William A. Shinkman (Part I)

Steven Dowd has noted, at ChessGames and via personal communication, that the one game that online database has by William A. Shinkman is a Jerome Gambit game – Jerome had White – and that no mention is made that Shinkman was one of the US's top problemists.

It seems time to address this short-coming. First off, Shinkman actually defended against Alonzo Wheeler Jerome and his gambit twice.

Dubuque Chess JournalJuly, 1874, p.484
(notes by O.A. Brownson, converted to algebraic notation)

Jerome,A - Shinkman,W
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.Qf3 Nf6 11.d3 Ke7 12.Nc3 g5 13.Rf1 c6 14.g3 d5 15.Bd2 Bg4 16.Qg2 Rhf8 17.h3 Nxe4 18.Bf4

If 18.Nxe4 Rxf1+ 19.Kxf1 (best) 19...Rf8+ 20.Ke1 ( If 20.Bf4 gxf4 21.gxf4 Rxf4+ 22.K moves Rf2 wins) 20...Bf2+ 21.Kf1 Bxg3+ 22.Kg1 Qd4+ 23.Kh1 Bf3 wins Queen
18...gxf4 19.gxf4 Rxf4 20.Nxe4 Rxf1+ 21.Kxf1
and Mr. Shinkman announced loss of the Queen or mate in six moves.

A year and a half later, the following game was published

Dubuque Chess Journal

March 1876, No. 71, p.103
(notes by O.A. Brownson, converted to algebraic notation)

"Jerome's Double Opening"

Jerome,A - Shinkman,W
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 8.0-0 Nf6 9.f4 c5
We do not approve of this system of defence; it appears to us, that moving forward the QB and Q's Pawns only weakens Black's Queen's wing. Black having a piece more can well afford to remain on the defensive and await White's attack.
We therefore believe 9...Nc6 to be the proper move followed by 10...d5 if Q checks, or else by 10...Re8
10.Qc3 Neg4 11.Nd2 b5 12.h3 h5 13.e5
The attack is spirited from this point.
13...b4 14.Qf3 Ba6 15.exf6 Bxf1 16.Qb7+
Would not the capture of the S [sic; S =Springer = Knight] immediately have been better? Suppose 16.hxg4 Ba6 17.Qd5+ Kxf6 18.Ne4+ Ke7 19.f5 and White appears to have a manifest advantage.
16...Kxf6 17.Ne4+ Kg6 18.f5+ Kxf5 19.hxg4+ Kg6
The only move, for any other moves loses the Q or leads to mate. 19...Kxg4 20.Nxd6 and if 20...Qxd6 mate in 2, or 20...Bxg2 or 20...Qf8 White mates in a very few moves; 19...Ke6 20.Ng5+ Kf6 mates in 3; 19...hxg4 20.Qd5+ Kg6 21.Qe6+ Kh7 22.Ng5+ wins; 19...Ke5 20.Bf4+ Kxf4 21.Rxf1+ and forces mate soon.
20.Qd5
20.Bg5 seems decisive but Black has a satisfactory defense in 20...Qb6; We are inclined to think that 20.Ng5 would have maintained the attack 20.Ng5 White now threatens mate in a few moves, both at f7 and e4.; therefore 20...Qe8 21.Bd2 threatening Re1 21...Rf8 22.gxh5+ Kxh5 23.Qxg7 threatening mate by Qh7ch and Qh3 23...Bxg2 24.Qh7+ Kg4 25.Re1 wins
20...Qd7
Again, the only move 21.Qg5+
21...Kf7 22.gxh5 Bc4 23.b3 Be6 24.Bb2 Rag8 25.Rd1 d5
26.Be5 Rf8 27.Rf1+ Kg8 28.Nf6+ Rxf6 29.Bxf6
29.Rxf6 is promising, but Black can insure a draw by 29...Rxh5
29...Rh6 30.Rf4 a5 31.Be5 c4 32.bxc4 dxc4 33.Bd4 a4 34.Re4 b3 35.cxb3 cxb3 36.a3 Qf7 37.g4 Qc7 38.Be5 b2 39.Bxb2 Qg3+ 40.Kf1 Qf3+ 41.Kg1 Qg3+ 42.Kf1 Draw
The game is extremely interesting throughout and abounds in critical and instructive positions

Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter XVI

Here is my favorite game of the tournament.


I had White, playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).


I lost.

Hats off to Temmo for a fascinating game!


perrypawnpusher - Temmo
JG3 thematic http://www.chessworld.net/ 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+



As played against me by drewbear ("Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter II") and Kevin the fruitbat ("Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter XIII") in this tournament, and James042665 ("Fools walk in...") more recently.

The line has lots of confusion for White, and a possible Black Queen sacrifice (i.e. abhailey - peonconorejas, net-chess.com, 2008, "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter II") to keep things lively.

9.g3

No more innovations like 9.Kd1, perrypawnpusher - drewbear, JG3 thematic, http://www.chessworld.net/, 2008 (0-1, 10)

9...Nf3+ 10.Kf1 Qh6


If you happen to have the quirky tome Unorthodox Chess, by the pseudonymous Some Loser, you would find the alternative 10...Nxh2+ in one of his games: 11.Kg2 Qd8 12.Qd5+ Ke7 13.Qxc5+ d6 14.Qg5+ Ke8 15.Qxd8+ Kxd8 16.Rxh2 Nf6 17.d3 Ng4? 18.Rh4 Nf6 19.Be3 Bg4?! 20.Bd4 Bd1? 21.Na3 Be2 22.Kf2 Bxd3 23.cxd3 c5 24.Bxf6+ gxf6 25.Nc4 Ke7 26.Ne3 Kf7 27.Rah1 Kg6 28.Rh6+ Kg7 29.Nf5+ Kg8 30.Rxf6 d5 31.Nh6+ Kg7 32.Rf7+ Kg6 33.e5 Rhg8 34.Rf6+ Kg7 35.Nf5+ Kh8 36.Rxh7+ Kxh7 37.Rh6 checkmate Some Loser - NN.

11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.Qxc5+ Qd6 It's probably better to leave the Queens on the board with 12...d6. It doesn't look like a big deal, but if the analysis given below of a 14th move alternative for White is accurate, then it is here that Black loses his advantage.

13.Qxd6+ cxd6

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
(from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1872)

Is the Knight at f3 vulnerable? If so, then White probably will find an even – if unclear – game.

Is the Knight Black's only source of worry? What about the a1-h8 diagonal?

After the hammering White took in the game perrypawnpusher - James042665, Chess.com 2008, we will probably see 10...Qf6 far more often than this game's 10...Qh6, so there may not be other games to address these (and other) questions.

Pity.

14.c3

Played to keep the Knight from running away, but Rybka gives an interesting alternative in 14.b4!? -- when best play has the piece staying a moment, as 14...Nd4 15.Bb2 Ne6 16.f5 seems to require the answer 16...Nf6, when 17.Bxf6 (better than the pawn capture) gxf6 18.fxe6 dxe6 gives White a small advantage.

After 14.b4!? b6 15.Kf2 Nd4 it's still an unclear game: 16.Bb2 Nxc2 17.Bxg7 Nf6 18.Bxh8 Nxe4+ (better than the immediate capture of the Rook with 18...Nxa1) 19.Kf3 Nc5 (an amazing move; Black also has 19...Bb7 20.Rc1 Nc5 21.Ke2 Ba6+ leading to a draw by repetition) 20.Ke2 Bb7 21.Rc1 Ba6+ 22.Kd1 Nxb4 23.Bd4 Ncd3 where Rybka suggests as best that Black can force a draw.

14...g5

On a rescue mission!

15.Kf2

The King is probably better-placed after 15.Kg2, after which the battle over the knight would continue with 15...g4 16.h3 d5 17.exd5 d6 18.hxg4 Bxg4 although Black would have an edge after 19.Rf1 h5 20.Rxf3 Bxf3 21.Kxf3 h4 22.gxh4 Rxh4 – White has three pawns for the exchange, but Black's development would more than compensate.

15...g4 16.h3 d5 17.hxg4

Capturing the d-pawn first was better.

17...dxe4 18.d3 d5 19.g5

Giving up on the "undermining" mission, and seeking to delay the development of the other Knight, which would in turn delay the development of a Rook.

19...h6

Black understood what I was getting at, and worked to counter it; but the more straight-forward 19...Bf5 would have helped his development

20.dxe4

If first 20.c4 Bg4 21.dxe4 dxe4 22.Nc3 Re8 23.Nxe4 the pawn center would have been destroyed, and White would have crept closer to equality.

20...dxe4 21.Nd2 Nxd2 22.Bxd2 Bg4 23.Be3

White had the interesting 23.Rh4 instead, although after 23...h5 24.Rah1 Bf3 25.R1h2 Ke6 26.g4 Bxg4 27.Rxg4 Nf6! Black wins the exchange and retains the better game.

23...Ke6 24.Rh4 Kf5

Here Rybka comes up with another interesting idea for White: sacrificing the exchange! 25.Rxg4 Kxg4 26.Rh1 Kf5 27.Rh4 Rd8 27.g4 Kg6 28.g4 Kg6 29.Ke2 a6 30.f5 Kg7 31.gxh6 Nxh6 32.Bd4 Rxd4!? 33.cxd4 Rc8 and too many of White's pawns look like targets.

25.Bd4 Rh7 26.Rah1 h5 27.Ke3

Rybka suggests the exchange sacrifice again, 27.Rxg4 etc. to reduce Black's advantage. Once Black gets his pieces untangled, the game more and more favors him. His King easily handles the White pawns.

27...Ne7 28.R4h2 Nd5+ 29.Kd2 b6 30.Re1 Re8 31.Be3 Rd8 32.Kc2 Rc7 33.a3 Rcd7 34.Bd4 b5 35.Be5 Rc8 36.Kb1 a5 37.g6


A frail whisp of hope. A mirage.

37...b4 38.axb4 axb4 39.g7 b3 40.Bd4 Kg6 41.Kc1 Kf5 42.Rhh1 Nb4 43.Kd2 Rxd4+
White resigns.


What a game!

King of Bxf7+

The key move in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) of course is 4.Bxf7+, sacrificing material to upset Black's King -- and possibly Black, himself.

A few years back I discovered a player at RedHotPawn who surely must be familiar with the work of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, perhaps by way of Andres Clemente Vazquez, Mexican chess champion in the last quarter of the 19th century, who also played the gambit.

Veijoasquerosos of Mexico has played over 1100 games at RedHotPawn (although he's been inactive for about a year and a half now). It seems that he likes to play Bxf7+ as often and as soon as possible. I've compiled some of his openings to show you what I mean.

Such play tends to make the Jerome Gambit look like a tame variation of the Exchange Slav!

1.e4 c5

1...b6 2.Bc4 a5 (2...Nf6 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-jjthjet 2005; 2...g6 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-stevsheppard 2005) 3.Nf3 Ba6 4.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-MikeGfres 2004;

1...Nc6 2.Bc4 Nf6 (2...d6 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-cut2it 2004; 2...a6 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-WhatDoings 2005; 2...Nb4 3.c3 Nc6 4.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-master 007 2006) 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-AIMaster 2004;

1...e5 2.Bc4 Nf6
a) 2...d6 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-CliffLandin 2004; (3.d4 Nd7 {3...exd4 4.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-Ruprecht 2005; 3...Nc6 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-ajm132 2005} 4.Bxf7+ 0–1 viejoasquerosos-kristvoir 2004);
b) 2...c6 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-Jamaal Burden 2004;
c) 2...Bc5 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-Jeman 2004;
d) 2...Qh4 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-ashuats1 2004 (3.d3 a6 4.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-Teqilaman 2005);
e) 2...Nc6 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-demolisher 2004 (3.Nf3 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-spike94wl 2005);
f) 2...b6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.d3 Bb7 5.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-flykiller 2004;
g) 2...d5 3.Bxd5 Nf6 (3...Bb4 4.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-jeromescaturro 2004) 4.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-foxmolder 2004;

h) 2...h6 3.Qh5 (3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-Armil1980 2006) 3...Qe7 4.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-toffee 2004;
i) 2...g6 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-Carlos19 2005;
j) 2...a6 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-SleppityInfresh 2005;
k) 2...h5 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-kellsy 2005;
l) 2...Bb4 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-lulupuss 2005;
m) 2...Qg5 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-sammba 2005;
n) 2...Bd6 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-filler13 2006;
o) 2...f6 3.Bxg8 viejoasquerosos-heatstardwade3 2006;
p) 2...Ne7 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-jphan 2006;
q) 2...b5 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-tshrapez 2006; (3.Nf3 {3.d3 Bc5 (3...c5 4.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-CrocDundee 2005; 3...c6 4.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-GM DairoBG 2005; 3...Bd6 4.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-Wingover 2005; 3...h6 4.Nf3 d6 5.c3 Bd7 6.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-captnd 2005; 3...g6 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.c3 Bg7 6.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-the7tidlys 2005) 4.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-GibaW 2004; 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-Jeman 2004} 3...Nxe4 {3...Bc5 4.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-Devinator3000 2004; 3...Nc6 4.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-Killyourking 2004} 4.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-AntiDentite 2004);

1...Nf6 2.Bc4 (2.e5 Ne4 {2...Nd5 3.Bc4 Nf4 (3...Nb6 4.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-FcFightr 2005) 4.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-Extraterrestre 2005} 3.Bc4 Nc6 {3...d6 4.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-jkuli 2005} 4.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-topulan 2004) 2...Nxe4 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-ChessMaster1344 2004;

1...g6 2.Bc4 Bg7 (2...a6 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-Dontuo 2005) 3.Nf3 (3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-dmnelson84 2006) 3...c6 4.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-Doffy 2004;

1...a5 2.Bc4 d5 3.Bxd5 c6 4.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-Elina 2004;

1...g5 2.Bc4 Bg7 (2...Nf6 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-gordozilla 2005) 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-magnas 2004;

1...d6 2.Bc4 Nf6 (2...g6 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-Lircos 2005; 2...b5 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-superfast 2006) 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-AMarek 2005;

1...d5 2.c4 (2.d4 dxe4 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-Vengal 2005; 2.e5 d4 3.Bc4 Nc6 {3...h5 4.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-pCiaran 2005} 4.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-dave1810 2005)2...dxc4 3.Bxc4 Qd4 4.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-Phadreus 2005;

1...a6 2.Bc4 b5 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-Tampines 2005 (3.Bd5 c6 4.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-Tampines 2006);

1...c6 2.Bc4 b5 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-drumcorps 2005;

1...h6 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-Montoid 2006;

2.Bc4

2.d4 cxd4 3.Bc4 Nc6 (3...Nf6 4.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-topulan 2005) 4.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-CenterNut 2005;

2...e5

2...Nc6 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-caissa100 2004; 2...Na6 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-fizan2003 2004; 2...g6 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-KingHun 2005; 2...d6 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-Longh 2005; 2...Nf6 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-cheesechess 2006; 2...a6 3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-vinylrock 2006

3.Nf3 (3.Bxf7+ viejoasquerosos-adam hallsworth 2005);

3...d6 4.d4 Bg4 5.Bxf7+

Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter XV

My opponent in this game finished second in the tournament (see "Overrated!") with a score of 13-5, including a vicious score with the Black pieces of 8-1 against the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). As you will see in this Chapter and next, we split our two games.

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

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

A line recently popular – brain50 played it in all 9 of his games as White in this tournament (his game against me will be seen in a later Chapter). Temmo did so 6 times, and Sir Osis of the Liver 4 times. In another ChessWorld Jerome Gambit theme tournament, dandoo played it 6 times.

After the following pawn capture, the game has transposed to Wright - Hunn, Arkansas 1874 (see "Brilliant but not sound").

5...exd4 6.Qd3

Played also by Temmo vs Sir Osis of the Liver (0-1, 32).

I think that White should try 6.c3 here, aiming to build a full pawn center after cxd4. There is also the trap 6...dxc3 7.Qd5+ winning back a piece.

6...d5 TN 7.Ng5+ Kf8 8.Qf3+ Qf6 9.exd5 Qxf3 10.Nxf3 Nb4 11.Na3 Nxd5
There's not a lot of excitement left in the game.

12.Nc4 Bf5 13.Nfe5 Re8 14.0-0
This puts his Knights at risk. Better was the supportive 14.Bf4.

14...b5 15.g4 Bxc2

Sloppy: 15...bxc4 won a piece.

16.Nd7+ Ke7 17.Nxc5 bxc4 18.Re1+ Kf7 19.Rxe8 Kxe8 20.Bg5 Ngf6 21.Re1+ Kf7 22.h3 Re8 23.Rxe8 Kxe8 24.Bxf6 Nxf6 25.Ne6

Forking three unprotected pawns and apparently winning one, but there will be no time for that.

25...d3 26.Kf1 d2 27.Nxg7+ Kf7 28.Nf5 d1Q+ 29.Kg2 Be4+ 30.Kg3 Qf3+ 31.Kh4 Bxf5 32.b3 Bxg4 White resigns

Is it September already?

I enjoy using Internet search engines to find references to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).

Sometimes a result leads to a site that is interesting enough on its own. Take Bill Vallicella's Maverick Philosopher website.

The Jerome Gambit connection?

Look hard enough and you can find a nascent email "conversation" between Bill Vallicella, Ed Yetman III and Peter Lupu about the possibility of a Jerome Gambit tournament in Jerome, Arizona.

(Is it September already? Okay, I'll place my hopes on October, then. I will offer a prize for the best/worst Jerome Gambit game in the tournament – the adjective may well be worth some philosophical discussion. )

Look some more at the same site, and you can find an interesting read under Philosophy of Chess.

(If that catches your eye, you might be interested in the forthcoming Philosophy Looks at Chess, edited by Benjamin Hale, from the Open Court Publishing Company.)

Jerome Gambit: Return to Transylvania

I jumped at a chance to play a couple of games with mika76, who had played some interesting games in the GameKnot Vlad-Tepes Mini-Tournament.

This challenging battle finished first.

perrypawnpusher - mika76
www.GameKnot.com, 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 6.Nxc6
Side-stepping the Banks variation as looked at in "Jerome Gambit and Vlad Tepes..." and "Jerome Gambit, Vlad Tepes... and Garlic!"

6...bxc6

Usually Black captures with the other pawn, as in Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, USA 1875: 6...dxc6 7.0-0 Nf6 8.Qf3 Qd4 9.d3 Bg4 10.Qg3 Bb6 11.e5 Nh5 12.Qh4 Be2 13.Qxd4 Bxd4 14.Re1 Bxe5 15.Rxe2 Re8 16.g3 Kf7 17.f4 Bd4+ 18.Kf1 Nf6 19.Nd2 Rxe2 20.Kxe2 Re8+ 21.Ne4 a5 22.Kf3 h6 23.c3 Ba7 24.Be3 Bxe3 25.Kxe3 Ng4+ 26.Kf3 Nxh2+ 27.Kg2 Ng4 28.Re1 b6 29.a4 Rd8 1/2-1/2

7.d4 Bb6 8.0-0 d6 9.Nc3


perrypawnpusher - hdig, blitz game, FICS, USA, 2007 continued instead: 9.f4 Bb7 10.Nc3 Qf6 11.e5 dxe5 12.fxe5 Bxd4+ 13.Kh1 Qxf1+ 14.Qxf1+ Ke8 15.Bg5 Kd7 16.Qf7+ Kc8 17.Qe8 checkmate

9...Qe7 10.f4


It's the same old story: Black has the advantage; White gathers up what he has and goes to work...

10...Nh6

An interesting, provocative idea.

11.f5 Bd7 12.g4
Eying the Knight, but White should have tried 12.f6 Qe6 13.Bxh6 gxh6 14.Qd2 when Black's edge is small.

12...Bxd4+

Giving back the piece for some pawns, a standard defensive maneuver for Black; but here he had more, by playing out what he had started: 12...Qh4 13.g5 Nf7 and White loses the too-quickly-advanced g-pawn.

White has weaseled his way out of a tough situation.

13.Qxd4 Nxg4 14.Bf4

Safe-guarding the Kingside.

14...Rb8 15.Rae1 Qf6 16.Qxa7

Here mika76 took a break from our game. I've mentioned before that this kind of thing is laudable: people lead busy lives and there is much more to the world than the Jerome Gambit.

16...Qh4

Oh, no. Come back to the board too quickly, you might miss something...
17.Qxb8+ Black resigns.
(I inquired about take-backs, but the site doesn't allow them.)

Jerome Gambit: Duck-Billed Platypus of Openings

I'm having a lot of fun writing for this Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) blog – this is something like my 82nd consecutive daily post – and it's broken me of some bad habits along the way.

For example, for almost three years, starting in mid-January 2005, I was posting in the ChessPub.com forum, primarily on the Jerome Gambit. It is fun today to see that my first post there has been viewed almost 4500 times.

Anyhow, you might imagine that Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's pet variation was not the hottest topic at ChessPub, and often my posts there looked like conversations with myself. Imagine that.

You might even imagine (correctly) that I was using the forum site as some kind of intermittent blog.

Until the day that one of the Powers That Be told me to zip it.

Qué lástima.

I don't hold any grudges, though. I could have copied all of that good content to this site and not even mentioned the 'Pub. Instead, I invite you to stop by at the ChessPub forum and meet some really fine people chatting about some really interesting chess things.

Just not the Jerome Gambit.