Chessgames.com's Opening of the Day is the Kentucky Opening, aka the Jerome Gambit.
Check it out.
Friday, July 10, 2026
Wednesday, July 8, 2026
Jerome Gambit: Making It All Look Normal
I enjoy the games of International Michael Basman, whichs often start out in an unusual manner, and continue so throughout the game. His latest work is titled U Cannot Be Serious.
By contrast, it is not a surprise when someone plays the Jerome Gambit, making it look, well, normal.
The following game is a good example.
Tom - NN
3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2026
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qd5+
The good old "nudge".
7...Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Qf6
It is probably stronger to put the Knight on f6.
On the other hand, if Black were to move his Queen, it might go to h4.
In either event, White still has some work to do to catch up.
10.O-O Bd7
The computer is generally skeptical when it comes to the Jerome, but that does not stop it from recommending 10...Nf4 11.d3 g5 against it here.
Instead, Black takes a calmer route.
11.Nc3 c6
To keep the enemy Knight out of d5, where it would attack the Queen.
12.d4 Qe7 13.f4 Nf6
The "Jerome pawns" take the field. If only Black's King could now castle to safety...
14.e5
Or 14.f5, also sowing confusion in the enemy ranks.
14...Ng4 15.Qg3 Rf8
Kicking the Knight.
Stockfish 17.1 gives a long series of moves, ending up with about an equal game: 16.Ne4 dxe5 17.dxe5 Qh4 18.Qxh4 Nxh4 19.Nd6+ Ke7 20.h3 Nh6 21.f5 Rxf5 22.Nxf5+ N4xf5 23.Bg5+ Ke8 24.g4 Nd4 25.Bxh6 gxh6 26.Rf6.
I am pretty sure that I would kick the Knight, too.
16...Nh6 17.Bd2 Nf5
A hard choice: move the Bishop a second time, with 17...Bf5, or chase White's Queen to a more effective square, with the text.
18.Qd3 d5
A slip, but this is a blitz game. (Backing up the pawn, first, with 23.Rae1 was consistent.)
23...Bxe6 24.Rae1 Kd7 25.Ne2 Qg6
Exchanging Queen now would help the defense, so White declines.
26.Qg3 Qg5 27.Nf4
Black retreats his Bishop and blockades the enemy passed pawn.
What could go wrong?
He still had a route to a draw (by repetition) with 27...Rxf6 28.Nxe6 Rxe6 29.Rxe6 Kxe6 30.Qe1+ Kd7 31.Rf7+ Kd6 32.Qb4+ Ke6 33.Qxb7 Qe3+ 34.Kh2 Qe2+ 35.Kg3 Qe1+ 36.Kh2 Qe2+ 37.Kg3 Qe1+.
28.Re7+ Kd8 29.Ne6+ Bxe6 30.Qc7 checkmate
Attack on an uncastled King, leading to checkmate. Seems pretty normal to me.
Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Jerome Gambit: Chesnesia World
A short YouTube video at Chessnesia World gets the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) just right, with a board titled "Disrespectful Chess Opening?" and the comment "Genius or Suicide? The Craziest Chess Gambit! #Chess #JeromeGambit #ChessTraps"
For every defender who faces the Jerome Gambit and laughs, there is probably one who takes umbrage that the attacker would ever dare be that disrespectful.
In my games, I have taken advantage of both responses.
Monday, July 6, 2026
Some more on Prince Andre Dadian of Mingrelia and Greco
Sarah's Chess Journal has additional information on Prince Andre of Mingrelia - for starters, see a post here "The Mingrelia Defence: The Jerome Gambit Contravened" as well as the more recent "The Mingrelia Defence Returns (Parts 1 & 2)".
Should you wish a defense to side-step the Jerome Gambit, you are welcome to try the Prince's 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Qf6, or even the thematically-related Greco defense, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6.
Sunday, July 5, 2026
Jerome Gambit: Not Yet
Today, I dropped in, again, to the very informal chess club that meets at a local library every-other-week - with hopes to play a Jerome Gambit.
At one point I noticed that all 4 games being played had a White pawn at d4, a White Knight at c3, and, eventually, a White pawn on e3. Must be a thing.
I had the Black pieces in my game, playing some kind of triangle defense (pawns at e6, d5, and c6) and pretty soon my opponent's pieces were charging toward my castled King like it was giving away free beer.
Fortunately for me, we had castled on opposite sides of the board, and my Queen vigorously pursued and checked his King until a position was reached for a third time, and I claimed a draw.
As he was down the exchange at the time, my opponent was puzzled that I would split the point when I my position was "better". I showed him a few attacking moves that he could make that would have swept my King off the board, and back into the box...
Ah, well, maybe next time.
Saturday, July 4, 2026
Jerome Gambit: Loyal Opposition
Even after 78 games where I faced the Jerome Gambit myself (instead of playing it), scoring 86% in the process, it still feels a bit odd to find myself playing as Black.
Knowing the attack helps me prepare the defense.
Matheus - perrypawnpusher
Wal2010's 3rd Thematic, Chess.com, 2026
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d3
5...Nf6 6.Ng5+
I have faced alternatives
6.O-O as in drewbear - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit 3 thematic, chessworld.net, 2008 (0-1, 22);
6.Nxe5+ as in mika76 - perrypawnpusher, GameKnot.com, 2008 (1-0, 32);
6.c3 as in Gary_Seven - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit 3 thematic, ChessWorld.net, 2008 (0-1, 30);
6.Bg5 as in slp011- perrypawnpusher, Chess.com, 2024 (0-1, 8); and
6.Nc3 as in LithuaniaS - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024 (0-1, 6)
6...Kg8
Or 6...Ke8 as in madmadmal - perrypawnpusher, blitz,FICS, 2009 (0-1, 53)
7.f3
Again, I have faced other lines
7.c3 as in RattyMouse - perrypawnpusher, blitz,FICS, 2009 (1-0, 31);
7.Nc3 d6 8.Nd5 h6 9.Nxf6+ Qxf6 10.h4 Qxf2 checkmate, as in eliadr - perrypawnpusher, Chess.com, 2024; and
7.Be3 as in bushytail - perrypawnpusher, blitz,FICS, 2008 (1/2-1/2, 50) and ce_1 - perrypawnpusher, Chess.com, 2024 (0-1, 25).
7...d6
After the game, Stockfish 17.1 assessed Black's position as being better by about 4 3/4 pawns.
Does that shake my faith in the Jerome?
Nah.
8.Nc3 h6 9.h4
Wow. This guy is not holding anything back.
9...hxg5 10.Bxg5 Be6
11.Nd5
An alternate idea is 11.Qd2 followed by 12.O-O-O.
11...Bxd5 12.exd5 Ne7 13.c4 c6 14.Qd2 cxd5 15.cxd5
White's hopes are with a Kingside pawn storm, but he is missing something...
17...Bb4 18.Qxb4 Qxb4+ 19.Kf1 Qxb2 20.Re1
Missing the fun 22...Rxh4.
23.Rxe2 Qb1+ 24.Kf2 Qxd3 White resigned
Friday, July 3, 2026
The Mingrelia Defence Returns (Part 2)
[continued from the previous post]
perrypawnpusher - MatheusDescia
"Wal2010's 3rd Thematic", Chess.com, 2026
7.c3
Alternately, 7.a3 Bg4 8.b4 Bd4 9.c3 Bb6 10.Nxb6 axb6 11.Bxf7+? (not the time to go Jerome-ish, this move is based on miscalculation) 11...Kxf7 12.Nxe5+ Nxe5 13.f3 Be6 14.f4 Ng4 15.f5 Qh4 16.fxe6+ Kxe6 17.d4 Qxh2 checkmate, Alby - ZoranBogojevic, 3 0 blitz, FICS, 2024
7...Be6
A slip.
An up-and-down alternative: 7...Bg4 8.b4 Bb6 9.a4 Nf6 10.a5 Nxd5 11.Bxd5 Nxb4 12.cxb4 Bd4 13.Rb1 c6 14.Bb3 0–0 15.d3 Qf6 16.Bb2 Bxb2 17.Rxb2 d5 18.exd5? (18.h3) e4 19.Rc2 Bxf3? (19...exf3) 20.Qxf3? (20.gxf3) exf3 21.g3 Qf5 22.Bc4 Qh3 White resigned, Leurette,M - Pintor,M, corr FICGS, 2020
8.d4 exd4 9.cxd4
9...Nxd4
9...Na5 was better, but not much of an improvement: 10.Be2 Bb6 11.b4 Nc6 12.Nxb6 axb6 13.d5 forking two pieces.
10.Nxd4 Bxd4 11.Qxd4
With a pawn for a piece, Black can try to hold on with 11...Nf6. However, the time control is 1 move in 3 days, so the clock is not going to save him
12.Qxg7 Bxd5 13.Qxh8
Sloppy. Instead, 13.exd5, since 13...Qf6 (to protect the Rook) is met by 14.Bb5+ Kd8 15.Bg5, pinning and winning the Queen.
13...Bxc4 14.Qxg8+ Kd7
Giving me a chance for a passer.Will it amount to anything? Do I need it to, up a Rook?
17.exd5 Kd6 18.Bf4+ Ke7 19.d6+ Kd7
The King re-establishes its blockade - temporarily.
20.Rac1 b5 21.b3 Be2 22.Re1 Re8 23.Rxc5
Eyeing c7.
23...Re4 24.Rc7+ Kd8 25.Bg5+ Ke8 26.d7+ Kf8 27.d8Q+
27...Kg7 28.Qf6+ Black resigned
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