I have done a bit of research (and spent a few pounds) at The British Newspaper Archive website, looking for references to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7). Without a date or a paper to focus on, work can be tedious, with only a few "finds".
As a public service, I present an item from The Newcastle Courant, Saturday, December 3, 1898 (I have added diagrams):
The following little brilliancy illustrates the unsoundness of the Jerome Gambit. Students would do well to commit it to memory, as strong players have a peculiarity of springing the opening upon the unwary.
Amateur - Blackburne
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6
7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.0-0 Nf6
10.c3 Ng4 11.h3 Bxf2+ 12.Kh1 Bf5 13.Qxa8 Qxh3+ 14.gxh3 Bxe4#
White's play is not very exciting (after the opening salvos in the Jerome Gambit, of course) and this eventually emboldens Black to unsoundly counter-attack – after which White can continue his boring, but steady, play and gather in his win.
perrypawnpusher - johnde
blitz, FICS, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6
10.0-0 Qe7 11.Nc3
The alternative, 11.d3, was played successfully by mrjoker in a handful of games in 2009.
11...Kf7
Planning to put the Rook on e8. Again, 11...Rf8 has been played a number of times, as well, including perrypawnpusher - MRBarupal, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 31); perrypawnpusher - chingching, blitz, FICS, 2011 (½-½, 36); perrypawnpusher - parlance, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 22); perrypawnpusher - Unimat, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 25); perrypawnpusher - Solaar, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 33); and perrypawnpusher - mikelars, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 50).
12.f4 Re8
13.f5 Ne5 14.d3
Opting not to kick the Knight with 14.d4
14...Neg4 15.Qg3 Kg8 16.h3 Ne5 17.Bg5 Qf7
18.Bxf6 Qxf6 19.Nd5 Qf7 20.f6 Qg6
More accurate was 20...Rd8, although after 21.fxg7 Qxg7 22.Qxg7+ Kxg7 23.Nxc7 White would have 3 pawns for his sacrificed piece.
21.Ne7+
Grabbing the exchange, but that would be accomplished better with 21.Qxg6 hxg6 22.Nxc7.
21...Rxe7 22.fxe7 Bd7
23.Qf4
Wasting a move.
23...Qe8 24.Qh4 Ng6 25.Qg5 Nxe7
Black's two pieces still outweigh White's Rook and pawn, but not by much.
26.Rf2 h6 27.Qe3 Qg6 28.Raf1 Bxh3
A simple oversight.
29.Qxh3 Nc6
The exchange proves to be enough.
30.Qf5 Qe8 31.Qf7+ Qxf7 32.Rxf7 Nd4 33.Rxc7 b6 34.Rff7 Ne6
35.Rxa7 Rxa7 36.Rxa7 Nd4 37.c3 Ne2+ 38.Kf2 Nf4 39.d4 Nd3+ 40.Ke3 Nxb2 41.Rb7 Nc4+ 42.Kd3 Nb2+ 43.Kc2 Na4 44.Rd7 b5 45.Rxd6 Kf7
46.e5 Ke7 47.Kb3 h5 48.Kb4 Nb2 49.Kxb5 Nd3 50.a4 g5 51.a5 g4 52.a6 Nf2 53.a7 Nd1 54.a8Q Nxc3+ 55.Kc4 Black resigned
The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and its related openings present plenty of opportunities for both players to be creative in their interpretations of how the game should progress. Yet, one must always remember that "new" does not necessarily mean "improved", and that "different" does not necessarily mean "better".
sabreman - brhadaaraNyaka
blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.c3
This is a way of meeting the Semi-Italian Opening that I have not paid much attention to, focusing instead on 4.0-0 and 4.Nc3.
4...Na5
This move is dangerous for Black in the direct 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5?! and it is no safer played here. (I don't have any other examples in The Database.)
5.Bxf7+
Applying the "Jerome Treatment."
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Ke8
This leads to more trouble. As uncomfortable as it looks, Black's "best" choice was 6...Ke6, although he would still be worse.
7.Qh5+ Ke7
Opting for checkmate over the grim 7...g6 8.Qxg6+ Ke7 9.Qf7+ Kd6 10.Ng6
8.Ng6+ Black resigned
With one game left to complete in the ChessWorld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, and that one largely unbalanced, the final standings can be predicted as follows
AsceticKingK9 27/28
mckenna215 23.5/28
braken 19.5/28
Rikiki00 19.5/28
Knight32 18.5/28
shm19cs 16.5/28
blackburne 15/28
Magni 14/28
Haroldlee123 12/28
DREWBEAR 63 11/28
pixifrufru 9/28
Baron wd von
Blanc, heart pirate 8.5/28
Luke Warm 8/28
klonka59 5/28
martind1991 3/28
The following game, from the newest version of The Database, shows HauntedKnight, a regular Jerome Gambiteer, wandering into largely unexplored opening territory. He makes some plucky choices, and as a result his opponent loses his way, as well. Still, the last tactical shot goes to the defender.
HauntedKnight - sfanel
blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Re8 8.dxc5
Earlier in the year, White had tried the other capture: 8.dxe5 Rxe5 9.0-0 Nxe4 10.Nxe4 Rxe4 11.Qh5+ g6 12.Qxc5 d6 13.Qd5+ Re6 14.Bg5 Qe8 15.f4 c6 16.Qb3 d5 17.f5 Re2 18.fxg6+ Kxg6 19.Bh4 Rxg2+ 20.Kxg2 Qe4+ 21.Qf3 Qxc2+ 22.Rf2 Qe4 23.Qxe4+ dxe4 24.Re1 Bf5 25.Bg3 Rf8 26.Rd2 Re8 27.Rd6+ Kg5 28.h4+ Kg4 29.Rd4 c5 30.Rc4 b5 31.Rxc5 e3 32.Rxb5 Be4+ 33.Kh2 Kf3 34.Rb3 Bc2 35.Rb4 e2 36.Rf4+ Ke3 37.Rf6 Kd2 38.Rg1 e1Q 39.Bxe1+ Black forfeited on time, HauntedKnight - DrywallRickshaw, FICS, 2011.
8...d5
Several alternatives: 8...Nc4 9.Qd5+ Nxd5 White resigned, perrypawnpusher - TrentonTheSecond, blitz, FICS, 2010;
8...Nc6 9.0-0 Kg8 10.Bg5 Re5 11.f4 Rxg5 12.fxg5 Ne8 13.Qd5+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - hudders, blitz, FICS, 2010.
The unplayed 8...Qe7 may be best.
9.Nxd5
Rybka's recommendation, 9.cxd6 Qxd6 10.Qxd6 cxd6, is not for everyone.
9...Nxd5 10.Qh5+
Again, Rybka recommends exchanging Queens (10.Qxd5+ Qxd5 11.exd5) but it is hard to see how White can then reach the kind of tricky position that he needs, in order to induce Black to err.
The text, by comparison, is immediately successful.
10...g6
Of course Black should have played 10...Ng6, as the Knight on d5 is not really hanging, thanks to the pin of the White e-pawn by the Black Rook at e8.
11.Qxh7+ Kf6
"Out of the frying pan, into the fire."
Black's better choice was the dangerous-looking 11...Ke6, when 12.exd5+ Kxd5 (12...Qxd5 is also well met by 13.0-0) 13.0-0 Kc6 14.b4 a5 15.b5+ Kxb5 16.Bf4 Qe7 17.Rab1+ Kxc5 18.Qh6 Kc6 19.Bg3 Qf7 Black has an edge, according to Rybka.
12.exd5
Played a move too soon.
White could have tried 12.h4!? which looks stronger the more you look at it, with the main threat being, of course, Bc1-g5+.
Black's King can dodge the threat with 12...Ke6 (if 12...Ne7, then 13.Bg5+ Ke6 14.Qg7 Rf8 15.f4 and the heat is on), blocking the e-file, when 13.exd5+ Qxd5 (13...Kxd5 leads to a crazy position after 14.Bg5, where White's threat of a Rook skewer on the d-file trumps Black's discovered check on the e-file!)14.0-0 gives a balanced game where White has 3 pawns for the sacrificed piece, and the much safer King.
12...Nf3+ 13.Kd1 White resigned
Sometimes the person playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) gets just enough assistance from the defender that the opening can almost look like it really does lead to a powerful attack...
perrypawnpusher - obturator
blitz, FICS, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6
10.0-0 Rf8 11.f4
Equally strong was 11.d4, as in fehim - cybernoid, FICS, 2006: 11...Be6 12.e5 dxe5 13.dxe5 Ne7 14.exf6 Rxf6 15.b3 Nd5 16.Qe4 Qd6 17.Bb2 Rh6 18.g3 Kd7 19.Rd1 Re8 20.c4 Bg4 21.Qxg4+ Black resigned.
Instead, 11.f3 was the introduction to an ultimate "Jerome pawn" game, mrjoker - PhlebasP, ICC, 2009 (1-0, 35).
11...Qe7
I have also faced 11...Rf7 in perrypawnpusher - dkahnd, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 30) as has Louis Marin, in mrjoker - Mandragora, ICC, 2008 (1-0, 49);
as well as 11...Ng4 in perrypawnpusher - dkahnd, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 24), perrypawnpusher - lorecai, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 47), and perrypawnpusher - jgknight, blitz, FICS, 2010 (½-½, 58).
12.Nc3
Also possible was 12.f5 Ne5 13.Nc3 b6 14.d4 Nc4 15.Qg5 Nxe4 16.Nxe4 Qxe4 17.Qxg7 Bxf5 18.Bh6 Rf7 19.Qg5 Kd7 20.Rae1 Qxd4+ 21.Kh1 Nd2 22.Rxf5 Rxf5 23.Qxf5+ Kc6 24.Bxd2 Qxd2 25.Rf1 Re8 26.Qf3+ Kc5 27.Qa3+ Kc6 28.Qa4+ b5 29.Qa6+ Kd7 30.Qxb5+ c6 31.Rf7+ Re7 32.Qb7+ Kd8 Black resigned, holofernes - kdosch, FICS, 2001.
12...Ng4
Also seen is 12...c6 as in perrypawnpusher - parlance, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 20), although 12...Kf7 with plans to continuing castling-by-hand may be best.
13.Qg3 Bd7 14.f5 N6e5 15.d4 d5
Black returns a piece and undermines White's pawn at f5, but this might be less painfully accomplished (at least the first step) by 15...Nf6 16.dxe5 dxe5.
Now White's game takes a step forward.
16.Nxd5 Qd6 17.dxe5 Nxe5 18.Bf4 Qc5+ 19.Kh1 Nf7 20.Nxc7+ Ke7
21.Nxa8
I was pleased to be the exchange and a few pawns ahead, but 21.Qh4+, continuing the attack on the King, was stronger.
21...Rxa8 22.Bg5+
This was a nervous, short-of-time move. Better was the straight-forward 22.Qxg7.
22...Ke8 23.c3 Bc6 24.Rae1 h6 25.Be3 Qc4 26.Qxg7 Bxe4 27.Qg8+ Kd7 28.Qxa8
I had my clock back under control, and needed only avoid a serious blunder to bring home the point.
28...Qc6 29.Rd1+ Kc7 30.Bf4+ Kb6 31.Qg8 Black resigned
I have made the comparison before (see "Jerome Gambit: Don't open that door!"), but sometimes when I play over a Jerome Gambit game I secretly identify with the defender with the Black pieces who seems to be in a scary movie... I keep yelling at the screen: Don't turn that way! Don't enter that room! Don't open that door!
Wall,B - Rami
10 min game, PlayChess.com, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.Bxf7+
We have come, by tranposition, through the Semi-Italian Opening to the Italian Four Knights Game to the Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit...
6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Qe7 9.dxc5 Qxc5 10.Be3 Qc6 TN
10...Qc4 was seen in perrypawnpusher - cinamon, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 21).
11.Bd4 Nc4
This is getting scary. Does the Knight have to run away from the King?
12.e5 Nd5
Okay, now another guard is wandering away...
13.Qf3+ Kg8?
Oh, no! (Doesn't Black realize that he has an extra piece, one he can return with the much safer 13...Nf6 ? )
14.Nxd5 Nd2
The final flail.
15.Ne7+ Kh7 16.Qf5+ and Black resigned as it is mate after the next move.
