Jerome Gambit
Encyclopedia
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+ Nxe5. 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."
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." 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."
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. 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. A bad line for Black after 6.Qh4+ is 6... Kf6?? 7. Qf5+ Ke7 8. Qxe5+ Kf7 9. Qxc5, regaining both pieces and winning two pawns.
, 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. 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.
Chess opening
A chess opening is the group of initial moves of a chess game. Recognized sequences of opening moves are referred to as openings as initiated by White or defenses, as created in reply by Black. There are many dozens of different openings, and hundreds of named variants. The Oxford Companion to...
that is an offshoot of the Giuoco Piano
Giuoco Piano
The Giuoco Piano is a chess opening beginning with the moves:Common alternatives to 3...Bc5 include 3...Nf6 , 3...Be7 , or 3...d6 .-History:...
. It is characterized by the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 (the Giuoco Piano) 4.Bxf7+? Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5. White sacrifices
Sacrifice (chess)
In chess, a sacrifice is a move giving up a piece in the hopes of gaining tactical or positional compensation in other forms. A sacrifice could also be a deliberate exchange of a chess piece of higher value for an opponent's piece of lower value....
two pieces in hopes of exposing Black's king
King (chess)
In chess, the king is the most important piece. The object of the game is to trap the opponent's king so that its escape is not possible . If a player's king is threatened with capture, it is said to be in check, and the player must remove the threat of capture on the next move. If this cannot be...
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
Joseph Henry Blackburne
Joseph Henry Blackburne , nicknamed "The Black Death", dominated British chess during the latter part of the 19th century. He learned the game at the relatively late age of 18 but quickly became a strong player and went on to develop a professional chess career that spanned over 50 years...
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."
In the third edition of the opening treatise
Treatise
A treatise is a formal and systematic written discourse on some subject, generally longer and treating it in greater depth than an essay, and more concerned with investigating or exposing the principles of the subject.-Noteworthy treatises:...
Chess Openings, Ancient and Modern (1896), the authors wrote, "The Jerome Gambit is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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
Pawn (chess)
The pawn is the most numerous and weakest piece in the game of chess, historically representing infantry, or more particularly armed peasants or pikemen. Each player begins the game with eight pawns, one on each square of the rank immediately in front of the other pieces...
, with the chances arising from the adversary's king being displaced, and drawn into the centre of the board." Similarly, du Mont
Julius du Mont
Julius du Mont was a pianist, piano teacher, chess player, journalist, editor and writer. He studied music at the Frankfurt Conservatoire and at Heidelberg, and became a concert pianist. He emigrated to England as a young man and became a successful piano teacher. Amongst his pupils was Edna Iles...
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."
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. 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
Wilhelm Steinitz
Wilhelm Steinitz was an Austrian and then American chess player and the first undisputed world chess champion from 1886 to 1894. From the 1870s onwards, commentators have debated whether Steinitz was effectively the champion earlier...
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. A bad line for Black after 6.Qh4+ is 6... Kf6?? 7. Qf5+ Ke7 8. Qxe5+ Kf7 9. Qxc5, regaining both pieces and winning two pawns.
Illustrative game
N.N. versus BlackburneJoseph Henry Blackburne
Joseph Henry Blackburne , nicknamed "The Black Death", dominated British chess during the latter part of the 19th century. He learned the game at the relatively late age of 18 but quickly became a strong player and went on to develop a professional chess career that spanned over 50 years...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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
Nikolay Minev
Nikolay Nikolaev Minev was born in Rousse, Bulgaria, on 8 November 1931. He is a chess International master and noted chess author....
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. 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
Checkmate
Checkmate is a situation in chess in which one player's king is threatened with capture and there is no way to meet that threat. Or, simply put, the king is under direct attack and cannot avoid being captured...
with his three remaining minor pieces.