Jerome Gambit: Dr. Harding Checks In

Top

As a followup to the previous post, I returned to the online English Chess Forum and asked members if they were aware of any early (pre-WWI) Jerome Gambit games.

Early English Jerome Gambit Games?

Postby Rick Kennedy » Mon May 08, 2017 3:57 pm

Many people are familiar with Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1880 (or 1885) that
started 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ - the notorious Jerome Gambit - and 
concluded 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.O-O Nf6 
10.c3 Ng4 11.h3 Bxf2+ 12.Kh1 Bf5 13.Qxa8 Qxh3+ 14.gxh3 Bxe4# 

I am researching the Jerome, and am interested in discovering what other early (before
WWI) games there might have been played with the opening in England.

I have run across Keeble - Cubitt, Norwich, 1886 (1-0, 17), but that is about it.

Many thanks for whatever enlightenment might prevail.

Not surprisingly, Dr. Tim Harding, author of  Joseph Henry Blackburne A Chess Biography, (and other fine books), published by McFarland,  responded quickly.

Re: Early English Jerome Gambit Games?

Postby Tim Harding » Mon May 08, 2017 5:38 pm

That was "Mr M" v Blackburne, first published in the Illustrated London News on 10 May
1884 (probably played at the Divan when Blackburne was convalescing). There is also 
floating around a very similar game Milner-Blackburne supposedly played in Manchester 
(ending 10 h3 Bxh3 11 Qxa8 Qg4 12 g3 Qxg3+ 13 Kh1 Qg2#) but I have no primary source 
for that.

I also found three postal games played by E. B. Lowe ca. 1879-1881 and you possibly
already know Charlick-Mann played by post in Australia in 1881 (1-0, 72).

Tim Harding

Historian and Kibitzer

Author of 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography' and 'Eminent Victorian

Chess Players'

http://www.chessmail.com

Dr. Harding's response adds to information about the Blackburne game,
from the Illustrated London News, giving "Mr. M" as the amateur player
of the White pieces. Other (not primary) sources have named this person
"Milner".

More importantly, the Illustrated London News account of May 10,1884
helps focus the possible date of the game, usually given as 1880 - which I 
had challenged, based upon an article in August 15, 1885 issue of the 
Brooklyn Chess Chronicle. So, 1884 is the corrected date.

Finally, Dr. Harding is being modest in merely mentioning the three postal
games played by E. B. Lowe correspondence games, as a good while back 
he provided them for me. 

Jerome Gambit: Refuted Openings

There is a light discussion on "refuted openings" at the English Chess Forum which, of course, mentions the Jerome Gambit, if only in passing. (I will be contacting the poster to see how serious or casual his knowledge is of 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+.)

It is enjoyable to see some back-and-forth as to what actually is refuted, and why.

I would have preferred a bit of a further look at the impact of time control on the playability of some openings, e.g. "suicide at regular time controls; risky at blitz; winning at bullet". Perhaps that will be added in future posts.

Jerome Gambit: Unresolved

Sometimes I run into a line in the Jerome Gambit that I don't (yet) know what to do with. A good (bad) example is in the following game. I have alluded to Black's 7th move in several posts (see here and here for examples). Here are the games from The Database where the move appears. Maybe readers have some ideas.

chessmanjeff - sergbond
blitz, FICS, 2013

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb4+ 7.c3 Qh4

Black's counter-attack appears manic, but is quite strong. He does not bother saving either his Knight or his Bishop, but develops another piece.

8.Qb3+

Also seen are:

8.O-O Nc6 9.cxb4 (9.Qf3+ Qf6 10.Qh5+ g6 11.Qd5+ Qe6 12.Qxe6+ dxe6 13.cxb4 Nxd4 14.Na3 Ne2+ 15.Kh1 Nf6 16.Re1 Nxc1 17.Raxc1 c6 18.Nc4 Rd8 19.e5 Nd5 20.Nd6+ Ke7 21.Re4 a5 22.b5 cxb5 23.Rh4 h5 24.Nxb5 Nb4 25.Nd6 Bd7 26.Nxb7 Rdc8 27.Rxc8 Rxc8 28.h3 Rc2 29.Nxa5 Rxb2 30.a3 Nd3 31.f4 Ne1 32.Nc4 Rxg2 33.Nb6 Rc2 34.Nd5+ exd5 35.f5 Nf3 White resigned, Gamin - JumpNMustangII, FICS, 2001) 9...Qxe4 10.Be3 Nf6 11.Nc3 Qf5 12.b5 (12.Qb3+ d5 13.Nb5 Ne8 14.Nc3 Be6 15.b5 Ne7 16.Rae1 Nd6 17.Qb4 Rhc8 18.Re2 Ng6 19.Rfe1 Nh4 20.f3 Kg8 21.Bf2 Nxg2 22.Kxg2 Rf8 23.Bg3 Qxf3+ 24.Kg1 Nf5 25.Rxe6 Nxg3 26.hxg3 Qxg3+ 27.Kh1 Qh4+ 28.Kg1 h6 29.R6e2 Qg3+ 30.Rg2 Qxe1+ 31.Kh2 Rf1 32.Rxg7+ Kh8 33.Rh7+ Kxh7 34.Qe7+ Qxe7 35.Kg2 Qf7 36.Kh2 Qf3 37.Nxd5 Rh1 checkmate, Deep Sjeng 1.5 - Hiarcs 9, The Jeroen Experience 2003) 12...Nb4 13.Rc1 c6 14.a3 Nbd5 15.Qb3 Re8 16.Rce1 b6 17.h3 Bb7 18.g4 Qf3 19.g5 Ne4 20.Nxd5 cxd5 21.Qd3 Nxg5 White resigned, RevvedUp - Crafty 19.19, blitz, 2006; 

8.Qe2 Bxc3+ 9.Nxc3 Nc6 10.g3 Qe7 11.Qc4+ d5 12.Qxd5+ Be6 13.Qh5+ g6 14.Qf3+ Kg7 15.d5 Ne5 16.Qd1 Bg4 17.Qd4 Nf6 18.Bg5 Nf3+ White resigned, Maza - aqeel, FICS, 2003;

8.dxe5 Qxe4+ 9.Be3 (9.Kf1 Bc5 10.h4 Qxe5 11.Rh3 Nf6 12.Bg5 Re8 13.Bxf6 gxf6 14.Rf3 d5 15.Nd2 Bg4 16.Rxf6+ Kxf6 17.Nf3 Qe4 18.Ng5 Qc4+ 19.Kg1 Bxd1 20.Rxd1 Re2 21.Nxh7+ Kg7 22.Ng5 Rxf2 23.Kh1 Rf1+ 24.Rxf1 Qxf1+ 25.Kh2 Bd6+ 26.g3 Qf2+ 27.Kh1 Bxg3 28.Ne6+ Kh6 29.Nxc7 Qh2 checkmate, HauntedKnight - hellg, FICS, 2010) 9...Bc5 (9...Qxg2 10.Rf1 Be7 11.Qh5+ g6 12.Qe2 Ke8 13.Nd2 Qxh2 14.O-O-O Qxe5 15.Rfe1 Kd8 16.Qc4 Qg7 17.Bd4 Nf6 18.Ne4 h6 19.Bxf6 Bxf6 20.Nxf6 Qxf6 21.f4 d6 22.Re4 Bf5 23.Red4 Qe6 24.Qb4 Qxa2 25.Qxb7 Qb1+ 26.Kd2 Qc2+ 27.Ke3 Re8+ 28.Kf3 Qe2+ 29.Kg3 Re3+ 30.Kh4 Qf2 checkmate, HauntedKnight - Makaroni, FICS, 2011) 10.O-O Bxe3 11.fxe3+ Ke8 12.Qh5+ g6 13.Qg5 h6 14.Qg3 Ne7 15.Nd2 Qd3 16.Rad1 Qd5 17.b3 d6 18.e4 Qxe5 19.Qf3 Be6 20.Nc4 Qc5+ 21.Kh1 Kd7 22.Rfe1 h5 23.e5 Bg4 24.e6+ Bxe6 25.Qxb7 Bd5 26.Rxd5 Nxd5 27.a4 Rab8 28.Qa6 Qf2 29.Ne5+ dxe5 30.Rf1 Rb6 31.Qd3 Qc5 32.c4 Qd4 33.Qh3+ Ke7 34.cxd5 Qg4 35.Qc3 Qd4 36.Qxc7+ Ke8 37.Qf7+ Kd8 38.Rc1 e4 39.Qc7+ Ke8 40.h3 Qxd5 41.Qc8+ Qd8 42.Qc2 Re6 43.Re1 Rf8 44.Rxe4 Rf1+ 45.Kh2 Qd6+ 46.g3 Rf2+ 47.Qxf2 Rxe4 48.h4 Qd3 49.Kh3 Re2 50.Qf6 Qd7+ White resigned, HauntedKnight - dwws, FICS, 2012;

8.cxb4 Qxe4+ 9.Qe2 (9.Be3 Qxg2 10.Rf1 Nf3+ 11.Ke2 d5 12.Nc3 Bg4 13.Qb3 Nxd4+ White resigned, jfhumphrey - hvutrong, FICS, 2010) 9...Qxe2+ 10.Kxe2 Nc6 11.Rd1 Nxb4 12.Na3 Nf6 13.Re1 Re8+ 14.Kf1 Rxe1+ 15.Kxe1 d5 16.Be3 Bf5 17.Nb5 c6 18.Nc3 Nc2+ 19.Ke2 Nxa1 White resigned, Teterow - geneve, FICS, 2011.

8...Ke8 9.O-O Ng4 10.h3 Be7 11.hxg4 h5 12.g3

White kicks the enemy Queen. For better or for worse he had to try 12.g5.

12...Qh3 13.g5 h4 14.g4 Qxg4+15.Kh2 h3 16.Rg1 Qxe4 17.Na3

It is hard to find a good move here. This one leads to checkmate.

17...Qf3 18.Be3 Bd6+ 19.Rg3 Qg2 checkmate

Wowzer.

Jerome Gambit: Risks & Rewards

Here is another game where White takes risks in a complex position to seek advantage - something he should not be able to do, but does. Success is sweet. 

Wall, Bill - Shatskov
lichess.org, 2016

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb4+ 

A complicated idea, giving up one of Black's pieces, one which we return to again and again in Bill's games.

7.c3 Bxc3+

The sharpest and best move seems to be 7...Qh4!?

Things ended quickly after 7...Be7 8.dxe5 Nh6 9.Qf3+ Ke6 10.Bxh6 gxh6 11.Qf5 checkmate, Wall,B - ChrSav, FICS, 2010.

8.Nxc3 Ng6

Or 8... Nc6 9.d5 (9.O-O Qf6 10.e5 Qg6 11.Qf3+ Ke8 12.Nb5 Kd8 13.Qf8+ Qe8 14.Qxe8+ Kxe8 15.Nxc7+ Ke7 16.Nxa8 Nxd4 17.Bg5+ Ke6 18.Nc7+ Kxe5 19.Rae1+ Kd6 20.Bf4+ Kc6 21.Rc1+ Kb6 22.Nd5+ Kb5 23.Rxc8 Ne6 24.a4+ Kxa4 25.Ra1+ Kb3 26.Be5 Black resigned, Wall,B - Caynaboos, FICS,  2011) 9...Ne5 10.f4 Ng6 11.h4 Nxh4 12.Qh5+ g6 13.Qxh4 Qxh4+ 14.Rxh4 Nf6 15.e5 Ne8 16.Be3 c6 17.O-O-O d6 18.e6+ Ke7 19.g4 Nf6 20.f5 gxf5 21.gxf5 cxd5 22.Bg5 a6 23.Nxd5+ Kf8 24.Bxf6 Rg8 25.Rxh7 b5 26.Be7+ Ke8 27.Nf6 checkmate, Wall,B - ChessFlower, PlayChess.com, 2012.

9.O-O Nf6

Or 9...N8e7 10.f4 Re8 (10...Rf8 11.f5 Nh8 12.Bg5 Kg8 13.Qb3+ Nf7 14.f6 gxf6 15.Bxf6 d5 16.Nxd5 Re8 17.Qg3+ Kf8 18.Qg7 checkmate, Wall,B - NN, lichess.org,  2016) 11.Qb3+ d5 12.f5 Nf8 13.Bg5 c6 14.f6 gxf6 15.Bxf6 Kg8 16.exd5 cxd5 17.Bxe7 Rxe7 18.Nxd5 Be6 19.Nxe7+ Qxe7 20.Rae1 Qd6 21.Rxf8+ Rxf8 22.Qxe6+ Qxe6 23.Rxe6 Rf7 24.d5 Rd7 25.d6 Kf7 26.Re7+ Rxe7 27.dxe7 Kxe7 28.Kf2 b5 29.Ke3 a5 30.Kd4 Kd6 31.g4 h6 32.h4 b4 33.b3 Ke6 34.Kc5 Ke5 35.Kb5 Kf4 36.g5 hxg5 37.hxg5 Kxg5 38.Kxa5 Kf6 39.Kxb4 Ke6 40.Kb5 Kd6 41.Kb6 Kd7 42.a4 Kc8 43.a5 Kb8 44.b4 Ka8 45.Kc7 Ka7 46.b5 Ka8 47.a6 Ka7 48.Kc6 Ka8 49.b6 Kb8 50.a7+ Ka8 51.b7+ Kxa7 52.Kc7 Ka6 53.b8=Q Ka5 54.Qb3 Ka6 55.Qb6 checkmate, Wall,B - Jamato, lichess.org, 2017

10.Bg5

More directly: 10.e5 Ne8 11.f4 (11.Qf3+ Kg8 12.Qd5+ Kf8 13.Be3 a6 14.Rae1 c6 15.Qb3 d5 16.f4 Kg8 17.f5 Nh4 18.Qc2 g6 19.f6 Be6 20.Bg5 Qb6 21.Bxh4 Qxd4+ 22.Bf2 Qf4 23.Ne2 Qc4 24.Qd2 Qxa2 25.Nd4 Bf5 26.Nxf5 gxf5 27.Qg5+ Kf7 28.e6+ Kf8 29.Bc5+ Nd6 30.Bxd6+ Ke8 31.f7 checkmate, Wall,B - Boris, SparkChess.com, 2012) 11...Rf8 12.f5 Ne7 13.Qb3+ d5 14. exd6+ Black resigned, Wall,B - FJBS, FICS, 2015.

10...d6 11.Qb3+ Be6 12.Qxb7 

Another "punishable" action. Doesn't whoever take the b7 pawn wind up in the gutter?

Once again we see the Jerome Gambiteer doing something he shouldn't be able to do - and getting away with it. The psychological toll on the defender has to be measurable; it soon shows up in a slip.

12...Qd7 13.d5 Rhb8

Overlooking the fact that White's next move comes with check.

14.dxe6+ Qxe6 15.Qxc7+ Nd7 16.Rad1 Black resigned

White is only up a few pawns, but he has gotten away with his mischief, and Black has other things to to with his time.

Is Jerome Gambit Sound?

?

I just stumbled over a web page by Mato Jelic titled "Is Jerome Gambit Sound?" which asks the eternal question, referencing a game that had appeared on this blog previously.

If you visit the page, you will find a video that no longer works - but there is a link to YouTube.com, however, so you can still check it out there.

Enjoy.

Jerome Gambit: Break the Rules

The following game, the latest from chessfriend Vlasta, shows White "getting away with" the kind of behavior that usually dooms the acceptor of gambit material, let alone the donor.

I can well imagine his online opponent yelling at the computer screen "He can't do that! Can he???"

Vlastous - cesarotiz
internet, 2017

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 6.Nxc6 dxc6 7.d3

The main alternative is 7.0-0, going back to Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, 1875 (1/2-1/2, 29). Another early alternative was 7.c3 in Vazquez - Carrington, 2nd match, Mexico, 1876 (1-0, 43).

7...Qf6 8.O-O Nh6 9.c3 Bg4 10.Qe1 Kf7 11.d4 Bb6 12.f3 Bd7

White has an impressive pawn center, but he is behind in development - dangerous for a gambiteer.

13.a4 a6 14.Qg3 Rhf8 15.a5 Ba7 16.Qxc7 Rae8

Black can hardly believe his luck: his opponent's Queen is pawn-grabbing! So the "defender" develops his last piece and expects to take over the game. After all, he has an "extra" piece he can afford to give back, right?

17.Qxb7 Bb8 18.Qxa6 Kg8 19.Nd2 Qh4

This looks scary for the first player, but the computer already says he is better. Vlasta knows what he is doing.

20.e5 Rf7 21.Ne4 Rf5 22.Qb6

Because the solution to being behind in development is - a passed pawn?! Amazing!

22...Ref8 23.Rf2 Rh5 24.g3 Qe7 25.a6 Bf5 26.a7 Bc7 27.Qxc6

Black resigned

White is the exchange and 5 pawns (4 of them connected and passed!) better.

Jerome Gambit: You Can't Always Tell

Pushing a Rook pawn can be wise or unwise; you can't always tell. A lot depends upon the position. A quick look will not always let you know. You might just reject such a move, on principle, only to learn later that it was best. 

Wall, Bill - Szachowski
playok.com, 2017

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Nf6

7.dxe5 Bxf2+

I referred to this move as "interesting" in a previous post.

An alternative is the straightforward 7...Nxe4 8.Qd5+ Kf8 (8...Ke8 9.Qxe4 Bxf2+ 10.Kxf2 Rf8+ 11.Kg1 d5 12.exd6+ Kd7 13.Nc3 Qf6 14.Bf4 g5 15.Rd1 cxd6 16.Rxd6+ Black resigned, Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016) 9.Qxe4 d6 10.O-O Be6 11.Nc3 a6 12.Be3 Bb6 13.Rad1 d5 14.Nxd5 Bxd5 15.Rxd5 Qe7 16.Bxb6 cxb6 17.Rfd1 Qe6 18.Rd6 Qxa2 19.Qf5+ Qf7 20.Rd8+ Ke7 21.Qd7 checkmate, Wall,B - TenAndOnly10, lichess.org, 2016

Stockfish 8 prefers 7...Qe7.

8.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 9.Kg1 d5 10.Qf3+

On par with the earlier 10.Nc3 Nxc3 11.Qf3+ Ke8 12.Qxc3 Be6 13.Be3 c6 14.Rd1 Rf8 15.h3 Qh4 16.Rd4 Qg3 17.Rd3 Qg6 18.Kh2 Kd7 19.Qb4 b5 20.Qd6+ Black resigned, Wall,B - MyDrunkAccount, lichess.org, 2016.

10...Kg6 11.Nc3 Rf8 12.Qd3 Bf5 13.Nxd5 c6

Stockfish 8 suggests that Black would maintain a slight edge with 13...h6, which is not the kind of move one usually chooses against a gambit.

14.Nf4+ Kf7 15.Qc4+ Ke8 16.Be3 g5 17.Nh5 Bg6

The reinforcement arrives - just in time to face a forced checkmate.

18.Qe6+ Qe7 19.Ng7+ Kd8 20.Rd1+ Black resigned