I look forward to International Master Gary Lane's upcoming (March 7) "Opening Lanes" column at ChessCafe.com, with building excitement, as I recently mentioned.
I have answered his call for some Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games by sending some classics and a couple of modern examples.
It will be fun to see what other readers have contributed, as well.
When you play blitz chess, "things happen." You make moves that you would prefer to un-make. You play games that you would prefer to un-play. When the Jerome Gambit or its relatives are involved, that usually only makes it worse.
chessup - FerDensetsu
standard, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 Nf6 8.Qe5+ Qe7
This is the 17th game in The Database with this remarkable error that combines automatic, stereotypical piece placement with moving a bit too quickly (and realizing it a bit too late). I notice that Jerome Gambit regulars such as GOH, Darrenshome, stretto, yorgos and MyGameUMove have all faced it.
Interestingly, White has won 15 games, drawn one and lost one.
9.Nxe7 Black resigned
Here is delightful find from my time researching in the British Newspaper Archive, from the chess column in The Newcastle Courant, Saturday, September 9, 1899 (I have added diagrams).
Played recently at a Garden Party given to the Edinburgh Chess players.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.b4
8...Bxb4 9.c3 Ba5 10.Ba3+ c5 11.Bxc5+
11...Kxc5 12.Qxe5+ Kb6 13.Qd6+ Kb5 14.a4+ Kc4 15.Qd5 checkmate
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
