4 Bxd4 11.Be3 Nc6 12.Bxd4 Nxd4 13.Qd1 Be6 14.Nc3 c6 15.Bxe6 fxe6 16.Ne2 Nxe2+ 17.Qxe2 e5 18.d4 Qe7 19.Qc4+ Kg7 20.Rfd1 Rad8 21.Rac1 d5 22.exd5 Rxd5 23.dxe5 Rxe5 24.Qd4 Rf6 25.Qxa7 Re2 26.Qd4 c5 27.Qc3 Rexf2 28.Re1 Qd6 29.Rcd1 Qc6 30.Qh3 Rf7 31.Re6 Rxg2+ 32.Kh1 Rd2+ 33.Rxc6 Rxd1+ 34.Kg2 Rd2+ draw

The earliest example that I have found of 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4, from chessgames.com, is

McBride - Hill

club match, 1892

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Nxe5 Qg5 5.Nxf7 Qxg2 6.Rf1 Qxe4+ 7.Be2 Nf3 checkmate

Occasionally the line is called the Schilling-Kostić Gambit, in part due to an early game by Boris Kostic, which follows the same path.

 

Muehlock - Kostić, Boris

Cologne, Germany, 1912

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Nxe5 Qg5 5.Nxf7 Qxg2 6.Rf1 Qxe4+ 7.Be2 Nf3 checkmate

According to Bill Wall, the moves of the game were repeated in A. Jordan - Newell Banks, USA, 1917.

By the way, I have seen the spellings "Shilling-Kostić Gambit" (the name makes some sense to me, similar to how "Blackburne Shilling Gambit" does) and "Blackburne-Schilling Gambit" - but I have yet to find a player of that era (late 1800s to early 1900s) named Schilling. I suspect that there was an early mis-spelling, and later sources copied it

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit. 

Apparently not played by (or faced by) Blackburne, Kostić, Hill or Newell Banks.

The Database has 7,742 games with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+, with White scoring 57%.

Certainly there is need for more research here. It is a bit odd that in a variation of a variation played by Blackburne (1841-1924) the earliest game in The Database with 4.Bxf7+ is from 1975. 

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Baffling

From the What's Up in Chess? Chess News and Chess Gems website comes the entry "What to do against BAFFLING Chess openings" which teases

Facing off against a player who plays fifty 30+0 games a day is a tall task. What kind of person plays fifty classical games everyday?

It turns out, the answer is, in part, Someone who plays the Jerome Gambit, of course.

Here is the game that is presented, with my addition of comments and diagrams. It is an entertaining battle to the bitter end.

Trage2000 - mikethedoge

30 0 classical, lichess.org, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 

This position is as old as analysis presented by Jerome in the April 1874 issue of the Dubuque Ches Journal.

6.Qh5 

The Banks Variation.

6...Qf6 

Stockfish prefers this Queen to be on e7, at which point it recommends that the other Queen retreat to f3.

7.Nxd7+ Bxd7 8.Qxc5+ Nge7 9.d3 Qe5 

White is a bit better, with 3 pawns for the piece (and a safer King).

10.Qxe5 Nxe5 11.Bf4 N7g6 12.Bg3 c6 

13.Na3 Ke7 14.h4 h5 15.Bxe5 Nxe5 16.O-O-O 

Likely 16.d4 was better.

16...Rhf8 17.f3 b5 18.Rde1 Ng6 19.d4 Rf4 20.d5 cxd5 21.exd5+ Kd6 

22.Re4 

A tactical slip both players overlook. Now Black can simply exchange Rooks ad then capture the h-pawn.

22...Rf5 23.Rd4 

Better 23.Nxb5+.

23...Rxd5 24.Rxd5+ Kxd5 

25.g3 Kc6 26.Rd1 Re8 27.Nxb5 Kxb5 28.Rxd7 Re7 29.Rd6 Ne5 30.f4 Nc4 31.Rd5+ Kc6 32.Rd1 Re3 

Black's pieces have out-duelled the pawns.

33.b3 Nd6 34.Rg1 Ne4 35.g4 hxg4 36.Rxg4 Rg3 37.Rxg3 Nxg3 38.Kd2 Kc5 39.c3 Kd5 40.Ke3 Nf5+ 

White can afford to let the h-pawn go. He would do better with his King closer to his Queenside pawns.

As the game goes, the Kingside is liquidated, giving Black all the play on the Queenside. Still, things remain even.

41.Kf3 Nxh4+ 42.Kg4 Ng2 43.Kg5 Ne3 44.Kg6 Ke4 45.Kxg7 Kxf4 46.Kf6 Ke4

47.c4 Nxc4 

One way to split the point.

48.bxc4 Kd4 49.Ke6 Kxc4 

The fact that the remaning pawns are Rook pawns helps make the position so drawish. Yet, Black persists.

50.Kd6 a5 51.Kc6 a4 

Do you know your endgame? What move must White play now?

52.Kb6 

White needed to chase Black's King in front of his own pawn, and trap him there e.g. 52.Kd6 Kc3 53.Kd5 a3 54.Ke4 Kb2 55.Kd3 Kxa2 56.Kc2.

52...a3 53.Ka5 Kc3 54.Ka4 Kb2 55.Kb4 Kxa2 

The difference from the above analysis is that Black's King can now get out of the way of his pawn.

56.Kc3 Kb1 57.Kb3 a2 White resigned

Wow.

Jerome Gambit: Updating Early Secrets (Part 2)

Continuing from the previous post, here are a few updates from earlier "Jerome Gambit Secrets".

"Jerome Gambit Secret #4" is as much a good story as it is a secret. It focuses on a reply to the Banks Variation, named after UK player Pete Banks ("blackburne" online), an early Jerome Gambit adopter who caught the eye of

International Master Gary Lane, who commented at length on the opening, and on a couple of Banks' games, in his March ("The Good Old Days") and April ("Chess Made Easy") 2008 "Opening Lanes" columns at ChessCafe.com. IM Lane also mentioned one of Banks' games in his The Greatest Ever chess tricks and traps (2008)...

 The line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 6.Qh5, hoping to transpose into normal Jerome lines, can be met by 6...Qe7 

The Database has 10 games with this position, with White scoring a thin 30%. Lichess.org's numbers are a little more encouraging: In 132 games White scores 36%.

Of course, as with every line of the Jerome Gambit, familiarity, knowledge and peparation help the attacker.

"Jerome Gambit Secret #5" develops after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Ne7 9.Qxe5+ Kc6 with 10.Qc3

The Queen move appears in 12 games in The Database, all wins by White.

"Jerome Gambit Secret #6" also involves International Master Gary Lane, and his suggestion on move 9 in a line that has been called 

the"annoying defense" (because it is) or the "silicon defense" (because of the affinity computer chess programs have for it). It was first seen in D'Aumiller - A.P., 1878 and figured in six of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's games against S.A. Charles in their unfinished 1881 correspondence match.

The line is 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 d6 (annoying) 8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Nc3

The Database has 29 games, with White scoring 40%. Lichess.org is slightly more encouraging, with 340 games with White scoring 44%. Nowadays, Stockfish 15.1 shows a slight preference for 9.Qh3+.

Jerome Gambit: Earlier Days...

Yesterday's post mentioned early Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) explorer Pete Banks - blackburne in online games, whose name has been attached to the Banks Variation (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 6.Qh5) - and got me thinking about earlier days...

Before starting this blog, I wrote a substantial article on the Jerome Gambit and submitted it to Stefan Bücker's chess magazine Kaissiber. Bücker tried repeatedly to edit the piece to make it publishable - see "Delusions of Grandeur" - but it was a lot like trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear... He could not make it work.

Kaissiber ended its publication before Bücker was able to do so, reminding me a bit of Ben Bova's 1966 short story, "Stars Won't You Hide Me" (see review).

In any event, I finally posted the article on this blog. See "The Jerome Gambit Article (Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8)".

Not wanting to dip into the article too much before it saw publication, I encouraged Pete to contact International Master Gary Lane as the Jerome Gambit point man, which he easily was able to do, hence the appearance of blackburne - karmmark, Jerome Gambit thematic tournament, ChessWorld.net, 2007 in two of IM Lane's ChessCafe.com "Opening Lanes" articles titled "The Good Old Days" and "Chess Made Easy" as well as his book book The Greatest Chess Tricks and Traps (2008).

So there are any number of people these days who connect Pete Banks through his games with the Jerome Gambit, while being unaware of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome himself. This kind of thing has happened before, as I noted in "The Jerome-Kennedy Gambits!?" 

As I noted in my afterward to the posts on the Literary Digest game [see Parts 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5], Mr. Jerome has had a hard time holding on to "his" opening: sources such as Cook's Synopsis of the Chess Openings (1882), The American Supplement (1884), and Freeborough and Rankin's Chess Openings Ancient and Modern, (1889) were happy to keep the name "Jerome Gambit", but identified the chief analyst of the opening as "Mr. S. A. Charles of Cincinnati, Ohio." Sic transit gloria mundi.

I am hoping that Pete reads the previous post and this one, and contacts me. I bet he has some very interesting Jerome Gambits to share.

Jerome Gambit: Wild Ride

The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) often leads to a wild ride of a game.

Add to that excitement the racing speed of a bullet game, and things can quickly get out of hand for the defender.

stolar2972 - yingzchess

2 1 bullet, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 

As old as the article "New Chess Opening" Dubuque Chess Journal April 1874" and the game Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, 1875 (1/2 - 1/2, ). For some thoughts, see "Critical Line: 5...Kf8"

6.Qh5 

The "Banks Variation," after Jerome Gambiteer Pete Banks.

Also possible was 6.Nxc6.

6...Qf6 7.Ng4 

According to the Database, introduced in erik - jiml, 4 0 blitz, FICS, 2001 (0-1, 38) and then not seen again for 20 years, when DutchLiLi played it in 4 bullet games at lichess.org. 

7...Qd6 

Not as strong as 7...Qe7, which also protects the Bishop on c5, but which does not block the d-pawn, which would then not block the light square Bishop, which would then not hem in the Rook.

8.O-O Nf6 

It is not immediately clear that this move is an error, but the computer thinks so. It would have been better to un-block the d-pawn.

9.Nxf6 gxf6 

This is an interesting position. Stockfish 15, at 30 ply, sees it as equal. Yet, it is a good example of the old aphorism, If the attacker slips up, he loses his attack; if the defnder slips up, he loses his King.

10.d3 Ne5 

Right square, wrong piece. 10...Qd5 would hold.

As always, it is important to remember that this is a bullet game, and analysis can not always run deep.

11.Bh6+ Ke7 12.Nc3 Bd4 

Too slow. The knee jerk reaction 12...c6 would be best.

13.Nd5+ Kd8 14.Bg7 Re8 15.Bxf6+ Black resigned

Jerome Gambit for Dummies 2.0 (Part 4)

                                                  

[continued from the previous post]

5.Nxe5+

This is the third Critical Position.

Black's most frequent response is the logical 5...Nxe5 (more than 95% of the time, according to The Database), but he has alternatives in 5...Ke8 and 5...Ke7 and 5...Kf8. 

The first of these "others" leads to an odd, somewhat quiet, unplayed line that is about even. It was first mentioned on this blog in "You, too, can add to Jerome Gambit theory" and later in "Jerome Gambit Secret #3": 5...Ke8 6.Nxc6 Qh4 (still a novelty) 7.d4 Qxe4+ 8.Qe2 Qxe2+ 9.Kxe2 Bb6 10.Nb4 Bxd4 11.Nd5 Kd8. White can try for something with 12.Bg5+ and 13.c3.

Instead, the twin games Hultgren - Harrow, SVE cup, Campbell, CA, 1960 and Blackstone - Dommeyer, skittles, Campbell, CA 1960 continued in a more Jerome-like manner after 5...Ke8 with 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 Qf6+ 9.Nf4+ Kd8 10.d3 d6 11.Rf1 Qd4+ 12.Be3 Qf6 13.c3 Black resigned. Black missed the stronger defense starting with 8...Nf6, when White seems just about to get things together at several points, but never does: 9.Qh4 Rg8 10.Rf1 Rxg6 11.Kg1 d5 12.d3 dxe4 13.Bg5 Qd4+ 14.Kh1 Ng4 15.Nc3 e3 16.Rae1Nf2+ 18.Kg1 Nh3+ 19.gxh3 Qg7 20.Qh5 h6 21.Rxe3 Kd7 22.Ne4 Rxg5+ 23.Nxg5 hxg5 24.Rf1 Rh8 25.Qe2 Qh7 26.Re1 Nd4 27.Qf1 Bxh3 28.Qf6 Nc6 29.Rg3 Kc8 30.Rxg5 Bd7 31.Re2 - interesting enough that I could go on another 20 moves, but you get the idea.    

The second alternative, 5...Ke7, is insufficient and can be dispatched in typical Jerome Gambit manner after 6.Qh5, as we recently saw in NN - Pokimane-bot, Chess.com, 2022 (1-0, 21).

The last of these "others", 5...Kf8, is a respected defense going back to Jerome - Brownson, Iowa 1875 (1/2-1/2, 29). An early look on this blog, "Critical Line: 5...Kf8 (1, 2, 3 and Revisited), remains relevant today.

By the way, the thematic and optimistic Banks Variation, 5...Kf8 6.Qh5, (see "Jerome Gambit and Vlad Tepes..." and "Jerome Gambit, Vlad Tepes... and Garlic!") is tempting, but Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's 6.Nxc6 is best.

5...Nxe5This is the fourth Critical Position.

White follows up with 6.Qh5+ (scoring 58%) about four times as often as he plays 6.d4 (scoring 56%).

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: That's Where The Fun Is

 

When he was asked why he robbed banks, Willie Sutton said, “Because that's where the money is.”

I suppose if I asked club players why they "borrow" the Bishop sacrifice from the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) they would say "Because that's where the fun is."

The following game is a good example, as Black quickly is relieved of a full point.

Guest1008137605 - Guest9071308852

10 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 

The Petroff or Russian Defense.

3.Bc4 

The Italian variation of the Petroff.

3...Nxe4 4.Bxf7+ 

This line shows up in The Database about 100 times, with White scoring 40%. A good place to learn more about it is an earlier post, "Jerome Gambit: Two Outstanding Marks of the Jerome Gambit".

White could also consider the Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit with 3.Nc3.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7 

The proper response was 5...Kg8, seen as early as in R.W. - H., Leipzig,1874. White now has clear compensation for his sacrificed piece.

6.Qe2 Nf6

Again, had Black thought of 6...d6 (a thematic Petroff move) 7.Nf3 Kf7, he could have surrendered his Knight to 8.Qxe4 Qe7, when he would have simply been a pawn down.

The Bishop sacrifice seems to have distracted the defender.

7.Nc6+ Kf7 8.Nxd8+ Black resigned

Nicely and quickly done.

Jerome Gambit: Chess Is An Easy Game, After All

In the previous post, it was enjoyable to examine a line in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) through the games of a particular player.

So, let's do it again.

Intercrosse - PrashantKakade

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 

As I wrote years ago

As early as his first Jerome Gambit article (Dubuque Chess Journal April, 1874), Alonzo Jerome considered the possibility that Black might refuse to capture the second piece with 5...Nxe5, and instead play for King safety instead with 5...Kf8.
In a letter to the American Chess Journal, March 1877, Jerome wrote

5...Kf8 leaves White's pawns intact while Black has lost two strong pawns and doubled another. This defense was adopted by G.J. Dougherty of Mineola, NY, a strong amateur, against whom I first played the opening, and I think he will agree that 5...Kf8 is not a good defense. He generally played 6.bc and that was the play of Mr. J. C. Young of Danville, KY, who subsequently abandoned the game. Why, I do not know, as it was not necessarily lost to either of us. It is a question with which Pawn it is best to take.

The earliest game example that I have of this line is Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, USA, 1875 (1/2-1/2, 29) 

For some games and history, see "Jerome Gambit: A Trip Down Memory Lane (Part 1)".

6.Qh5  

And, again

White also has the option of playing 6.Qh5, the Banks Variation, as in Banks - Rees, Halesowen, 2003, when Black can transpose with 6…Nxe5  as recommended by the American Chess Journal, (3/1877) - "The continuation adopted by Jerome, Qh5 looks promising."

Pete Banks ("blackburne" online), a stalwart member of the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde ...brought international attention to Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's invention by writing to International Master Gary Lane, who commented at length on the opening, and on a couple of Banks' games, in his March ("The Good Old Days") and April ("Chess Made Easy") 2008 "Opening Lanes" columns at ChessCafe.com. IM Lane also mentioned one of Banks' games in his The Greatest Ever chess tricks and traps (2008), which reprised some of the earlier material.

It is humorous to note that in his "Opening Lanes" column Lane wrote, after 5.Nxe5+, "I think anyone with good manners playing Black would now kindly ask their opponent if they wanted to take their move back" while in his book he changed this to "I think anyone with good manners playing Black would now go to another room to carry on laughing."

Apropos the Banks Variation itself (i.e. playing 6.Qh5 in response to 5...Kf8), IM Lane noted in "The Good Old Days" that "6...Qe7 is a good alternative [to 6...Qf6 of Banks - Rees], because it stops the checkmate and protects the bishop on c5."

How should Black respond?

There is 6...Qf6 7.O-O ( More to the point is 7.Nxd7+ Bxd7 8.Qxc5+) 7...Nxe5 8.c3 d6 9.d4 Bxd4 (9...Bg4 10.Qg5 Qxg5 11.Bxg5 Nf7 12.dxc5 Nxg5 13.cxd6 cxd6) 10.cxd4 Nc6 11.e5 dxe5 12.dxe5 Qxe5 13.Nc3 Qxh5 White resigned, Intercrosse - Piropiro2, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020; 

Black could transposte to the main line with 6...Nxe5 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qf4+ Nf6 9.d4 Bxd4 10.O-O Be5 11.Qf3 Bg4 12.Qb3 Rb8 13.Bg5 h6 14.Bh4 g5 15.Bg3 Kg7 16.Nc3 Bxc3 17.Qxc3 Qe7 18.Rae1 Rbe8 19.f3 Be6 20.f4 gxf4 21.Bh4 Rhf8 22.Rxf4 Kg6 23.Re3 Qg7 24.Rg3+ Ng4 25.Rfxg4+ Bxg4 26.Rxg4+ Kf7 27.Qxg7+ Ke6 28.Rg6+ Rf6 29.Qxf6+ Kd7 30.Rg7+ Re7 31.Qxe7+ Kc6 32.Qxc7+ Kb5 33.b4 Kxb4 34.Qxb7+ Kc3 35.Rc7+ Kd2 36.Qd5+ Ke3 37.g4 Kf4 38.e5 Kxg4 39.exd6 Kxh4 40.Rg7 Kh3 41.Qh5 checkmate, Intercrosse - Drunkpad, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020; 

Black could be creative and return material with 6...Bxf2+?! 7.Kxf2 Qf6+ 8.Ke1 (hoping to pin the enemy Queen to its King with Rf1, but it never happens; better the simple 8.Nf3) Qxe5 9.Rf1+ Nf6 10.d4? Qxe4+ White resigned, Intercrosse - shyqrish, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020; 

There was also 6...g6 7.Nxg6+ hxg6 8.Qxh8 Qf6 9.Qh6+? (9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 10.Qxf6 Nxf6 11.d3 would leave White with 3 pawns and a Rook vs Knight and Bishop) 9...Kf7? White resigned in an equal position, Intercrosse - TickleAttack, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020; 

Surprisingly, after 6...Qe8 White resigned in Intercrosse - ehne_mehn_muhh, 3 0, blitz, lichess.org, 2020. Again, after the tactic 7.Nxe7+ Qxd7 8.Qxc5+, Black would have a small edge. 

Finally, 6...Qe7!? suggested by IM Lane (see above) was tested in splott - mika76, GameKnot.com, 2008: 7.Ng6+ hxg6 8.Qxh8 Qxe4+ 9.Kf1 Qd4 10.Ke1 Qxf2+ 11.Kd1 d6 12.h3 Qxg2 13.Re1 Qf3+ 14.Re2 Bf2 15.d3 Nd4 16.Nc3 Qh1+ 17.Kd2 Nf3 checkmate. 

So, how did Black respond in the game?

6...Nf6 7.Qf7 checkmate

Chess is an easy game, after all.

By the way, this is the only game in The Database with this final position. There are 3 similar games that proceeded 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 (not 5...Kf8, as in our main game) 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qf7 checkmate: Esistes - ClosetDoor, blitz, FICS, 2009; perrypawnpusher - platel, blitz, FICS, 2011, and BahatiTheGrandmaster - Mammaen-din, 10 5 blitz, lichess.org, 2021.

Jerome Gambit: A Trip Down Memory Lane (Part 1)

The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game is a nice win for White, with an interesting opening, some tactical shots in the middle game, and the success of "Jerome pawns" in the endgame.

It also gave me the opportunity to recall earlier games and players. 

Gamophobe - shatrunj646

15 10 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

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

 4... Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Kf8 

Seven years ago I touched on this solid move in this blog

As early as his first article with analysis (Dubuque Chess Journal 4/1874), Alonzo Wheeler Jerome considered the possibility that Black might refuse to capture the second piece, and play for King safety instead with 5...Kf8.  

This was, in fact, the defense that Jerome, himself, credited to G. J. Dougherty, ("a strong amateur, against whom I first played the opening") of Mineola, New York, in a yet unfound game; that O.A. Brownson, editor of the Dubuque Chess Journal, played against Jerome in an 1875 game (Dubuque Chess Journal3/1875); that magazine editor William Hallock used against D.P. Norton in an 1876 correspondence game played “by special request” to test the gambit (American Chess Journal 2/1877); that William Carrington tried in his 1876 match vs Mexican Champion Andres Clemente Vazquez (Algunas Partidas de Ajedrez Jugadas en Mexico, 1879); and which Lt. Soren Anton Sorensen recommended as “more solid and easier to manage” in his seminal Jerome Gambit essay (Nordisk Skaktidende 5/1877). 

It is interesting that early in Jerome's Gambit's life, there were players willing to accept one "gift" but who were skeptical of accepting two "gifts".

White can now continue with 6.Nxc6 and after 6...dxc6 (opening the file for his Queen, to prevent White's d2-d4) he can play 7.d3 and 8.0-0 or 7.0-0 and 8.d3. Black will still have his piece-for-a-pawn advantage as well as the two Bishops (and a somewhat unsafe King), while one of White's "Jerome pawns" will already be a passer.

6.Qh5

White continues his attack as planned. If Black now captures the Knight, the Queen will recapture and the game will have transposed to regular Jerome Gambit lines.

There is more history in this move, as I have noted

White also has the option of playing 6.Qh5, the Banks Variation, as in Banks - Rees, Halesowen, 2003, when Black can transpose with 6…Nxe5  as recommended by the American Chess Journal, (3/1877) - "The continuation adopted by Jerome, Qh5 looks promising."

Pete Banks ("blackburne" online), a stalwart member of the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde (and still the strongest player I know who has played the Jerome regularly over-the-board in rated contests*), brought international attention to Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's invention by writing to International Master Gary Lane, who commented at length on the opening, and on a couple of Banks' games, in his March ("The Good Old Days") and April ("Chess Made Easy") 2008 "Opening Lanes" columns at ChessCafe.com. IM Lane also mentioned one of Banks' games in his The Greatest Ever chess tricks and traps (2008), which reprised some of the earlier material.

It is humorous to note that in his "Opening Lanes" column Lane wrote, after 5.Nxe5+, "I think anyone with good manners playing Black would now kindly ask their opponent if they wanted to take their move back" while in his book he changed this to "I think anyone with good manners playing Black would now go to another room to carry on laughing."

IM Lane was supportive of the Jerome Gambit in all of its goofiness, but that did not stop him from suggesting an improvement for Black.

Apropos the Banks Variation itself (i.e. playing 6.Qh5 in response to 5...Kf8), IM Lane noted in "The Good Old Days" that "6...Qe7 is a good alternative [to 6...Qf6 of Banks - Rees], because it stops the checkmate and protects the bishop on c5."

A few months later, 6...Qe7 was tested successfully in a GameKnot.com game, splott - mika76, 2008: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 6.Qh5 Qe7 7.Ng6+ hxg6 8.Qxh8 Qxe4+ 9.Kf1 Qd4 10.Ke1 Qxf2+ 11.Kd1 d6 12.h3 Qxg2 13.Re1 Qf3+ 14.Re2 Bf2 15.d3 Nd4 16.Nc3 Qh1+ 17.Kd2 Nf3 checkmate. Clearly White, the very-slightly-higher rated player, was taken aback by the move. I asked mika76 if he had been influenced by IM Lane's recommendation, but he said he had come up with the move himself.

6...Qf6 

This allows a combination that evens the game.

7.Nxd7+ Bxd7 8.Qxc5+ Qd6 

9.Qe3

The earlier game continued: 9.Qxd6+ cxd6 10.c3 Nf6 11.f3 Kf7 12.O-O 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+ Black resigned, Banks,P - Rees,M, Halesowen v Lucas BS, 2003 

(* This title may now be held by Louis Morin or "Cliff Hardy" - good company, indeed.)

[to be continued]