Some History of the Jerome Gambit (Part 2)

Continuing with some history, started yesterday...

Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's analysis of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) was first published in the March 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal. He followed this with further analysis in the July 1874 issue.

Dubuque Chess Journal
July 1874 Vol. VII, No. 53


Jerome's Double Opening


Third Variation (see Journal No.50, p358) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ [The following is a possibility of the game 6.d4 Bb6 7.Qh5+ Ke6 8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.Qxe5+ Kc6 10.Qd5#] 6...Kf8 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qf4+ Nf6 9.c3 Kf7 10.d4 Bb6 11.e5 dxe5 12.dxe5 Re8 13.0-0 Kg8 14.exf6 Qxf6 15.Qxf6 gxf6 16.Bh6 and White has a pawn ahead


Note: It should be understood that Mr. Jerome claims in this New Opening "only a pleasant variation of the Giuoco Piano, which may win or lose according to the skill of the players, but which is capable of affording many new positions and opportunities for heavy blows unexpectedly."

Some History of the Jerome Gambit (Part 1)

I was a bit surprised how much I had to hunt in the posts of this blog for examples of the line that we have been discussing, at the behest of Филидор1792, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.d4 Bxd4 9.Na3 – see "An Intriguing Letter" Parts 1, 2 and 3 – especially since the line has a long and interesting history in the story of the Jerome Gambit.

The Database has only 3 games with the line – or 5, if you count the pair recently contributed by Филидор1792. One, Jerome - Norton, correspondence, 1887, was presented with light commentary; another, perrypawnpusher - BronxBoyII, blitz, FICS, 2008, appeared without notes as an aside in another game; and the third, alechinez - marcinho, standard, FICS, 2009, has yet to appear.

Even if we back up a move, leaving off White's 9th, The Database has less than a couple dozen game examples, only two (excluding the ones named above) appearing in this blog: Tonetti - Ruggieri, Rome, 1863 (without notes) and Vazquez - Giraudy, Mexico, 1876 (without notes and without White's Queen Rook).

Clearly, I have some work to do!

An Intriguing Letter (Part 3)

Here is the second game mentioned in "An Intriguing Letter (Part 1)" from Филидор1792 . It is a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) where one slip by Black spells disaster.




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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.d4 Bxd4 9.Na3

9...Qf6 10.Nb5+

Putting the Knight directly into action.

10...Kc5 11.Nxd4 Kxd4 12.Be3+ Kc4 13.Qh5 Ne7

Giving White the tempo that he needs. It was not readily apparent that Black needed to play 13...Kb5.

14.Qe2+ Kb4 15.a4 Qc6 16.Qd2+ Kc4 17.b3 checkmate

An Intriguing Letter (Part 2)

This is the first of two games, mentioned yesterday in "An Intriguing Letter (Part 1)" from Филидор1792 . It features a typical Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) battle between White's two "extra" pawns and Black's "extra" piece.



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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.d4 Bxd4 9.Na3

This move is mentioned by Freeborough and Ranken in their Chess Openings Ancient and Modern. This game follows one of their notes through the 13th move.

9...c6 10.c3 Qf6 11.cxd4 Qxf5 12.exf5 Nf7 13.Bf4+ Ke7

White has only one pawn for his sacrificed piece, and so muct be worse. However, the game has a long way to go, and each player must make the best of what he has. Watch the first player work with his quantitative majority of pawns on the Kingside.

14.Nc4 d5 15.Ne3 Ngh6 16.g4 g6 17.fxg6 hxg6 18.f3 Bd7 19.Kf2 Raf8 20.Bg3 g5 21.Rae1 Kd8 22.h4 gxh4 23.Bxh4+ Kc8

These "Jerome pawns" give White hope.

24.Bf6 Rhg8 25.Kg3 Nd6 26.Be5 Nhf7 27.Bxd6 Nxd6 28.Rh6 Nf7 29.Rh7 Rh8 30.Reh1 Kd8 31.f4 Ke7 32.f5 Kf6 33.Kf4 Rxh7 34.Rxh7 Rh8

From a practical standpoint, White continues to make progress.

35.g5+ Ke7 36.g6

Perhaps looking to win the Knight, but actually losing the Rook pawn. It was probably time to exchange Rooks, with an even game.

36...Rxh7 37.gxh7 Kf6 38.Ng4+ Kg7 39.Ne5 Nxe5 40.dxe5 Kxh7

Oh, those Jerome pawns! Are they actually going to save the day??

41.e6 Be8 42.Ke5 Kg7 43.f6+ Kf8 44.b4 Bh5 45.a3 Bf3 46.Kd6

46...Ke8

Finally cracking under the pressure.

47.f7+ Kf8 48.e7+ Kxf7 49.Kd7 Bg4+ 50.Kd8 d4 51.e8Q+ Black resigned

An Intriguing Letter (Part 1)

I recently received an email from chessfriend Филидор1792 ("Philidor 1792") that got me thinking about a whole lot of things in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) universe – kind of like setting off a whole string of fireworks in my brain. This happened not too long ago (after another letter from Филидор1792) with the series of posts "Where Do Ideas Come From?" Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, so I knew that I was headed off on another adventure!

First, the letter

Hi,

There is some stuff, that may be interesting. When I was reading the article on Jerome Gambit in Wikipedia I noticed that the move 9.Na3 [1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.d4 Bxd4] that is mentioned there with reference to Chess Openings, Ancient and Modern (1896) by Freeborough and Ranken is not represented on your blog (probably I missed it). So I decided to check it with a friend of mine. White happened to win both games, though in second one it was lost.

Thanks for your time. I wish you Happy New Year

To start off: Wikipedia articles do not often link to blogs, but the Jerome Gambit article does – to this blog, of course.

Also, while Wikipedia does not have an article on Chess Openings, Ancient and Modern, itself, it does have an article on author Edward Freeborough (that is the link that I added to Филидор1792's letter). I was surprised to see that one of the references the Freeborough article gives is to a review of Chess Openings, Ancient and Modern – by yours truly. It's a small universe.

Sunday Tournament Update

With seven games left to be completed in the massive 15-player double-round robin ChessWorld Jerome Gambit Thematic tournament, the top places have almost all been secured:




AsceticKingK9              27/28
mckenna215               23.5/28
braken                        19.5/28
Knight32                    18.5/28
Rikiki00                     17.5/26
shm19cs                     16.5/28
blackburne                   15/28
Magni                           14/28
Haroldlee123               12/28
Drewbear 63                11/28
pixifrufru                       8/27
Baron wd von Blanc,
heart pirate                 7.5/26
Luke Warm                  7/27
klonka59                      4/27
martind1991                 2/21

AsceticKingK9 holds first place, comfortably, followed by mckenna215, braken and Knight32.

With two games to complete, Rikiki00 has a chance to climb from 5th place to 4th or a tie for 3rd.

Down the list, the placement of pixifrufru, Baron wd von Blanc, heart pirate, and Luke Warm is still undetermined. Martind1991 has the possibility of joining or bypassing all of them.

So far the Jerome Gambit as White has scored 40%. The "classical" lines (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 with 5.Nxe5+) have scored 48%. White has scored 100% against Jerome Gambit declined lines (not 4...Kxf7).

I tell ya, I don't get no respect...

The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is the Rodney Dangerfield of chess, always ready to complain "I tell ya, I don't get no respect."
In the following game, Black defends in the opening as if any old move would do. It's not surprising that he ends up on the wrong end of a miniature.

Wall,B - Dani
Chess.com, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

7.f4 Nf6

If your opponent attacks your piece, don't move it away; attack something more valuable of his. (To be fair to Dani, Black has scored a surprising 43% with this move in The Database.)

8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5

White has recovered his two sacrificed pieces, but his opponent sees a chance to grab back a pawn.

9...Nxe4 10.Qd5+

Here Black resigned in Wall - Meinherr, Chess.com, 2010.

10...Kf8 11.Qxe4

11...d5

So far the game has followed the early gobo-breaker, ChessWorld Jerome Gambit Thematic, 2005, where, after four more moves, both players timed out, for a double forfeit.

12.Qd4 Qe7+ 13.Kf2 Bg4 14.Qxd5

This "pawn grab", on the other hand, allows only a harmless "attack" on White's King.

14...Qe2+ 15.Kg3 h5 16.h4 Re8 17.Nc3 Qa6 18.d3 Qg6 19.Bd2 Be6+

One last try.

20.Qg5 Black resigned

Exchanging Queens simply leaves Black a piece down, with worse development.