Jerome Gambit: Gimme Shelter

When White's central "Jerome pawns" are allowed to advance, and the defender has not found shelter for his King quickly enough, bad things can happen to the second player.

vagel - zagolmann

5 3 blitz, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb4+ 7.c3 

7...Bxc3+ 

vagel has also faced 7...Bd6 8.dxe5 Bxe5 9.Qd5+ (9.Qh5+ Ke6 10.f4 g6 11.Qxe5+ Kf7 12.Qxh8 Qh4+ 13.g3 Qe7 14.Qxh7+ Kf8 15.Qxe7+ Kxe7 16.Na3 d6 17.Be3 Nf6 18.e5 dxe5 19.fxe5 Ne4 20.O-O-O Be6 21.Nb5 c6 22.Nd6 b5 23.Nxe4 Bd5 24.Bc5+ Ke6 25.Ng5+ Kf5 26.h4 Bxh1 27.Rxh1 a5 28.e6 b4 29.e7 bxc3 30.bxc3 a4 31.Rf1+ Kg4 32.Rf8 Black resigned, vagel - Aleks_198, lichess.org, 2023) 9...Kf8 10.Qxe5 d6 11.Qf4+ Nf6 12.O-O h5 13.Be3 Rh6 14.Qg3 h4 15.Qf3 Rg6 16.e5 dxe5 17.Bc5+ Kf7 18.Na3 Qd7 19.Nc4 Qe6 20.b3 b5 21.Nxe5+ Qxe5 22.Qxa8 h3 23.g3 Qe4 24.Qxe4 Nxe4 25.Bd4 Bb7 26.a4 a6 27.axb5 axb5 28.Ra7 Nd2 29.Rd1 Nf3+ 30.Kf1 Nxh2+ 31.Ke2 Bf3+ 32.Kd3 White resigned, vagel - iboshsh, lichess.org, 2022); 

7...Ba5 8.dxe5 Ke8 (8...Qh4 9.O-O d5 10.exd5 Bg4 11.e6+ Ke7 12.Qd4 Bb6 13.Qxg7+ Kd6 14.Bf4+ Kc5 15.b4+ Kb5 16.a4+ Kc4 17.Na3+ Kb3 18.Rfb1+ Kxa4 19.Nc2+ Kb5 20.c4+ Kxc4 21.Ne3+ Kb5 22.Qxh8 Qxf2+ Black resigned, vagel - matiasnangel, lichess.org, 2023) 9.e6 dxe6 10.Qh5+ g6 11.Qb5+ c6 12.Qb3 Nf6 13.Bg5 Rf8 14.e5 Qd3 15.Bxf6 Qe4+ 16.Kf1 Bb6 17.Nd2 Qd3+ 18.Ke1 Qf5 19.Rf1 Rxf6 20.exf6 Qe5+ 21.Kd1 Qh5+ 22.Kc2 Qf5+ 23.Kc1 Qxf6 24.Nc4 Qf4+ 25.Kc2 Qe4+ 26.Kc1 Qf4+ 27.Kd1 Qg4+ 28.f3 Qf5 29.Nd6+ Black resigned, vagel - bugino17m, lichess.org, 2023; 

7...Nd3+ 8.Qxd3 Be7 9.O-O Ke8 10.f4 d6 11.f5 Nf6 12.Bg5 h6 13.Bh4 Qd7 14.Nd2 b6 15.Qc4 Bb7 16.e5 dxe5 17.dxe5 Nd5 18.f6 gxf6 19.exf6 Bxf6 20.Rae1+ Kd8 21.Bxf6+ Nxf6 22.Rxf6 Qxd2 23.Qg4 Qxe1+ 24.Rf1 Qe3+ 25.Kh1 Bc8 26.Rd1+ Ke7 27.Qg7+Ke6 28.Qxh8 Bb7 Black resigned, vagel-Saletinho, lichess.org, 2023; and

7...Qh4 8.dxe5 Qxe4+ 9.Kf1 (9.Be3 Bc5 10.O-O Qxe5 11.Kh1 Nf6 12.Bxc5 Qxc5 13.Nd2 d5 14.Nf3 Ne4 15.Ne5+ Ke8 16.Qh5+ g6 17.Nxg6 Kd7 18.Nxh8 Nxf2+ 19.Rxf2 Qxf2 20.Qxd5+ Ke7 21.Qe5+ Kd7 22.Rd1+ Kc6 23.Qd5+ Kb6 24.a4 c6 25.a5+ Kc7 26.Qd8+ Kb8 27.Qd6 checkmate, vagel - myrefugefortress, lichess.org, 2024) 9...Bc5 10.e6+ dxe6 11.Qh5+ g6 12.Qxc5 c6 13.Bg5 Qd3+ 14.Ke1 Qe4+ 15.Be3 Qc2 16.Nd2 Qxb2 17.Rd1 Ne7 18.Bg5 Re8 19.Ne4 Qc2 20.Nd6+ Kg7 21.Nxe8+ Kf7 22.Qxe7+ Kg8 23.Qg7 checkmate, vagel - GREGYVON, lichess.org, 2023.

8.bxc3 

Stronger was 8.Nxc3 Ng6 9.e5 (9.f4 d6 10.Qh5 N8e7 11.f5 Qd7 12.fxg6+ Nxg6 13.O-O+ Kg8 14.Bg5 c5 15.dxc5 dxc5 16.Rad1 Qe6 17.Rd8+ Nf8 18.Rfxf8 checkmate, vagel - Dabe_1234, lichess.org, 2024; 9.Bg5 Qxg5 White resigned, vagel - Fish2311, lichess.org, 2024) 9...d6 10.Qf3+ Ke8 11.O-O dxe5 12.dxe5 Nxe5 13.Qh5+ Ng6 14.Re1+ N8e7 15.Bg5 Qd6 16.Bxe7 Qxe7 17.Rxe7+ Kxe7 18.Nd5+ Kd6 19.Rd1 c6 20.Nb6+ Kc7 21.Nxa8+ Kb8 22.Qa5 Kxa8 23.Rd8 Rxd8 24.Qxd8 Kb8 25.a4 Ne5 26.Qd6+ Black resigned, vagel - msd2310, lichess.org, 2020. 

8...Ng6 9.O-O d6 

More challenging of the center is 9...d5.

10.f4 N8e7 

White may still be a piece behind, and lagging in development, but his excellent "Jerome pawn" center makes up for it. In fact, the first player is probably better.

11.f5 Nf8 12.Qh5+ Kg8 

13.f6 g6 

Blocking the check and kicking the Queen.

The best defense was 13...gxf6 14.Rxf6 Neg6 15.Bg5 Qd7 16.Qh6 Qg7 17.Nd2 Be6 18.Raf1 which is still better for White.

14.f7+ Kg7 15.Bh6 checkmate

That's not the kind of checkmate that you see every day!

Game From the Grandmaster Simultaneous Exhibition

 

This summer, I shared that chessfriend and blog contributor Yury V. Bukayev had played against - and drawn - the grandmaster and coach GM Sergey N. Arkhipov in his15-board simultaneous exhibition in Moscow. See "Grandmaster Simultaneous Exhibition"

Here is the game, with a few diagrams.

GM Arkhipov, Sergey N. - Bukayev, Yury V. 

15-board simultaneous exhibition, Moscow, 2025,

July 26 ('The Chess Square 2025')

1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.O-O Be7 5.d3 c5 6.Nbd2 Nc6 7.e4 

The King's Indian Attack, played by Bobby Fischer - and Mikhail Botvinnik, Tigran Petrosian, Vasily Smyslov and Leonid Stein, to name a few others.

7...d4 8.e5 Nd7 9.Re1 Qc7 10.Qe2 O-O 11.Nf1 Nb6 12.h4 

12...Nd5 13.h5 f6 14.h6 g6 15.exf6 Bd6 

16.Ng5 Rxf6 17.Ne4 Rf7 18.Nxd6 Qxd6 19.Nh2 Bd7 20.Ng4 Raf8 21.f4 

21...Rf5 22.Bd2 Nf6 23.Bh3 Nxg4 24.Bxg4 R5f6 25.Qe4 g5 26.Re2 gxf4 27.Bxf4 e5 28.Bxd7 exf4 Draw

(The computer shows a possible continuation that confirms the draw - 29.Bxc6 Qxc6 30.gxf4 Rg6+ 31.Kf2 Qf6 32.Rh1 Qxf4+ 33.Qxf4 Rxf4+ 34.Ke1 Kf7) 

Well done, Yury!

Jerome Gambit: Things Happen in Bullet Chess

 

I asked the artistic side of ChatGPT to help me illustrate the following Jerome Gambit game, to show my best explanation for Black's 12th move (a pawn should have moved to d6).

Things happen in bullet chess.

NN - NN

2 1 bullet, lichess.org, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qf3 Nf6 

11.d3 Kc6 

As Cliff Hardy once noted, "Very rare for someone to find this risky-looking, but pugnacious, move - and in bullet too!"

12.Nc3 Kd6 

I don't think that this was the intended move.

13.Bf4 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Unfamiliar Positions Can Turn Dangerous

The following game shows that even a "generous" amount of time on the clock for a blitz or rapid game (compared to bullet) may not be enough, if the defender gets lost in unfamiliar positions in an unfamiliar opening.

I mean, who ever studies how to defend against the Jerome Gambit? 

Francochan - soorajtc

10 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 

The Semi-Italian opening

4.Bxf7+ 

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ 

6...Ke6 

This move still leaves Black with an advantage, but it is much more adventurous for his King than 6...Ng6 or 6...g6.

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.d4 

A typical Jerome Gambit position - Black has two pieces for two pawns, and Stockfish 16.1 smiles upon him (11/2 pawns better, 32 ply) - but, oh, that King!

8...Ne7 

Black defends and counter-attacks, but this is insufficient.

He needed to try 8...Qe8 9.Bf4 Kc6 (9...c6 10.Bxe5+ Ke7) 10.d5+ Kb5 11.a4+ Ka6 12.Qxe5 Qxe5 13.Bxe5 b6 when, by returning a piece, his King will find safety on b7. 

A reminder that in club play, it is often easier to attack than defend; and that being in unfamiliar positions can turn dangerous.

9.Qxe5+ Kc6 10.Qc5 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Grokipedia

 

Grokipedia

I am not familiar with Grokipedia, ("Grokipedia is an AI-generated online encyclopedia operated by xAI, the artificial intelligence company founded by Elon Musk, launched on October 27, 2025, as a rival to Wikipedia. Unlike crowdsourced platforms, it relies on the Grok AI model to produce dynamic content, positioning itself as an alternative focused on truthful information dissemination") but its posting on the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is a very good introduction to the opening.

Check it out.

Chessgames.com: Yury V. Bukayev

 

Valentina Gunina vs Yury Bukayev
"Bullet Control with No Control Bullet" (game of the day Jan-17-2026)
Simul, 14b (2025) (exhibition), Moscow RUS, Aug-16
Italian Game: Classical Variation. Giuoco Pianissimo (C53)  ·  1-0

chessgames.com's Game of the Day features play by chessfriend 

Yury V. Bukayev, as first reported on this blog - 

see "My Simultaneous Exhibition Game Against  the Two-time World Blitz Champion   GM Valentina Gunina (Parts 1 and 2)"

Jerome Gambit: Google Gemini, Again

 

It's time to check in with an artificial intelligence (AI) entity - this time, Google's Gemini - and see what it has learned about the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) since we last visited it (see"Jerome Gambit: Gemini's Turn")

Tell me about the Jerome Gambit chess opening and show me a game with it

The Jerome Gambit is a highly aggressive and controversial chess opening for White, usually arising from the Italian Game (Giuoco Piano). It is widely considered "unsound" at high levels of play because White sacrifices two minor pieces for a king-side attack, but it is a favorite for blitz games or "fun" sessions due to the immediate chaos it creates.

The Opening Moves

The gambit begins with the following moves:

1. e4 e5

2. Nf3 Nc6

3. Bc4 Bc5 (The standard Italian Game)

4. Bxf7+!? (The Jerome Gambit begins)

White sacrifices the Bishop on f7 to force the Black King out of safety. After 4... Kxf7, White follows up with 5. Nxe5+, sacrificing a Knight as well. If Black accepts with 5... Nxe5, White plays 6. Qh5+ [01:28], forking the King and the Knight (or Bishop).

Key Concepts

• Psychological Pressure: You are betting that your opponent will panic while trying to defend their exposed King in the center of the board.

• Targeting the King: White's goal is to keep the Black King dancing. Common continuations for Black like 6... Kf6 or 6... Ke7 often lead to immediate trouble after 7. Qf5+ [01:50].

• Risk: If Black knows the theory or defends calmly (often by returning some material to stabilize), White will simply be down a massive amount of material with no compensation.

---

A Sample Miniature Game

The following is a classic example of how quickly the Jerome Gambit can lead to a checkmate if Black isn't careful (often seen in variations against the "Blackburne Shilling" trap) [14:13]:

Move	White	Black	Notes
1	e4	e5
2	Nf3	Nc6
3	Bc4	Nd4?	Black tries the Blackburne Shilling Trap.
4	Bxf7+!	Kxf7	White ignores the trap and enters Jerome-style play [14:33].
5	Nxe5+	Ke6	Black brings the King forward to protect the Knight.
6	Qh5	g6?	Black tries to kick the Queen, but it's a blunder [15:10].
7	Nxg6	Nf6
8	Qe5+	Kf7
9	Nxh8+	Kg8
10	Qxd4	...	White has recovered material and left the Black King stranded.

Summary of the Gambit:

• Best for: Blitz, bullet, and casual "coffee house" chess.

• Weakness: Objectively losing against accurate defense [00:39].

• Goal: Checkmate before the material deficit matters.

For a full breakdown of the lines and how to handle different Black responses, you can watch the detailed guide here:

Chess Openings - Jerome Gambit

This is an improvement.

(I especially liked the comment about Psychological Pressure, "You are betting that your opponent will panic" - reminds me of an earlier post, "Jerome Gambit: Fun": The first to panic loses the game)