Jerome Gambit

Infobox chess opening
openingname = Jerome Gambit

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moves=1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+? Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5
ECO=C50
birth=
nameorigin=Named for Alonzo Wheeler Jerome
parentopening = Giuoco Piano
AKA=
chessgid=The Jerome Gambit is a weak chess opening that is an offshoot of the Giuoco Piano. It is characterized by the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 (the Giuoco Piano) 4.Bxf7+? Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nexe5. White sacrifices two pieces in hopes of exposing Black's king and obtaining a mating attack. The line is virtually never seen today (and never seen in high-level chess), but was known in the late 19th century. Blackburne wrote of it, "I used to call this the Kentucky opening. For a while after its introduction, it was greatly favoured by certain players, but they soon grew tired of it."Joseph Henry Blackburne, "Blackburne's Chess Games", Dover Publications, 1979, p. 164. ISBN 0-486-23857-1.]

In the third edition of the opening treatise "Chess Openings, Ancient and Modern" (1896), the authors wrote, "The Jerome Gambit is an American invention, and a very risky attack. It is described in the American Supplement to "Cook's Synopsis" as unsound but not to be trifled with. The first player sacrifices two pieces for two pawns, with the chances arising from the adversary's king being displaced, and drawn into the centre of the board." [E. Freeborough and Rev. C.E. Ranken, "Chess Openings, Ancient and Modern", Third Edition, Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner and Co., London, 1896, p. 85.] Similarly, du Mont wrote that it "is unsound, but has the saving grace of leading to a lively game and is therefore suitable for an occasional friendly game. The defender cannot afford to be careless." [J. du Mont, "200 Miniature Games of Chess", David McKay, 1965, p. 147.]

White may regain one of the two sacrificed pieces with 6.d4, but Black retains a decisive material advantage with 6...Bxd4 7.Qxd4 Qf6.Freeborough and Ranken, p. 86.] More commonly, White plays 6.Qh5+. In that event, Freeborough and Ranken analyzed two lines. One is 6...Kf8 7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qf5+ Ke8 9.Nc3 d6 10.Qf3 Qf7 11.Qe2 Nh6 12.0-0 c6, with large advantage to Black. Freeborough and Ranken also analyze the bold 6.Qh5+ Ke6!? ("follow [ing] out Mr. Steinitz's theory that the King is a strong piece") 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.d4 (or 8.f4 Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5) Bxd4 9.Na3 c6 10.c3 Qf6 11.cxd4 Qxf5 12.exf5 Nf7 13.Bf4+ Ke7, again with a large advantage.

Jerome Gambit theory and practice can be found online at http://jeromegambit.blogspot.com.

Illustrative game

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N.N.-Blackburne, position after 12.Kh1

N.N.-Blackburne, England 1880 [ [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1029000 N.N.-Blackburne, England 1880] ] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+? Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6!? Blackburne remarks, "Not to be outdone in generosity." Seirawan and Minev observe that after 6...Kf8 7.Qxe5 d6 or 6...Ng6 7.Qxc5 d6 White has insufficient compensation for the sacrificed piece, but Blackburne likes to attack.Yasser Seirawan and Nikolay Minev, "Take My Rooks", International Chess Enterprises, 1991, p. 66. ISBN 1-879479-01-X.] 7.Qxe5 d6 (7...Qe7) 8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.O-O Nf6 10.c3? Better is 10.Qd8! 10...Ng4 11.h3 Bxf2+ 12.Kh1 Bf5! 13.Qxa8 Qxh3+! 14.gxh3 Bxe4#. Having accepted White's sacrifice of two minor pieces, Blackburne responded by returning the knight, then sacrificing both rooks and his queen to deliver checkmate with his three remaining minor pieces.

References