Researching and playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is a lot of fun, but I get the most enjoyment out of hearing from others who have discovered Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's impertinent opening, had had their own adventures.
Here's a recent email that I received; you will see what I mean.
Dear
Rick,
I played your beloved
Jerome Gambit in a real OTB tournament game (8 man 3 round Swiss G/30) at my
local chess club last night.
First, a little
background. I played OTB rated chess at a chess club in the mid
1980’s as a young fanatic just out of school. Then I got married
and raised a family. Chess was a rare occasional pleasure with
friends or family. I became known as sort of the Shane of my chess
playing friends, trying to let the past remain in the past but getting called in
from time to time to shoot down someone else’s evil black hatted nemesis.
But of course you know there is a world of difference between rated
players and casual players. So there is little real pleasure in
beating Uncle Willie’s plumber. Not even if it includes
a Fischer-esque ego crushing.
So after a 25 year
absence I’ve started playing OTB USCF rated chess again.
I discovered your blog
while googling “Bent Larsen quotes” and hit on this:
LOL. Not
the one I was searching for but fortuitously found out “why chess was
invented”. Truly a gift of the gods to a languishing chess
world. An adrenaline junkie’s wet dream.
In my sixth rated game
since my return to chess, and the third game of last evening, I was playing
white. My opponent was rated in the mid-1300’s and my rating is
probably comparable at this time. We reached a Guioco Piano
position after three moves. My planned repertoire was to play the
Evan’s Gambit vs GP and Max Lange Attack vs Two Knights Defense.
On a whim, I decided to play 4.Bxf7 and have some
fun.
“This
is totally unsound and should never be tried!” – GM Raymond
Keene
With such an
endorsement, who can resist? Here’s the game.
White:
Me
Black:
Mr. SF
G/30
1.e4
e5
2.Nf3
Nc6
3.Bc4 Bc5
4.Bxf7+
Kxf7
5.Nxe5+
Kf8
Unexpected.
Ke7 is the Paulsen variation. I hadn’t seen this move on
your blog….yet, but I’ve only read a few months worth of posts. So
from here, I’m on my own. “Intelligence guided by
experience.” (OK Mr. Mystery writer - 10 extra credit points if
you can identify that quote without google J)
6.Qh5
Nxe5
7.Qxe5
d6
8.Qh5
Qf6
9.d4
Bxd4
10.Be3
Bxe3
11.fxe3
I didn’t want to trade
dark squared bishops, and I didn’t want to double the Jerome pawns, but I
really, really wanted to open up the f-file for Rf1 pinning and winning the
queen. This is taking on the flavor of a Muzio King’s
Gambit.
11.
… Qxb2
How to squirm out of
this one?
12.O-O +
The title of this
should probably be “Thank You Mr. Polgar”. I’ve been going
through Chess: 5334 Problems, Combinations and Games
lately and two themes popped up in my game.
Thank you Mr.
Polgar.
The only “mate in one” that I had trouble with in your book was a mate
that was delivered by white castling. So it was fresh in my
mind. This doesn’t deliver mate obviously but it makes my game
come alive and saves my rooks.
12. ….
Nf6
13.Nd2 Qc3
14.e5 Qxe3+
15.Kh1
Qxe5
Well done by black.
At this point I’m thinking my game is going nowhere. I’m
down material, my attack is fading, and I don’t have the Jerome big pawn center
to shove down black’s throat. But this is no ordinary game.
This is the Jerome Gambit! All you have to do is jump on
its back and hang on for the ride! Right?
Right???
16.Qf3
d5
17.Rae1
Qg5
What to do… what to do…. Ah
ha! Let’s sneak in the back door and stir up the hen
house.
18.Qa3+
Kf7
19.Qe7+
Kg6
20.Re3
With the intention of Rg3 pinning
and winning the queen. I have to be careful about the back rank
mate threats. I almost played Rf3??
20. …
Re8
21.Rxf6+
Qxf6
22.Qxe8+
Kh6
23.h3
Removing the back rank mate threat
and setting up my next two moves.
23.
… Qf4
24.g4
b6
He missed the point of g4
entirely.
Thank you Mr. Polgar
for including a
lot of examples in your book of utilizing pawns to help deliver
checkmate. This was the second game of the evening that my pawn
pushes put my opponent’s king in peril.
25.Qh5 #
Obviously not a high quality
game. I’m sure we both missed many opportunities.
Just two class C players doing their best.
Thanks for the blog.
Do I have the USCF apply my gained rating points to you?
Sincerely,
Mr. J.E.
Danville, IL
A fine adventure, eh, Readers? Many thanks for sharing, Joe.
(From Danville, IL, huh? That reminds me of Danville, Kentucky, which reminds me of the Danvers Opening and the Kentucky Opening, which the Jerome Gambit reminded J.H. Blackburne of... But I digress. - Rick)
