Jerome Gambit: Puzzles and Mysteries (Part 1)

Before I began this blog, much of my investigation into the Jerome Gambit appeared online in the "Puzzles and Mysteries" section of Edward Winter's The Chess History Information and Research Center. Although it highlighted my mis-steps almost as often as my true discoveries, it provided valuable exposure to my quest, and put me in touch with a number of helpful sources, for which I remain expecially thankful to Mr. Winter.

With the help of the online Wayback Machine, I was able to bring much of this information forward. It adds to my earlier series of posts containing my longer Jerome Gambit article.

Last update: 30.04.04

I am researching the atavistic Jerome Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ ?? (Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.) The best known example of it is Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1880: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 4.Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.0-0 Nf6 10.c3 Ng4 11.h3 Bxf2+ 12.Kh1 Bf5 13.Qxa8 Qxh3+ 14.gxh3 Bxe4 mate.

In Mr. Blackburne's Games at Chess, 1899, republished as Blackburne's Chess Games, 1979, the winner notes "I used to call this the Kentucky opening. For a while after its introduction it was greatly favored by certain players, but they soon grew tired of it." 

In Unorthodox Chess Openings, Eric Schiller makes a leap and names the above Amateur as Jerome -- unlikely, in light of a 8/30/97 rec.games.chess.misc posting by Ozgur Karabiyik (found in a deja search) which noted "It appeared first in American Chess Journal, 1876 recommended by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome (1834-1902) of Paxton, Illinois." [the source of this statement is apparently The Oxford Companion to Chess by K. Whyld and D. Hooper] 

The Kentucky allusion is puzzling, although it may relate to the fact that there is apparently analysis of the Jerome Gambit in Freeborough and Rankin's Chess Openings Ancient and Modern, one edition of which (1893), the Cleveland Public Library's catalog notes, was published both in London and Kentucky. Was Blackburne aware when he penned his book...?

I have seen a re-bound copy of Chess Openings, by Freeborough, from the Oberlin College Library, which maddeningly does not have a publication date, and whose title page is typed by a typewriter, as if replacing the original. The publisher, J.E. Wheatley and Co., New-Street, Huddersfield, does not match any listed in the Cleveland Library for the apparently later Chess Openings, Ancient and Modern, by Freeborough and Rankin, with various editions (1889, 1893, 1896,1903, 1905, 1910).

Chess Openings give the opening its own section and opines "The Jerome Gambit is an American invention, and a very risky attack. It is described in the American Supplement [1885] to Cook's Synopsis [1882] as unsound but not to be trifled with... Mr. S. A. Charles of Cincinnati, Ohio is named in the American Supplement as the chief analyst of this opening."

Mr. Jerome, Amateur, Mr.Charles; Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio.

All of which is background to the stunning plea, by Michael Kramer, on rec.games.chess.misc, 9/30/97 (again, found with deja)

"Where can I get a copy of  All or Nothing! The Jerome Gambit by Chaim Schmendrik?"

Never mind Keene's brief comments in his Gambits, or those of Batsford Chess Openings, Is there really such a thing as All or Nothing! ???

Rick Kennedy, 24.11.01

The "mystery" of Blackburne's reference to the Jerome Gambit as the "Kentucky Opening" was solved a decade ago - see the blog posts "The Kentucky Opening" Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

Likewise, there was never a book on the Jerome Gambit titled All or Nothing, as I pointed out, to my embarassment, years ago.

Jerome Gambit; Back Again

Chessfriend angelcamina is back with another Jerome Gambit game played online at "bullet" speed - one minute, with no increment.

I tend to rephrase the question "Is the Jerome Gambit playable?" into something like "Under what conditions is the Jerome Gambit playable?" Bullet games like the following tend to expand my understanding as to what the answer is.

angelcamina - Danielpia
1 0 bullet game, lichess.org, 2019

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.O-O Kf7 11.f4 Re8 12.d3 d5 

13.e5 Ng4 14.Qg3 h5 15.h3 Nh6 16.d4 Qh4 

17.Qf3 Nf5 18.Qxd5+ Be6 19.Qc5 c6 20.Nc3 Nxf4

A tactical slip, but, at the speed this game was unfolding, I wouldn't be surprised if the defender had yelled out "Three no trump!" instead.

Now, White takes command.

21.Rxf4 Qg3 22.Rf3 Qg6 23.Ne4 b6 24.Nd6+ Ke7 

Checkmate is coming.

25.Nxf5+ Kd7 26.Qd6+ Kc8 27.Qxc6+ Kd8 28.Nd6 Black lost on time.

Jerome Gambit: Opposite of Expected

The following Jerome Gambit game must have annoyed Black to no end. After playing White even for most of the game (okay - it was a slip for the defender to allow the game to become "even"), he reached a Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame, only to be tripped up by the presence of an additional Rook on each side. The extra material gave the position middlegame features, specifically that the side on the attack is helped by the opposite-colored Bishops.

Wall, Bill - Guest539588
PlayChess.com, 2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6

8.O-O Qf6 

Just checking to see if White is paying attention... 

9.Be3 

He is. The threat was 9...Nf6+, winning White's Queen. 

9...Ne7 10.Nc3 Rf8 11.Nb5 

Black was making progress, moving toward castling-by-hand. It was time for White to shake things up a bit. Black's Queen usually is closer to home, and can deal with threats to c7, but that is not the case, here.

11...N7c6 12.Qd2 Qe7 13.Bg5 Qd7 14.f4 Ng6 

White has gotten to play two of his usueful moves, Bg5 and f2-f4, and had to be happy to see one of the typical "germs" of trouble for Black: the Queen blocks the Bishop which blocks the Rook.

Black is still probably better, but White has the more comfortable position to play. 

15.Qd5+ Ke8 16.e5 dxe5 17.Qxd7+ 

This exchange of Queens may have come as a surprise, but now the King blocks the Bishop that blocks the Rook... 

17...Kxd7 18.f5 Nge7 

19.Rad1+ Nd4 20.Nxd4 exd4 21.Rxd4+ Ke8 22.Re1 Rf7 23.Rde4 Bxf5 24.Rxe7+ Rxe7 25.Rxe7+ Kf8 26.Rxc7 Be4 

Take the Rooks off of the board, and the extra pawn for White is virtually meaningless. Sure, White can still outplay his opponent, but that's a different story.

27.Be7+ Kg8 28. Bb4 Bc6 29.Bc3 g6 30.Rg7+ Kf8 31.Rxh7 b6 32.Rc7 Bb5 33.h4 Black resigned

In club play, especially with the clock ticking, it is sometimes possible to draw a Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame two pawns down. Here, however, White's Rook ties down Black's Rook (it will cost a pawn to be freed), while confining Black's King to the back rank, limiting its ability to assist in a defensive blockade. 

Jerome Gambit: Missing Ingredients

Black is by no means doomed in the Jerome Gambit. (That's a joke. The Jerome has multiple refutations.) However, the defender needs to stick to the basics of defense (or rampant counter-attack) and not neglect an ingredient or two - an oversight can turn the game around and bring about a painful ending.

Wall, Bill - Guest2783012
PlayChess.com, 2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 8.Nc3 Nf6 9.O-O Be6 

Black is doing fine. White has to pull a few tools out of his "toolbox", perhaps Bg5 or f4, to keep pursuing his chances.

10.f4 Nc6 11.Qd3 Nb4 

The position of White's Queen is too tempting, Black's Knight must kick it. There is the bonus attraction of the chance to attack White's Rook at a1, so Black dives in. He only risks arriving at an even game, but that is too much to give up - he should have continued the typical castle-by-hand with ...Re8 and ...Kg8.

12.Qb5 Nxc2 13.f5 

This looks like desperation, but White knows what he is doing. 

13...Nxa1 14.fxe6+ 

14...Ke7

Black suddenly realizes that something is up, but 14...Kxe6 or 14...Kg8 were ways to stay in the game. Putting his King where the Knight can be pinned to it is asking for trouble.

15.Bg5 Rf8 16.e5 dxe5 17.Qxe5 Ke8 

This probably looked like some kind of solution, but it is not.

18.Bxf6 gxf6 19.Qh5+ Ke7 20.Qxh7+ Kxe6

Checkmate follows. 

21.Re1+ Kd6 22.Qd3+ Kc6 23.Qc4+ Kd7 24.Qe6 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: A Quick Reversal of Fortune

It is nice to surprise your opponent with the Jerome Gambit.

Sometimes, though, that opponent is not only not surprised, he has prepared a special reception. Then, the attacker has to rely upon his knowledge of the Jerome, plus his own skills, to make sure that the game turns out right.


Wall, Bill - Guest2773994
PlayChess.com, 2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 

8.Qd5+ 

White is willing to go after the b-pawn - and Black encourages him to do so.

8...Be6 9.Qxb7 Nf6 10.Nc3 Bc4

A tricky move that appears to be a novelty, according to The Database. Black does not want his opponent to castle. He also limits White's Queen's retreat squares. Previously, Bill has seen 10...Qe7, 10...Qd7, 10...Re8 and 10...Rf8.

11.b3 Rb8 12.Qxa7 Nd3+

Wow.

Black seems to have a low opinion of the Jerome Gambit, or his opponent, or both. This is a very optimistic sacrifice of a piece - but, in all fairness, Black does have an "extra" one to give back.

13.cxd3 Bxd3

White's King is still in the center, Black's pieces attack the pawn at e4, and Black's Rook and Queen are ready to swing over to the e-file.

14.Bg5 Qe7 15.Rc1 Rhe8 16.f3 

Black's attack is beginning to look a bit scary, although the computers are not impreseed. Unfortunately, Black's next move appears to overlook the pin on his Knight.

16...d5

Now White strikes quickly.

17.Nxd5 Qe5 18.Rxc7+ Kg8 19.Rxg7+ Kh8 20.Bxf6 Black Resigned

Jerome Gambit: Direction

There is an old saying (more of a warning): If you keep on heading in the direction you're going - you'll get there.

The following game shows Black taking an interesting step toward the unknown - but he does not continue. As a result, the game ends pretty much as expected.

Wall, Bill - Guest2781227
PlayChess.com, 2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 

Black decides that the gift of one piece is enough, thank you very much. This is not a "refutation" of the Jerome Gambit, but it is the kind of move that can set White to thinking, if he is not familiar with it.

6.Nxc6 dxc6 

The recommended move, instead, is the wild 6...Qh4!? which would lead to a complicated game where White might have a small edge. Not surprisingly, The Database still has no game examples.

The problem with the "normal" text is that it allows the first player to just go about his business.

7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qxc5 Qd6 

An exchange of Queens might break White's attack, and straighten out Black's Queenside pawns, but it would simply leave him down a couple pawns. Still, Bill is not interested in helping out.

9.Qc3 Qf6 10.d4 Qe6 11.O-O Nf6 

If this game were a scary movie, this is about where the ominous background music would begin.

The e-file and the a1-h8 diagonal have problems for Black, and resolving those issues will open up other points of danger.

12.d5 cxd5 13.exd5 Qd6 14.Re1+ Kf7 15. Bg5 Bf5 16.Bxf6 Qxf6 17.Qxc7+ Kf8 18.Qxb7 Black resigned

White is 4 pawns up. Black's King remains at risk. The direction that the game will take is clear. 

Italian Battleground: Round 3

Round 3 has started in the Chess.com "Italian Battleground" tournament, and I will be battling with docfb, 275Jukka,warwar, Abhishek29 and XristosGikas.

In my first 5 (concurrent) games, I have the black pieces 4 times, and in my 1 game with White, I am playing a Hungarian Defense - so, no Jerome Gambit so far. 

In Round 1, I scored with the Jerome against Abhishek29, and in Round 2 I did the same against warwar. It will be interesting to see if they let me play my refuted opening again - and, if so, what improvements they have come up with.

In Round 2, docfb played a Two Knights Defense, and beat me. I wonder if he will be satisfied to repeat, or if he will go with the easy win against the Jerome.

As for 275Jukka, we have not played before, but he went for the Hungarian Defense 3...Be7 right away. He must have a really good track record with the Hungarian, to turn down the offer of two pieces that allowing the Jerome Gambit would have achieved.

XristosGikas is new to me, as well, so perhaps he will oblige me and "blunder" into a win after 4 moves...