Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit: Faster Than A Speeding...

The following game shows that when fast time controls are in play, it is worth playing aggressively and taking risks - within reason.

Chicco79 - jim714

5 0 blitz, Eastern Blitz Arena, lichess.org, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf6 6.O-O 

Offering the Knight on e5. It can be taken - with care.

6...Kxe5 7.c3 Ne6 8.Qh5+ 

This is a 5-minute blitz game, and such moves are often tried - and are often successful.

Also fun, for the attacker, is 8.d4 Kxe4? 9.Qf3 checkmate.

A Jerome-ish, pawnful alternative, is 8.d4 Kf6 (best) 9.f4 h5 10.f5 Ng5 11.e5 Kf7 althought the line is, admittedly, better for Black (Stockfish 16.1, 30 ply, less than a pawn).

8...Qg5 

You can move your Queen, I can move my Queen.

Ill-advised, but, again, this is blitz.

9.f4+ 

Uh oh.

There is also 9.d4+ Kf6 10.Bxg5+ Nxg5 11.e5+ Ke7 12.Qxg5+. 

9...Nxf4

Yes, and No. In this kind of position, it hardly matters.

10.Qxg5+ Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Partial Solution

In the following Jerome Gambit game, the second player starts with one of the strongest defenses, but only completes part of it. 

This gives the first player time to execute his attack and produce a miniature.

Chicco79 - Satkhan1

5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7 

As I noted back in "Flaws (Part II)"

Black has a stronger [than 7...d6] counter-attack here, starting with 7...Qe7! as Jerome discovered to his dismay in the games of his correspondence match with Lt. G. N. Whistler, secretary of the Lexington, Kentucky Chess Club, in 1876.

 8.Qxh8 

Taking the Rook can be dangerous for White, if Black knows the correct follow-up. He does - for a while.

8...Qxe4+ 9.Kf1 b6 

Black plans to add his light-squared Bishop to the attack on the enemy King.

However, this gives White time to even the game and fight for a draw, by demonstrating the vulnerability of Black's King.

10.Qxh7+ Kf8 11.d3 Ba6 

If either - or both - players wanted to split the point, there is 11...Qd4 12.Be3 Qxb2 13.Bh6+ Nxh6 14.Qxh6+ Ke7 15.Qh7+ Kd8 16.Qg8+ Ke7 17.Qh7+ etc,  draw 

Instead, Black pins the annoying d-pawn, increasing the pressure.

However, there is time for White to perform the same exchange of pieces as in the note - only this time, for advantage.

12.Nc3 Qf5 13.Bh6+ 

13...Ke8 

Not much better is 13...Nxh6 14.Qxh6+ Kg8 15.Qd2 when White's Queen has returned home, ahead two pawns and the exchange. 

14.Re1+ Ne7 

Only the sad 14...Kd8 15.Qxg8+ Bf8 16.Qxf8+ Qxf8 17.Bxf8 avoids checkmate. 

White now has a choice of checkmates. 

Which one would you pick?

15.Ne4 

Or 15.Qg8+ Qf8 16.Qxf8 checkmate. 

Or 15.Qh8+ Kf7 16.Qg7+ Ke8 17.Qg8+ Qf8 18.Qxf8 checkmate 

15...d5 16.Nxc5 bxc5 17.Qxe7 checkmate

BGG: Orc

The following game shows that the sacrifice at f7 can bring the game quickly to an end.

Scourge_of_the_Orcs - yatno_pionaji1

5 0 blitz lichess.com, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Bc5

The Busch-Gass Gambit.

3.Bc4  

White is not interested in grabbing a pawn and then hunkering down: 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.d3 O-O 6.Be2 Nc6 7.O-O h6. 

3...h6 

Of course, 3...Nc6 4.Bxf7+ is the Jerome Gambit proper. 

4.Bxf7+ 

Things get even wilder after 4.Nxe5 Qg5 5.Bxf7+ Kd8 6.d4 Qxg2 7.Qf3 Qxf3 8.Nxf3 Bb6. 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ 

At last.

5...Kf6 6.d4 Qe7

This defense does not hold.

7.Qf3+ Ke6 8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.dxc5+ Kxc5 

10.Ng6+

To win the enemy Queen.

The fastest win is 10.Nxd7+ Kc4 11.b3+ Kb4 12.Bd2# 

10...d5 11.Qxd5+ Kb6 12.Be3+ c5

13.Nxe7 Nxe7 14.Bxc5+ Black resigned

Merry Christmas!

 

Here's hoping he goes for the Jerome Gambit!

May all your sacrifices be accepted, and all of your plans fulfilled.

Best wishes,

Rick

The Knight Before Christmas

 

Jerome Gambit: Tactics - Entertaining and Educational

Here we have the second, recent, Cliff Hardy game.

For more of the Australian private eye's adventures, you can use the "search" window on the right side of this blog.

Notes are by Cliff Hardy. My comments are in blue.

Hardy, Cliff - johnny_o

10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2025

Now a game with much more time to think: 

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 

So far, play has followed various games and anlyses of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome.

10...Nh6 

The idea behind this move is a bit unclear. The Knight might have gone to its regular post on f6, instead.

11.d4 Qxd4

 11...Bxd4?? would have lost the queen to 12.Bf4. 

12.Rf1

12.c3 is better. I was a bit scared he might play ...Qf2+ to get the queens off but the material would have been in parity so it would have been the better way to go. 

12...Kc6 13.Nc3 Rf8 14.Bf4 g5 

15.e5+ Kb6 

Best was 15...d5! 16.exd6+ Kd7! 

16.Nd5+ Ka5 17.Bd2+ 

17.c3! was best, with a strong attack 

17...Kb5

when he has 2 bishops for a rook but White's activity holds the balance. 

Fine for black was the counter sacrifice 17...Qxd2+! 18.Kxd2 Rxf3

The following tactical play is entertaining and educational. 

18.a4+ Kc6 19.Ne7+ Kb6 20.Qb3+ Bb4 21.Nd5+ Kc6 22.Nxb4+ Kc5 23.Be3 

23...Rxf1+ 24.Kxf1 Nf5 25.Bxd4+ 

25.Nd3+ or 25.Qd5+ both would have led to mate on the next move. 

25...Nxd4 26.Qc3+ 

Again 26.Qd5+ would have led to checkmate in one on the following move.

26...Kb6 27.Qxd4+ c5 28.Qd6+ Ka5 29.Qxc5+ b5 30.Qxb5 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Cliff Hardy Goes Berserk

Long-time Readers - or at least those who have been visiting this blog for 1 1/2 years or more - will be familiar with Cliff Hardy, the Australian detective who occasionally dabbles in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).

Readers of "hard boiled" detective stories know that, almost inevitably, the hero gets slugged by the bad guy, before solving the case. Shows character, I guess.

So, with that caveat, let's look at the first of two games that Cliff has sent. The notes are his. Mine are in blue.

Hardy, Cliff - Tschelowjek

3 0 blitz, 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 Qh4+ 9.g3 Nf3+ 

From "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter II"

An interesting line that I refer to as "Nib's Defense," which made its first appearance in the American Chess Magazine of June 1899 in a comical article lampooning a new pastime, chess by phone. 

In a constructed game the author, "R.F.," overcame continued line noises and interruptions to use the Jerome Gambit to defeat "Nibs" in a dozen moves -- erroneously claiming checkmate, by the way.

10.Kd1 Ne7 11.Qf7

According to The Database, this move is a novelty.

Stockfish 16.1 suggests 11.Qxc5+ Kxc5 12.gxh4 d5

11...Ng5 12.fxg5 

I think 12.Qc4 might be the best try here. 

12...Qg4+ 13.Ke1 

13...b6 

13...Qxe4+ 14.Kd1 Qxh1+ would have put me on life support. 

14.d3 Bb7 15.Bf4+ Kc6 16.Nc3 Rhf8 17.Qc4 

I have to make a confession here and admit that, in the attempt to gain more tournament points, I had chosen the 'berserk' option of sacrificing half my time in the pursuit of attaining more points if I were to win. So while my opponent had 3 minutes total for the game, I had only one and a half. He still had 2 minutes and 2 seconds left on his clock at this stage of the game and I had just 18 seconds left. I'm hoping that with more time I would have spotted the mate in 2 here [17.Qd5+ Nxd5 18.exd5#] but maybe I still wouldn't have even looked at it! I'm too embarrassed and heartbroken to give those 2 mating moves ?? but it would have been a nice way to have finished the game though! 

17...Rxf4 

I'd hoped to get away with a checkmate in one with 18.Qb5 but it was not to be ??

18.Qb5+ 

After 18.gxf4 I would have still had some chance to win, with threats like d4, to win the pinned bishop on c5.

18...Kd6 

With the move d3-d4 not a workable threat anymore (due to ...Bxd4), I don't have any compensation for my exposed king on e1 - which is now much more vulnerable to attack than his on d6! 

19.gxf4 Qxf4 20.Ne2 Qf2+ 21.Kd1 Qf3 22.Re1 Bf2 23.Qc4 Bxe1

24.e5+ Kxe5 25.Kxe1 c5 26.Kd2 Nd5 27.Qc3+ 

I only had 1 second left on the clock here but I was dead lost down a piece anyway. 

27...Nxc3 28.Nxc3 Qf4+ 29.Ke2 d5 30.Ke1 d4 

Black won on time