More Creative Excitement

For the latest in exciting ways to play the Italian Game (C50) - strong gambits in the Giuoco Pianissimo - stop by the link from this blog to "Bruno's Chess Opening Articles", or go directly to the new stuff, featuring the Evans-Bukayev gambit deferred, from Yury Bukayev!

Don't Take That Pawn

Black is doing fine in the following game until he decides to grab a pawn to increase his lead.

HauntedKnight - uwehah
standard, FICS, 2013

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 Ng6 

8.dxc5 Re8 9.0-0 Nxe4 

This looks like a "freebie" as the Black King is not on the open e-file. However...

10.Nxe4 Rxe4 11.Qf3+ Rf4 12.Bxf4 Nxf4 13.Qxf4+ Kg8 14.Rfe1
Black resigned

Black is only down an exchange and a pawn, but it is difficult to find compensation.

Wall's Wall

The tension in the following game comes from the advance of Bill Wall's wall of "Jerome pawns". His opponent's return of a piece was an interesting idea, but it turned out not to be enough.

Wall,B - Guesty1960624
Playchess.com, 2013

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

White is usually happy to see this move, as it means that he will be able to capture Black's pesky dark-square Bishop, freeing the "Jerome pawns" to advance.

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ N8e7 9.0-0 d6 10.Qc4 

10...Bd7 11.d4 Nc6 12.f4 Qf6 13.f5 Nge7 14.Be3 Rc8 15.Nc3 Qf7 16.Qd3 a6 

The game appears about even, although Black's King prevents his Rooks from communicating, and he may become ill at ease behind his Queen, if the f-file opens.

17.g4 h6 18.h4 Qf6 19.g5 hxg5 20.hxg5 Qf7 

Black's plan is to show that White's pawns have advanced too far, leaving the White King at risk. He is willing to return a piece to make his point.

21.f6 Qh5 22.fxe7+ Kxe7 23.Nd5+ Kd8 24.Kf2 Rf8+ 25.Ke1 Qh4+ 

This gives White's King a jump on his escape. Probably better was 25...Rxf1+ 26.Qxf1 Qh4+ 27.Kd2 Qxe4 with a messy, but balanced, game.

26.Kd2 Qh2+ 27.Kc3 Rh8 28.Rf7 g6 29.Qf1 Ke8 30.Qf6 Black resigned

Even giving up most of his army will not save Black from mate: 30...Qh7 31.Rf1 Bf5 32.Rxf5 Qxf7 33.Qxh8+ Kd7 34.Rxf7+ Ne7 35.Rxe7+ Kc6 36.Qxc8 b6 37.Qe8+ Kb7 38.Rxc7#

The Classics II (a first look)

As mentioned in the last post, I have suggested that those who play, and those who face, the Jerome Gambit, would benefit from becoming familiar with "the classics" of that line.

That got me thinking: What would those classics be?

Here are the additional games from a preliminary sketch.

6. Charlick - Mann, correspondence, Australia, 1881

The Australian player Charlick, who had already played an "Evans-Jerome Gambit" against Holloway in 1877, won a long correspondence game with the Jerome Gambit against John Mann in 1881. Again, an interesting game, and another example of the Gambit's spread around the world.

7. Jerome - S.A. Charles, correspondence, 1881

As I noted in "The Jerome Gambit Gemeinde (early)"

S. A. Charles, a member of the Cincinnati (Ohio, USA) Chess Club, wrote opening analyses, first for the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, then later for the Pittsburgh Telegraph. It is in the latter paper that in 1881 he presented his examination of the Jerome Gambit. That year he also played an incomplete Jerome Gambit correspondence match with Alonzo Jerome.

None of the games were completed before Jerome withdrew, because of "business engagements". This match has been given scant coverage in the blog. The situation will be rectified later this year.

8. Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1885

The best-known Jerome Gambit game (even if Blackburne got the year wrong in his book), a crushing win by Black. Later analysis showed how White could get the advantage. Even later analysis showed how the game could have ended in a tense draw.

9. Sorensen, S.A. -X, Denmark, 1888

This game, the first that I have been able to find with the "pie in the face" defense, also celebrates Lt. Sorensen, who, in the May 1877 issue of Nordisk Skaktidende, wrote a very influential article on the Jerome Gambit, which was translated and republished widely.

10. Tonetti - Ruggieri, Rome, 1863

The King-hunt in this game makes the Jerome Gambit almost look like a legitimate opening. Almost.

The Classics I (a first look)

In recent posts I have suggested that those who play, and those who face, the Jerome Gambit, would benefit from becoming familiar with "the classics" of that line.

That got me thinking: What would those classics be?

I have come up with a preliminary sketch. I think all of the games (except one) have appeared on this blog.

0. Jerome - Dougherty

Alonzo Wheeler Jerome has written that his first Jerome Gambit was played against George Dougherty. Although I have not yet been able to find the game, it most likely occurred before the April, 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal, where the first analysis of the Jerome Gambit was presented. Of Dougherty I know little, but the following notice occurred in the Dubuque Chess Journal, May 1875

Our Portfolio
Chess Challenge
George J. Dougherty, of Mineola, Queen's County, New York, hereby respectfully invites John G. Belden, Esq., of Hartford, Conn., to play him two games of chess by Postal Card, at his convenience, Mr. Belden taking the attack in one game and Mr. Dougherty in the other; the object being to test the soundness of Jerome's Double Opening, published in the April No. (50) of this Chess Journal.


1. Jerome - Shinkman, Iowa, 1874

The first published Jerome Gambit played by Jerome that I have been able to uncover (in the July issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal) was a loss by White.

2. Jerome - Whistler, correspondence, 1876

Largely lost to the chess-playing public, the correspondence match between Jerome and Lt. G.N. Whistler (one game survives) tested the latter's defense to the Jerome Gambit. Alas, a crushing defeat for White - who rarely, if ever, seemed to remember to mention the line thereafter.

3. Vazquez - Giraudy, exhibition, Mexico, 1876

In perhaps the most outrageous Jerome Gambit played, the Mexican champion, giving Rook odds, checkmated his opponent in 18 moves.

4. Vazquez - Carrington, 2nd Match, Mexico, 1876

This is actually a "composite" listing, as the Mexican champion played the Jerome Gambit three times (games 1, 5 and 9) in his match with William Carrington, winning them all.

5.  D'Aumiller - A. P., Livorno, 1878


This miniature played in Livorno, Italy - lasting 19 moves, at which point White announced a mate in 4 - was published in the May 1878 issue of Nuova Rivista degli Scacchi, showing that the Jerome Gambit had already hurdled the ocean.

[to be continued]

A Glance

A glance at a recent Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit Declined suggests that all is still well for White - although, perhaps not as well as the game would indicate.

Cydeco - Nikilady
blitz, FICS, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+ Ke7 5.Bc4 Black forfeited by disconnection

Take your chance when you get it...

When I get a new bunch of games, I like to see what has been happening in some of the most important lines. The following game explores Whistler's Defense, a very dangerous line for White to deal with. Once again, we see that although a refutation may exist in the books, it may not easily make it to the board. The first player loses only after missing his chance to escape.

franciskov - danielhidrobo 
blitz, FICS, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7 

A wicked "improvement" on the 7...d6 of Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1884 - first played almost a decade earlier, but largely forgotten.

8.Qxh8 

White should not be able to take the Rook and live.

8...Qxe4+ 

An innocuous sideline is 8...Qf6 9.Qxh7+ Kf8 10.0-0 Black resigned, Wall,B - Sepoli, Chess.com 2010. 

9.Kd1 

9.Kf1 is better, as in Jerome,A - Norton,D, Correspondence 1876 (½-½, 20)

9...d5

Black does not realize what an opportunity he has in 9...Qxg2. See blackburne-perrypawnpusher/JG3 thematic, ChessWorld.net 2008 (0-1, 17), but don't overlook Wall,B - Mathieubuntu, FICS, 2011 (½-½,14).

9...Qg4+ 10.f3 Qxg2 is a similar kick in the head, Jerome,A - Whistler,G, Correspondence 1876 (0-1, 15). 

10.Re1 

Taking a shot at the enemy Queen, but overlooking his light-square weakenesses. Necessary was 10.Qxh7+ Kf6 11.f3, safe-guarding both his Queen and King, when he can cobble together a defense, according to Rybka: 11...Qg4 12.Rg1 Qd7 13.Qh8+ Qg7 14.Qxg7+ Kxg7 15.Re1. White is up the exchange and two pawns.

Now Black finishes things off.

10...Bg4+ 11.f3 Bxf3+ 12.gxf3 Qxf3+ 

13.Re2 Re8 14.Qxh7+ Kf8 15.Nc3 Qf1+ 16.Re1 Qxe1 checkmate