Still More Errors in Thinking 4.1

[continued]

perrypawnpusher - apurv83

Giuoco Piano tournament, Chess.com, 2015

At this point I decided that Black was behind enough in development - either blocked on the Queenside or over-shifted in that direction - that I could use up a few tempos myself.

19.Qh3 Rh8 20.Qh6 Qd8

Well, my opponent had "un-developed" his two pieces in his last two moves - that had to count for something, right?

Maybe I could now get a Rook into play like I tried to do against Hywel2 and Heler.The ongoing question is: what can Black do in the meantime?

21.Rf3 Nxe4 22.Qh5+

I found this move after initially wanting to play 22.Rg3, which would fall to 22...Bxf5 23.exf5 Nxf5 and while Black would have returned his extra piece, White's "Jerome pawns" would be all gone (and he would be a pawn down). True, then 24.Qg5+ Ke6 would get all weird - and then I noticed that the simple refutation of 22.Rg3 is 22...Ne2+. Oops!

22...Kf8 23.Rg3 Ne2+

A surprise move, but encouraging. Black giving back a piece to displace the White Queen meant I was getting close to something.

24.Qxe2

24...c6 25.Qh5

Very committal, but logical. Black's Bishop is still parked at home, and it still blocks the neighboring Rook. If Black takes the Knight, then exd5 will open the e-file against the King for my other Rook.

Instead, 25.Nf4 seemed playable, but slow. After the game, Stockfish 6 pointed out that 25.Qg4 was the killer move.

25...cxd5 26.Qh6+ 

Here I expected 26...Ke8, when, after 27.exd5 White will have too many open lines into Black's position for the latter to survive. Instead, my opponent gave me one more important tempo, and this led to mate.

26...Ke7 27.Rg7+ Ke8 28.Qh5+ Kf8 29.Qf7 checkmate

It looks like the defense based on ...Kf7, ...Rh8 and ...Qd8 will have to be re-thought a bit.

That is a good thing. Only one more game needs to be completed in the Italian Game tournament at Chess.com before I move on to the next round and try my hand at some Jerome Gambits (if allowed this time).

In the Giuoco Piano tournament at Chess.com, where this (i.e. perrypawnpusher - apurv83) game was played, I had given up on advancing to the next round, as only one player from my group will make the cut. However, the aggression between players has been strong enough that I now find myself at the top of the heap, a half-point ahead of auswebby, whose last game sees him currently down the exchange and a couple of pawns (his opponent has three connected passed pawns). Of course, if auswebby is able to recover and win, he will leap over me to first place; and if he draws, his tie-break (he beat me twice) should be enough to again assure that he advances. More nail-biting, but I have been here before.

Still More Errors In Thinking 4.0

The Jerome Gambit is beginning to feel a bit like a "normal" chess opening - at times, anyhow.

I mean, I play a game, I publish it on this blog, someone takes that information and uses it in another one of my Jerome Gambits. I publish that game in this blog, someone else uses that information in another of my Jerome Gambits...

Innovate or perish, as Edward Kahn wrote.

I have shared the prelude to this saga before

After my discouraging loss with the Jerome Gambit in my previous Chess.com Italian Game tournament (perrypawnpusher - Buddy_Thompson), I knew that I had to cook up something new, or risk facing a future opponent who just "looked the refutation up" (and not even on this blog, mind you, but in my recent games on Chess.com).

Such worry bore fruit, however, in terms of a win in my return game with djdave28, as the post showed.

Today's tale started with perrypawnpusher - Hywel2, Italian Game tournament, Chess.com, 2015 (0-1, 44). Of particular interest - besides my missing a chance for a nifty draw - was a novelty (according to The Database) my opponent played on the 13th move.

I received some enlightening notes to the game from Bill Wall, and I added them to what I had written about the game, sharing it all with readers in "More Errors in Thinking 2.0".

Then came perrypawnpusher - Heler, Giauoco Piano tournament, Chess.com, 2015,  (1-0, 33), which had Hywel2's TN and followed the earlier game until I varied on move 17 (Bill's earlier suggestion). There was an opportunity to transpose back to the earlier game at move 19, but I didn't take it.

Most recently I played perrypawnpusher - apurv83, Giuoco Piano tournament, Chess.com, 2015. Black again followed the lead of  perrypawnpusher - Hywel2, only this time he varied on the 14th move, nudging his a-pawn instead of placing his King in the corner. How much would that matter? Let's see.

(By the way, my  opponent several times played "The Vacation Gambit" against me. If he was truly on vacation, and not messing with my head - good for him! I wish I could play something like a "retirement gambit"...)


perrypawnpusher - apurv83
Giuoco Piano tournament, Chess.com, 2015

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

A typical Jerome Gambit position. Black has an extra piece, while White has a couple of extra pawns.

10.0-0 Kf7 11.f4 Re8 

White castles, Black castles-by-hand.

12.f5 Nd5 13.d4 Nc6 

Hywel2's move. Then Heler's move. Now apurv83's.

Instead, 13...Neg4 goes back at least as far as Vazquez,A -Carrington,W, Mexico, 2nd match, 1876 (1-0, 34).

14.Nc3 a6 

apurv83's innovation is not to be dismissed. Is it a crucial "loss of tempo"? I don't think so. After all, with ...b7-b5 Black will be able to fianchetto his light-squared Bishop, as in earlier games; plus he will have the chance to kick my Knight on c3 with ...b5-b4. That was not enough for me to change my general plans, however. I followed earlier games, a tempo up.

15.Qd3 Kg8 16.Bg5 Qd7 17.Bxf6

This capture is based on Bill Wall's suggestion after perrypawnpusher - Hywel2.

17...gxf6 18.Nd5 Kf7

Well, somebody has to guard the f-pawn. In earlier games, the Queen was properly given the responsibility.

After my last move, I was pondering the typical malady for Black in this kind of position - the light-squared Bishop and Queenside Rook are still at home. In fact, the Queen currently blocks the Bishop - and with Black's 18th move, the King, in turn, blocks the Queen (from the Kingside).

My challenge here was: could I add this possible "gained time" to Black's 14th move and make something out of it?

[to be continued]

The Jerome Gambit Treatment - Unbelieveable! (A Bit More)

I found a few more examples of the opening line that we have been looking at in the last two posts (see "The Jerome Gambit Treatment - Unbelieveable!" and "The Jerome Gambit Treatment - Unbelieveable! (Addendum)"), including an over-the-board game with the defender declining the gambit.

The player of the White pieces in the following game is Francis Percival Wenman, who included the game in his 175 Chess Brilliancies (Pitman, London, 1947). The Chess Scotland and Yorkshire Chess History websites have information about him.

Wenman, P. - NN
Bristol, 1941

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.d4 

 White has responded to the Semi-Italian opening with a center pawn break. It is a good strategy, although it appears to rule out transposition to a Jerome Gambit, which could still be reached after 4.0-0 or 4.Nc3.

4...d6 5.dxe5 dxe5 6.Bxf7+ Ke7

Wenman applies the "Jerome solution" (although it is not known if he was aware of the Gambit) and his opponent says "No, thank you."

7.Bd5 Nf6 8.0-0 Bg4 9.c4 Nd4 10.b3 c6

Black has trapped the enemy Bishop and it looks like its demise will give the defender the advantage. White, however, has a surprise for his opponent.

11.Nxe5 Bxd1 12.Ba3+ Ke8 13.Bf7 checkmate

A "miniature" where a Queen sacrifice leads to checkmate. Brilliant!

Or is it?

What if we go back to Black's 10th move, and we go after the White King first with 10...Nxf3+!? 11.gxf3 Bh3 ? (This is not a hard idea to find.) White's Rook is attacked, and if he moves it, Black still has the chance to trap the advanced Bishop. If White offers the exchange with 12.f4!? (as an example) the play becomes sharp, but balanced, with both sides having chances in a complicated position. This would be very exciting play, but not necessarily a "brilliancy" for White.

It is also clear that on his 12th move, in order to avoid mate, Black has to return his Queen with 12...Qd6 13.Bxd6+ Kxd6, entering a tactical mess where he has chances to survive. Stockfish 6 tries to help with 14.Nf7+ Ke7 15.Rxd1 Rg8 16.Rxd4 cxd5 17.e5 Kxf7 18.exf6 Bb4 19.cxd5 Rge8 and it will be hard for White to hold onto his 3 extra pawns, e.g. 20.Rd1 Re2 21.a3 Rae8 22.Rf1 Bc5 23.Nc3 Rc2 24.b4 Rxc3 25.bxc5 Rxc5 26.fxg7 Rxd5 27.Rab1 b6 28.Rbc1 Re7 29.Rfd1 Rxd1+ 30.Rxd1 Kxg7. White will probably prevail in this Rook + 4 pawns vs Rook + 3 pawns, but the brilliancy has evaporated.

The Jerome Gambit Treatment - Unbelieveable! (Addendum)

I was pleased to see that The Database contained more than a few games with the attacking (against the Semi-Italian / Philidor Defense) move 6.Bxf7+ mentioned by Max Euwe and Walter Meiden in their 1963 book Chess Master vs Chess Amateur, and covered in the previous post (see "The Jerome Gambit Treatment - Unbelieveable!"). 

When we look a bit further, at 6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Kf6 - the line with Black's best defense - it is reassuring to find two games with Euwe and Meiden's recommended 8.Nd3.

It is interesting that in the first of those games Black performed the prudent retreat of his King to h7 (an idea mentioned in the previous post); and then, from a better position, he benefitted from an oversight by White to score the point. 

fmarius - bougie
standard, FICS, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d4 d6 6.dxe5 dxe5 7.Nxe5+ Kf6 8.Nd3 Nge7 9.Qf3+ Kg6 10.Nf4+ Kh7 11.0-0 Ne5 12.Qh5 Qd6 13.Rd1 g6 14.Qh4 Qxd1 checkmate

In the second game, clearly the clock played a factor in the blitz game, as both players tossed the advantage (for White, various checkmates) back and forth before splitting the point, as the notes show.

itscml - laudenor
blitz, FICS, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.d4 d6 5.dxe5 dxe5 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Kf6 8.Nd3 Ne5 9.0-0 Nxd3 10.cxd3 Kf7 11.Nc3 c6 12.f4 Bc5+ 13.Kh1 Ne7 14.Qf3 [14.Qh5+ g6 15.Qxc5 Qxd3 White is better] 14...Kg8 15.f5 Bd4 16.Ne2 c5 17.Bf4 Qf8 18.e5 Nxf5 19.Ng3 Be6 20.Bg5 Nxg3+ 21.Qxg3 Bf7 22.e6 hxg5 23.exf7+ Kh7 24.Qh3+ Kg6 25.Qf3 [25.Qf5+ Kh6 26.Qh3+ , etc.,  draw] 25...Rh6 26.Qe4+ [26.Qf5+ Kh5 27.Rf3 Bf2 28.Rh3+ Bh4 29.g4#] 26...Kh5 27.g4+ Kh4 28.Qe1+ [28.Qg2 Bf2 29.Rxf2 Qd6 30.Rf3 Qxh2+ 31.Kxh2 Rf8 32.Qh3#] 28...Kxg4 29.Qg3+ Kh5 30.Rg1 [30.Qh3+ Kg6 31.Qf5+ Kh5 32.Rf3 Bf2 33.Rh3+ Bh4 34.Rg1 Rg6 35.Rxh4+ Kxh4 36.Qg4#] 30...Bf6 31.Qg4+ Kg6 32.Qe4+ Kh5 [32...Kxf7 and Black is better] 33.Qg4+ [33.Rg3 Qc8 34.f8Q g4 35.Qxc8 Rg6 36.Qcf5+ Kh4 37.Qfxg4+ Rxg4 38.Qxg4#] 33...Kg6 34.Qe4+ Kh5 [34...Kxf7 and Black is better] 35.Qg4+ [35.Rg3 mates, as above] 35...Kg6 36.Qe4+ Game drawn by repetition

There are also 3 games in The Database with Stockfish 6's choice, and perhaps the best move, 8.Qf3+!? Alas, none of the attackers were able to discover the recommended 8...Kxe5 9.Qf7!? and although they fought the good fight, only the experienced drumme (457 games in The Database) was able to score - and that was a time forfeit win from a worse position.

drumme - tufng
blitz, FICS, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.d4 d6 5.dxe5 dxe5 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Kf6 8.Qf3+ Kxe5 9.Bf4+ Ke6 10.Qg4+ Ke7 11.Qh4+ Ke8 12.Qh5+ Kd7 13.Nc3 Nf6 14.0-0-0+ Bd6 15.Qf7+ Qe7 16.Qg6 Ne5 17.Bxe5 Re8 18.Bxf6 Qxf6 19.Qg4+ Kd8 20.Rxd6+ cxd6 21.Qe2 Black forfeited on time


jorgemlfranco  - shno
blitz, FICS, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 h6 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d4 d6 6.dxe5 dxe5 7.Nxe5+ Kf6 8.Qf3+ Kxe5 9.Bf4+ Ke6 10.Qb3+ Ke7 11.Qa3+ Kf7 12.Qb3+ Kg6 13.Qg3+ Kh7 14.Bxc7 Qg5 15.Bf4 Qa5+ 16.c3 Nf6 17.0-0 g5 18.Bd2 Nxe4 19.Qe3 Bf5 20.c4 Qc5 21.Qc3 Nxc3 22.Nxc3 Bg7 23.Nd5 Rhd8 24.Be3 Qxc4 25.Nc7 Ne5 26.Rab1 Qxc7 White resigned


rabjr - DRES
standard, FICS, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d4 d6 6.dxe5 dxe5 7.Nxe5+ Kf6 8.Qf3+ Kxe5 9.Qf4+ Ke6 10.0-0 Qf6 11.Qd2 Qd4 12.Qe2 Nf6 13.Be3 Qxe4 14.Nc3 Qg6 15.Bc5+ Kf7 16.Qg4 Qxg4 17.Nd5 Nxd5 18.f3 Bxc5+ 19.Kh1 Qd4 20.Rad1 Qc4 21.b3 Qb5 22.Rxd5 Qxf1 checkmate

The Jerome Gambit Treatment - Unbelieveable!

I stumbled over the following game while looking for a possible recent Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit game example. White faced a Philidor Defense variant and dispatched it quickly.

What I recalled in my notes to move 6 got me chuckling, but what I found in my notes to move 7 sent my mind reeling: The "Jerome treatment" leads to this - Unbelieveable!

Take a look and see.

todotranquilo - SrNoth
blitz, FICS, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.d4

Sometimes when I am expecting Black to reply with 3...Bc5, I am met with 3...h6, the Semi-Italian Opening, instead. I usually continue with my development with 4.0-0 and hope for Black to fall in with my wishes. Occasionally I see 4...Nf6 and have to try 5.Nc3 before I see 5...Bc5 (and am then able to play 6.Bxf7+).

The earlier series on this blog, "A Jerome Look At The Semi-Italian Opening (Parts 1, 2, 3, 4 5 and 6)", is well worth visiting for history, analysis and games.

I took a quick look at The Database, and noticed:

There are 1,569 games with (or transposing to) 4.d4, with White scoring 64%; there are 352 games with 4.0-0, with White scoring 70%; and there are 349 games with 4.Nc3, with White scoring 61%.

4...d6 

The Database showed only 153 games with this move (not the best), with White scoring 70%. The more popular (and stronger) alternative, 4...exd4, appeared in 1,062 games, where White scored 57%.

5.dxe5 dxe5 6.Bxf7+

Of course, the straight-forward 6.Qxd8+ Kxd8 (or 6...Nxd8 7.Nxe5) 7.Bxf7 would win a pawn for White, but todotranquilo prefers to play like Jerome.

(Due to sampling bias, The Database does not have any games with 6.Qxd8+, but a quick look at ChessBase's online database gives 63 games with that move; White scores 86%. The two databases are vastly different, making comparisons dicey, but this peek gives an indication of the validity of 6.Qxd8+.)

Interestingly enough, 6.Bxf7+ was embraced in Chess Master vs Chess Amateur (1963), by Max Euwe and Walter Meiden

White could act even more energetically [than 6.Qxd8+ etc.] by playing 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Nxe5+, and Black is in great trouble, for (a) 7...Nxe5? 8.Qxd8 or (b) 7...Ke7 8.Ng6+, or (c) 7...Ke8 8.Qh5+ Ke7 9.Ng6+. After (d) 7...Kf6, the continuation is less clear. This does not mean that the sacrifice would be incorrect, since after 8.Nd3, White has two Pawns for a piece and the Black King is badly placed. On the other hand, a safe win of a Pawn as in the other variations, might be preferable.

Stay with me, there is more.

For starters, due to the magic of transpositions, there are 2,025 games in The Database with this position (after 6.Bxf7+), and White scores 41% - a reason, from a practical point of view, that Readers might consider the mundane 6.Qxd8+ over the dashing 6.Bxf7+. (The online ChessBase database has only one game with the position, a win for White.)

Of course, "from a practical point of view" it might also be wise to avoid the Jerome Gambit altogether; but where is the fun in that??

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Ke8

As mentioned above, 7...Kf6 is probably Black's strongest reply. Surprisingly, after the suggested pragmatic 8.Nd3, Stockfish 6 recommends 8...Kg6 and 9...Kh7 for Black, maintaining that the defense holds, and that the second player would have the advantage!

To be fair, the authors of Chess Master vs Chess Amateur were tidying up an offhand line in an offhand variation, not preparing for a tournament or writing an opening manual. But, what is the best response to 7...Kf6 ?

The best move seems to be 8.Qf3+!?, sacrificing a piece in true Jerome Gambit style! It turns out that anything else other than taking the piece with 8...Kxe5 for Black leads to checkmate. White's best move then is keep-the-enemy-King-in-the-middle 9.Qf7!?

analysis diagram




I gave the crazy position - White has sacrificed two pieces, Black's King is in mortal danger - to Stockfish 6, and here is just a surface view of what it found (the game is even) 9...Nf6 (9...Bb4+ 10.Nc3 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 Nf6 12.f4+ Kxe4 13.0–0 Qg8 14.Qg6+ Kd5 15.Rd1+ Nd4 16.Rxd4+ Kc6 17.Qd3 Be6 18.f5 Rd8 19.fxe6 Rxd4 20.cxd4 Qxe6 White has an edge) 10.f4+ Kd6 (10...Kxe4 11.Nd2+ Qxd2+ the only move to avoid mate 12.Bxd2) 11.e5+ Nxe5 (11...Kc5 12.Be3+ Nd4 13.Nc3 Bg4 14.h3 White is better) 12.fxe5+ Kc6 13.Qc4+ (13.exf6? Bc5 Black is better) 13...Bc5 14.Be3 b6 15.Bxc5 Qd5 16.Qxd5+ Nxd5 17.Bf2 Ba6 18.Na3 Rhe8 19.0–0–0 Rxe5=

Please. Even that is too much. Is there any wonder why I play 4.0-0 ?
  
8.Qh5+ g6

The line Euwe and Meiden mention, 8...Ke7 9.Ng6+ is clearly good for White, who wins a Rook. They can be forgiven for not having a computer program which would have told them that the alternative 9.Qf7+ would lead to checkmate in a dozen moves.

9.Qxg6+ Black resigned

Wrong Piece - Oh, Never Mind!

 I have looked at the move Ng5+ for White in the standard Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) - see "Recurring Theme",  "Ng5+" and "Counterplay!" as examples.

The following game features the move in the "Abrahams Jerome Gambit". Of note is that games by duordy appear 77 times in The Database - in 2014 and 2015, so he is clearly a developing Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member to keep an eye on.

duordy - thejaswi
standard, FICS, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ 

3...Kxf7 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Qe2 d6 

duordy has also faced:

5...Nc6 6.Qc4+ d5 7.Qxc5 dxe4 8.Nxe5+ Nxe5 9.Qxe5 Re8 10.Qc3 Kg8 11.0-0 Bf5 12.d3 exd3 13.cxd3 Bxd3 14.Rd1 Qe7 15.Be3 Bg6 16.Nd2 b6 17.Nf3 c5 18.Ne5 Qxe5 19.Qxe5 Rxe5 20.Re1 Rae8 21.Bd2 Ne4 22.Bf4 R5e6 White forfeited by disconnection, duordy - vinceagius, FICS, 2014;

5...Re8 6.Qc4+ d5 7.Qxc5 b6 8.Qe3 Nxe4 9.0-0 Qf6 10.d4 Nc6 11.dxe5 Nxe5 12.Nxe5+ Rxe5 13.Nd2 Nxd2 14.Qxd2 Ba6 15.c4 Bxc4 16.Re1 Rae8 17.Rxe5 Rxe5 18.h3 Re2 19.Qf4 Re1+ 20.Kh2 Qxf4+ 21.Bxf4 Rxa1 22.Bxc7 Rxa2 White resigned, duordy - mopdop, FICS, 2014; and

5...Rf8 6.Qc4+ d5 7.Qxc5 Kg8 8.exd5 e4 9.Ng5 h6 10.Ne6 Bxe6 11.dxe6 Nc6 12.0-0 Re8 13.e7 Rxe7 14.Qc4+ Kh8 15.d3 exd3 16.cxd3 Black forfeited by disconnection, duordy - jodhaakbar, FICS, 2014.

6.0-0

Or 6.Qc4+ Ke7 7.0-0 b6 8.Nc3 Ba6 9.Nd5+ Kd7 10.Nxf6+ Qxf6 11.Qd5 c6 12.Qb3 Bxf1 13.d3 Bxg2 14.Kxg2 Qg6+ 15.Bg5 Rf8 16.Kh1 Rxf3 17.Rg1 Bxf2 18.Rg2 Na6 19.Be3 Qf6 20.Rxf2 Rxf2 21.Bxf2 Qxf2 22.h4 Qxh4+ 23.Kg2 Qg4+ 24.Kh2 Qf4+ 25.Kh3 Rf8 26.d4 Qf1+ 27.Kh4 Rf4+ 28.Kg5 Qg1+ 29.Kh5 Qg4 checkmate, duordy - haslopdw, FICS, 2014. 

6...Rf8 

Or 6...Bg4 7.Qc4+ Kf8 8.Nxe5 Nbd7 9.Qf7, checkmate, duordy - ArneLaugstol, FICS, 2014. 

7.Qc4+ Be6 8.Ng5+ 

Aha!

8...Kg6 9.Qxe6 

Playing over the game, here I thought to myself - wrong piece, the Knight capture allows a fork - and then I saw whatWhite was up to.

9...Kxg5 

The Knight was poisoned.

10.Qf5+ Kh6 11.d4+ g5 12.Qxg5 checkmate

Blackburne Has Arrived

I have already mentioned Tim Harding's new book, Joseph Henry Blackburne A Chess Biography, published by McFarland. It is now available.

My copy arrived yesterday, and this large, attractive and comprehensive book is likely to keep me very occupied - and even interfere with this blog, if I am not careful.

Since Blackburne's destruction of the Jerome Gambit is probably the the best-known Jerome game, I wondered if there might be other examples in the book. I had a good laugh when I read

To attempt a "complete games of Blackburne" is unrealistic. Such a book must be huge yet one could never have confidence that every published offhand and exhibition game had been found. It would also include hundreds of atrocious games against weak amateurs, decided by feeble opening play and gross blunders. Graham estimated that Blackburne had played (already by 1899) somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 games, although the higher figure is probably an overestimate. Besides his blindfold and ordinary simuls, Blackburne must have played thousands of casual games at clubs and public chess resorts, perhaps for a shilling stake. The vast majority were never published or, probably, even recorded.

So, probably no more Jerome Gambits, and maybe no Blackburne Shilling Gambitc, either, to be found in the pages. I certainly will let readers know if I discover any!

In the meantime, I am content to enjoy playing over the games (more than 1,000) of a brilliant attacking player who crossed swords with the top players of his time.