Don't encourage them!

guest127 - guest494

Internet Chess Club, 2002

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 Qg5 9.Qxh7+ Kf8 10.0–0 Nf6 11.Qh8+ Kf7 12.d4 Qg4 13.dxc5 Be6 1–0

Rodriguez,P - Lauciello,R

chess.at-krays.com, 2003

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Nc3 Nf6 8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.d4 Kc6 10.Qxe5 d6 11.d5+ Kb6 12.Qg3 Bxf2+ 13.Qxf2+ c5 14.dxc6+ Kxc6 15.Bg5 1–0

guest226 - guest5633

Internet Chess Club, 2004

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 Qf6+ 9.Qxf6+ Kxf6 10.Rf1 Ne7 11.d4 Nc6 12.Kg1+ Kg7 13.Bg5 Rf8 14.Bh6+ 1–0

HPotter - breaker

www.ChessWorld.net, 2004

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.0–0 Nf6 6.d3 d5 7.exd5 Qxd5 8.Nc3 Qe6 9.Ng5+ 1–0

flatchio - kai_sim

www.GameKnot.com, 2004

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qxe5+ Kc6 11.d4 1–0

kai_sim - flatchio

www.GameKnot.com, 2004

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qxh8 Nf6 9.d3 d5 10.Nc3 dxe4 11.Nxe4 Nxe4 1–0

dmyze - levigun

www.GameKnot.com, 2004

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Qf6 8.Nc3 Nd3+ 9.cxd3 Bb6 10.Nd5 Qg6 1–0

steelydan - flatchio

www.GameKnot.com, 2004

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qxh8 Nf6 9.d3 d5 10.Bh6 Nh5 11.Qxh7+ 1–0

Sir Osis of the Liver - drewbear

JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net, 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.Ng5+ Kg8 7.Qe2 Nd4 8.Qc4+ d5 9.exd5 Qd6 10.Nce4 Qxd5 11.Nxf6+ 1–0

Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter VII

Ok, here we go again.

Playing the White side of the Jerome Gambit.

So far I have a disastrous loss thanks to introducing a "Theoretical Lemon" and a fortunate win when my opponent overplayed a drawn position – both games from the same home analysis.

Then there's that 9-move win on time.

Stand back, everyone!
perrypawnpusher - Gary_Seven
JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net, 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 c6 TN



Much more often played is 8...d6, bumping the White Queen back to e3.

9.Nc3 N8e7 10.0-0 d6 11.Qh5 Qc7


Things are already getting screwy for Black – Rybka recommends instead 11...Qb6 12.d3 Ng8 13.Qg5 Nf6 followed by 14.Qg3 Qc7 and castling-by-hand 15.Be3 Kf7 16.f4 Re8 17.Rae1 Kg8 after which the second player has an edge.

12.f4 Qb6+ 13.Kh1 Kd8 14.d4 Qxd4 15.Rd1 Qf2 16.f5

16...Nf4

Now might have been a good time, instead, to return the piece for two pawns, and an even game, with 16...Bxf5.

17.Rxd6+

I thought this was a pretty good move, as did my opponent, apparently. Later, my computer called it "a weak move, throwing away the advantage."

17...Bd7

This was, according to the computer "a weak move, ruining a winning position" preferring 17...Kc7. Don't you just hate Know-It-Alls?

With the balance of power tipped however, Black's game rolls quickly downhill.
18.Bxf4 Qxf4 19.Rad1 Kc7 20.Rxd7+ Kb6 21.Rxe7 Qf2 22.Qe2 Qxe2 23.Nxe2 Rhg8 24.Rdd7 Rab8 25.Rxg7 Rge8 26.Rge7 Rg8 27.Rxh7 Rge8 28.Rhe7 Rxe7 29.Rxe7 Rd8 30.f6 Rd1+ 31.Ng1 Rd2 32.f7 Rxc2 33.f8Q Rxb2 34.Rxb7+ Kxb7 35.Qg7+ 1-0

Clip art © by Tony Martin

Godfather of the Jerome Gambit? (Endnote)

Chess research is sometimes incomplete or contradictory and often a mystery wanting a solution.

I gave analysis from Wolfgang Heidenfeld's book Draw! (1982) in "Godfather of the Jerome Gambit? (Part III)" because it gave the strongest play for both sides in line with the progress of the game Wind - Winckelman, correspondence 1993.

Draw! was not the most far-reaching or most recent resource available to me.

Consider the following quote from Edmar Mednis in his King Power in Chess (1982)

Strong winning chances are offered by the more active 11.Kb5!. Black still must play 11...a5, after which 12.Qe2 (Heidenfeld) is parried by 12...Ne6!! (Seidman). The threatened 13...Bd7 mate forces 13.Ka4 Nc5+ 14.Kb5 Ne6 etc., with repetition of moves for a draw.Therefore, in order to win, White must try other defensive methods. Two promising ones are 12.b4!? (Kastner) and 12. c4! (Presley).

The move 12.Qe2, which Mednis attributed to Heidenfeld, was not mentioned in Draw! – it was from Heidenfeld's earlier book, Grosse Remispartien (1968). It is not surprising that Mednis relied on the latter, as the former and King Power in Chess were published the same year.

The other references – Seidman, Kastner, and Presley – are unclear.

Note also that in "Godfather of the Jerome Gambit? (Part III)" Heidenfeld is quoted that he had mentioned the move 11.Kb5 in Deutsche Schachzeitung in 1972 – four years after Grosse Remispartien. He also attributed, after 11...a5, the move 12.b4 to Ettner, not Kastner; and overlooked the possibility of 12.c4 – although, after 11...Ne7 he attributed it to Schmedes.

Andrew Soltis, in his Chess Life column "Chess to Enjoy" for September 2002 wrote

Wolfgang Heidenfeld, the German-Irish-South African author of a book about spectacular draws, criticized this one [move] and said that instead of Hamppe's 11.Kb4, there's a win in 12.Kb5 a5 and now 12.Qe2!

Note that Soltis referred to the 1968 book by Heidenfeld, not the 1982 one (which should have been available to him). Soltis continued

But when this was discussed in the pages of Chess Life & Review nearly 25 years ago, senior master Herbert Seidman pointed out that Black had a simple improvement in 11...Ne6!, threatening 12...Bd7 mate. White's only response to 11...Ne6 is – 12. Ka4! allowing 12...Nc5+ 13.Kb5 Ne6! with another repetition...

So it appears that Mednis' "Seidman" referred to a Chess Life & Review article from around 1978.

More Soltis

Is that the end for Hamppe-Meitner? No, because defenders of the game argued that Black's error was 11...a5. The right way is 11...Ne7! with the idea of ...a7-a5.

Soltis then looked at 12.d4 and 12.b4 and 12.Qh5 – but not 12.c4 which was the best line according to Heidenfeld in 1982!
Readers are encouraged to dive in with their own ideas, as well as with clarifications of Ettner, Kastner, Presley, Schmedes and Seidman.

(Chess researchers are reminded of the fantastic 4 DVD set Chess Review & Chess Life Complete Collection 1933-1975, reviewed here, and available here.)


graphic by Jeff Bucchino, "The Wizard of Draws"

Godfather of the Jerome Gambit? (Part III)

Referred to by some as the "Immortal Draw," Hamppe - Meitner, Vienna 1872 can still amuse and delight chess players today.
Here's a modern, improved example.

Wind,Maurits - Winckelmann,Thomas
correspondence, 1993

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Bc5 3.Na4 Bxf2+


See "Godfather of the Jerome Gambit? (Part I)"

4.Kxf2 Qh4+ 5.Ke3 Qf4+ 6.Kd3 d5 7.Kc3 Qxe4 8.Kb3 Na6


For 8...Nc6 and Steinitz see "Godfather of the Jerome Gambit? (Part II)"

9.a3 Qxa4+ 10.Kxa4 Nc5+ 11.Kb5


"Correct is 11.Kb5!, a move I suggested in Deutsche Schachzeitung 1972, without, however, myself realising its potential" wrote Wolfgang Heidenfeld in Draw! (1982)

Hamppe - Meitner continued instead with 11.Kb4, with the eventual draw, as did a "friendly skirmish" between Alexander Winster and Susan Eira played in London in 1953: 11...a5+ 12.Kb5 Bd7+ 13.Kxc5 b6+?? ( 13...Ne7 14.Nf3 b6 mate) 14.Kxd5 Nf6+ 15.Kxe5 0-0-0 16.d4 Rhe8+ 17.Kf4 Re4+ 18.Kf3? Bg4+ 19.Kf2 Bxd1 20.Bg5 Bxc2 21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Re1 Rdxd4 23.Ba6+ Kd7 24.Nf3 Rxe1 25.Nxd4? Rxh1 26.Nxc2 Rxh2 27.Bb5+ c6 28.Bc4 Ke7 29.Nd4 c5 30.Nb5 1/2-1/2

11...a5

11...Ne7 is better. Wrote Heidenfeld

This is a suggestion by another German amateur, Johannes Schmedes, so as to avoid the freeing manoeuvre, b4. In most cases this would lead back to – and thus revalidate – the game continuation, but there is one exception: 12.c4! (just as White frees square b4 for the return of the K... so he tries to free square c4... If then 12...d4 13.Kxc5! a5 14.Qa4+ Kd8 15.Qxa5! Rxa5+ 16.Kb4 and White wins.

12.b4

It is only this move, found by the German amateur Josef Ettner, that justifies 11.Kb5. Its point lies in the fact that the b-pawn attacks two black units so that White is assured of freeing square b4 for the return of his K to civilized regions.– Heidenfeld

Taking the Knight, instead, leads to the standard draw: 12.Kxc5 Ne7 13.Bb5+ Kd8 14.Bc6 b6+ 15.Kb5 Nxc6 16.Kxc6 Bb7+ 17.Kb5 Ba6+ 18.Kc6 Bb7+ Ax Rombaldoni - A Bove, U20 Fiuggi, Italy.

12...Ne7 13.bxa5 Nc6 14.Kxc5 Rxa5+ 15.Bb5 Be6 16.c4 d4 17.Nf3 f6 18.Nxd4 1-0

Godfather of the Jerome Gambit? (Part II)

Wilhelm Steinitz never faced the Jerome Gambit, as far as we know, but he did encounter Meitner's counter gambit – see "Godfather of the Jerome Gambit? (Part I)" – in an exhibition game during the same year that Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's analysis first saw print. Steinitz's play is a good example of how to combat such a wild-eyed attack.

Steinitz,W - Steinkuehler,G

simultaneous exhibition, Great Britain, 1874

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Bc5 3.Na4 Bxf2+

4.Kxf2 Qh4+ 5.Ke3 Qf4+ 6.Kd3 d5 7.Kc3 Qxe4 8.Kb3 Nc6

Hamppe - Meitner, Vienna 1872 continued instead with 8...Na6, with the Knight intending to go to c5.

White's King is still uncomfortable, and he needs to take pains to keep it safe.

9.c3 b5

Perhaps underestimating the strength of White's forced reply.

More promising seems to be 9...d4 10.Qf3 Be6+ 11.Ka3 Qh4 with the idea of 12...Qe7+. Of course, the b-pawn is off-limits (10.Bxb5 Rb8).

10.Nc5 Na5+ 11.Ka3 Nc4+ 12.Bxc4 Qxc4 13.d4 a5

It seems important to mention that the future World Champion is handling the White pieces, although his next move effectively ends the "King hunt" part of the game.

14.Qe2 Qxe2 15.Nxe2 e4

Black now has a protected passed pawn, as well as a 4-to-2 Kingside pawn majority. However, White has an extra piece and better development.

16.b3 Ne7 17.Bf4 c6 18.Kb2 f6 19.a4

Steinitz begins to take command.

19...Kf7 20.axb5 cxb5 21.Bc7 Nc6 22.Nf4 Ne7 23.Rhf1 Re8 24.Bxa5 g5

Putting the pawns into motion, but it looks like the last "Hurrah!"

25.Ne2 f5 26.g3 Kg6 27.Bc7 Rxa1 28.Rxa1 Nc6 29.b4 Rf8 30.Ra8 Kg7 31.Bd6 Re8 32.Kc2

Steinkuehler's pinned "bad Bishop" is of very little help. When Steinitz's King reaches the battlefield, the struggle will truly be over.

32...Rd8 33.Be5+ Nxe5

The resulting passed pawn is an annoyance, rather than a target.

34.dxe5 Rf8 35.e6 Rg8 36.Kd2 Kf6 37.Ra7 Rg7 38.Rxg7 Kxg7 39.Ke3 Kf6 40.Nd4 1-0

Godfather of the Jerome Gambit? (Part I)

It is not (yet) clear from what Alonzo Wheeler Jerome received his inspiration to create the Jerome Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ but the following legendary game must have gotten his creativity stirred up.

From the British Chess Magazine, November 1899

We take the score of the following extraordinary game from the Glasgow Herald, which was indebted for it to Capt. Mackenzie. It is said to have been played about 20 years ago in the Vienna Club, and was first published, we find, by Turf, Field, and Farm, and afterwards reprinted in the Chess-Player's Quarterly Chronicle of 1872.
Notes by C.E. Ranken [translated from descriptive to algebraic notation] 

Hamppe - Meitner
Vienna Club, 1872


1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Bc5 3.Na4 Bxf2+

We cannot believe this sacrifice to be sound. The simple retreat of the B to e7 is sufficient answer to White's bizarre third move, since it leaves his N out of play.

4.Kxf2 Qh4+ 5.Ke3
A feasible course seems to be as follows: 5.g3 Qxe4 6.Qe2! Qxh1 (If 6...Qxa4 White at once recovers his two pawns, with the better position) 7.Nf3 Nf6 (This or 7...Nh6 is obviously the only move to save the Queen) 8.h3 (Better than 8.Qxe5+ ) 8...e4 (If 8...Ng4+ 9.hxg4 d6 10.d4 Bxg4 11.Bg2 Bxf3 12.Qxf3 and wins) 9.Bg2 Ng4+ 10.hxg4 Qh6 11.Qxe4+ Qe6 12.Nc5 Qxe4 13.Nxe4 d5 14.Nc3 c6 15.g5 and Black has only Rook and Pawn against the two minor pieces

5...Qf4+ 6.Kd3 d5 7.Kc3 

7.Nc3 might perhaps be ventured, and if 7...dxe4+ 8.Kc4; Or White could play 7.Qe2 and if 7...dxe4+ 8.Kc3 

7...Qxe4 8.Kb3

A pretty variation would arise here from 8.d4 exd4+ 9.Qxd4 Qe1+ 10.Bd2 Qxa1 11.Nf3! Qxa2 (if 11...Kf8 12.Qxd5 Nc6 13.Bc4 Be6 14.Qc5+ and wins) 12.Qxg7 Qxa4 13.Qxh8 Qc6+ There appears nothing better. 14.Kb3 Qg6 15.Bd3 with a winning attack. 

8...Na6 9.a3 Qxa4+

An exhibition of fireworks worthy of Morphy or Blackburne. This brilliant sacrifice will, as far as we can see, stand the test of analysis, and but for White's able defence it might have won.

10.Kxa4 Nc5+ 11.Kb4 

Best; if 11.Kb5 the reply would be 11...b6 

11...a5+ 12.Kxc5



If 12.Kc3 then 12...d4+ 13.Kc4 b6 and still White would have no escape. 

12...Ne7 13.Bb5+

The only way to escape mate. 

13...Kd8 14.Bc6 b6+ 15.Kb5 Nxc6 16.Kxc6


If 16.Ka4 Nd4 and mates next move. If 16.c3 then 16...Bd7 with the same result 

16...Bb7+ 17.Kb5 

Should 17.Kxb7 then 17...Kd7 18.Qg4+ Kd6 and White has no resource 

17...Ba6+ and draws by perpetual check

Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter VI

There is room for exploration in the c3 systems for White, as played here and in other battles in this tournament, but the current game is not a happy one for the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde (community).

I was not very happy winning this game, even if it took me one step closer to my initial plan to "win with Black and draw with White."



Gary_Seven - perrypawnpusher
JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net, 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d3


The "modern" Jerome Gambit (See "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter IV" and "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter V"). I am not convinced that this line is an improvement over the old fashioned 5.Nxe5, but since either move, objectively, leads to a lost game for White, the point may not be worth much debate.

5...Nf6 6.c3 Bb6 7.Qb3+ d5


Transposing to Kevin the fruitbat - perrypawnpusher from the same tournament, to be covered later.

My opponent now tries his hand at the endgame. He probably can cause more mischief by leaving the Queens on the board.

8.exd5 Qxd5 9.Qxd5+ Nxd5 10.0–0 Bg4 11.Nbd2 Rhf8 12.h3 Bh5 13.Ne4 Bxf3 14.gxf3 Kg8


White's attacking prospects are nil -- Black has castled by hand again -- he is behind in material and development, and his position has a number of targets.

15.Kg2 Nce7 16.Re1 Ng6 17.c4 Ndf4+ 18.Kf1 Nxd3 19.Re2 Rxf3 20.a4 Raf8 21.b3 Nxf2


Pursuing the simple endgame. For the record, 21...Bxf2 had more tactical bite.22.Nxf2 Rxf2+ 23.Rxf2 Rxf2+ 24.Ke1 Nf4 25.Bxf4 exf4 26.a5 Be3 27.b4 Rh2 28.Ra3 Rxh3 29.Ra4 f3 30.c5
Agreeing to go quietly into the night.


30...Rh1 checkmate