Only One Problem...

 

Well, I found out about "duck chess".

I already knew about "bughouse chess".

I was remembering the Stafford Gambit, the favorite of a chessfriend.

Yes, I was back at that very informal chess club today.

Only one problem: nobody else was there.

Well, actually, the room was completely full - of serious non-chessplayers, doing serious non-chess things.

I waited, but the chess guys didn't show up. Maybe they knew something that I didn't.

Kind of like offering the Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, and having your opponent decline with 4...Kf8.

Oh, well, maybe next time.

Cheapo

 

The title of today's post is a word of caution to defenders - to beware of what the AI Copilot defines

In chess, a “cheapo” is slang for a simple, often crude tactical trick or swindle — usually a primitive trap — set to catch an inattentive, overconfident, or time‑pressed opponent, and sometimes to swindle a win or draw from a losing position 

So, I guess, I could also have used the word swindle.

Anyhow, the game I am going to share is a relative of the Jerome Gambit - the Noa or Monck Gambit. So far, I am 5 - 2 - 2 with it.

perrypawnpusher - NN 

Chess.com, 2026

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Nf6 

The Two Knights defense.

4.Nc3 

Can I get a transposition to the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit with 4...Bc5 5.Bx7+ ?

4...Nxe4 

Not today.

Very well, you say No and I say Noa. 

5.Bxf7+ 

The Noa Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe4 d5 7.Neg5+ Kg8 

8.d4 Bg4 9.h3 Bxf3 

After the game, I checked with lichess.org. It has 584 games with this position, with about 2/3 of them having the recapture I chose - with the Queen.

10.Qxf3 

I played this move because it has what the guys at the club used to call "cheapo potential".

10...Qf6 

Instead, 10...Qd7 keeps the game even.

11.Qxd5+ 

Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Thin Ice (Part 2)

                                                            

                                              [continued from the previous post]

                                                 

13.Re1

Later, Bill tried 13.Qe2 as in Wall,B - Mart, SparkChess 2025 (0-1, 23)

13...Ned7 14.Qd2 Rf8 15.Rad1 Ne5 16.Qg5 Be6 17.f4 Nf7 

Both sides have been shuffling their pieces around, perhaps searching for a plan.

18.Qg3 Nh8 

A sturdier defensive move would be, 18...Kh8, unpinning the g-pawn, but the text seems fine, at first. 

19.f5 Bd7 

It was time to return some of the sacrificed material, for example, and even exchange Queens: 19...Rae8 20.fxe6 Ng6 21.Rf1 Nxe4 22.Qg4 Nxc3 23.Bxc3 d5 24.Rxf8+ Rxf8 25.Qd4 Qb6 when White would only have an edge.

The text allows White a strong shot.

20.Nd5 

Hitting Black's vulnerable Knight at f6 again.

20...Kf7 

Not 20...Nxd5 21.Qxg7 checkmate 

21.Qh4 

Overwhelming the defense. 

21...Nxd5

Stockfish's idea 21...Qxd5 shows how dire the defender's position is. 

22.exd5 Qxc2 

Oh, well.

23.Re7+ Kg8 24.Rxg7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Thin Ice (Part 1)

There are dangers for both players in the Jerome Gambit.

In the following game, Bill Wall shows his experience in ice walking.

Wall, Bill - Guest564938

PlayChess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qe7 

Instead of moving either the Bishop or Knight, or protecting them with the d-pawn, Black uses his Queen. This defense was most recently looked at in the post "Jerome Gambit: Make Haste, Slowly".

Notice that Black's Knight is between his Queen and White's e-pawn, making things different than in Whistler's defense.

7.dxc5 

Stockfish 16.1 (30 ply) considers this move about 1/4 of a pawn better than castling, but White is still walking on thin ice.

7...Qxc5 8.O-O 

8.Be3 is about an equivalent choice, and Bill has tried it a few times - followed quickly by castling, i.e.: 8...Qe7 9.O-O as in Wall,B - Guest457006, PlayChess.com, 2018 (1-0, 30);  Wall,B - Guest3172540, PlayChess.com, 2019 (1-0, 27); and Wall,B - Ahmad, SparkChess, 2026 (1-0, 32). 

8...Nf6 

Or 8...d6 9.Be3 Qc6 as in Wall,B - Guest927010, PlayChess.com 2017 (1-0, 47) 

9.Be3 

Again, similarly, 9.Nc3 Rf8 10.Be3 as in Wall,B - Pachuco, internet, 2023 (1-0, 19).

9...Qc6 

Black still has choices as to where to place his Queen:

9...Qb5 as in Wall,B - Guest3992982, PlayChess.com, 2015 (1-0, 23) and Wall,B - Guest11373407, PlayChess.com, 2019 (1/2-1/2, 23); or

9...Qd6 as in Wall,B - Youi, lichess.org, 2017 (1-0, 24); or

9...Qc4 as in Wall,B - Guest8692633, PlayChess.com, 2018 (1/2-1/2, 43). 

10.Bd4 d6 

11.f3 

The pawn could also take two steps, 11.Nc3 Re8 12.f4 as in Wall,B - NN, lichess.org 2016 (0-1, 30) 

11...Re8 12.Nc3 Kg8 

Black has castled-by-hand. He is still better - but the game is only half over.

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Advancing

 

So far, I am 5 - 0 in the second round of "The Italian Game" tournament at Chess.com. Even with three games still unfinished, this is good enough to allow me, when the round ends, to advance to the third round.

Two of those wins are with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+): #1 & #2.

I am hopeful for a positive outcome in the remaining, unfished, Jerome Gambit game.

In the mean time, there is one game left to be completed in the third round of the "Bishop's Opening Cup 2025" at Chess.com., with 92 players still competing.

I have not yet had the opportunity to play an Abraham's Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+), but I am ready.

In the "Not only the Italians plays the Italian game" tournament at Chess.com, there are two more games to be completed before I can move into the third round. I am 4 - 0 with the Jerome Gambit, and 1 - 1 with the Noa Gambit. 

Jerome Gambit: Busy, Busy, Busy

The abrupt ending to the following game was a gentle reminder that I am not the center of the universe.

 

perrypawnpusher - WidowKoenig

Italian Game tournament, Chess.ciom, 2026

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Nf3+ 

9.gxf3 

Or 9.Kf1 Qh4 (9...Kc6 10.Qd5+ Kb6 11.Qb3+ Kc6 12.Qxf3 Qf6 13.e5+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - igormsp, blitz, FICS, 2011) 10. Qd5+ Ke7 11. Qxc5+ Kd8 12. Qf8 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - rheapennata, blitz, FICS, 2012 

9...Qh4+ 10.Kd1 Qf2 

As I noted in "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter III"

The American Chess Journal editor William Hallock assessed Black as better after this move. Not so. Black probably has the edge, though, after 10...Ne7 11.Qe5+ Kc6 although 12.b4!? would keep things interesting.

The Database has only one example of that recommended line, Littleplayerparis - Bepis, casual blitz, lichess.org, 2021, but it was a win by White in 26 moves.

11.Qe5+ Kc6 12.Qd5+ Kb6 13.Qb3+ Kc6 

Or 13...Ka6 14.Qa4+ Kb6 15.Qb3+ Kc6 16.Qd5+ Kb5 17.Nc3+ Ka6 18.Qc4+ Kb6 19.Qb5 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - Sir Osis of the Liver, Jerome Gambit 3 thematic tournaement, ChessWorld.net 2008 

14.Qd5+ 

White won on time

The outcome is unfortunate, as I had not found anything better for White than repeating moves 14...Kb6 15.Qb3+ Kc6 16.Qd5+, with a draw.

I had to remind myself that people have busy lives, and defending against the Jerome Gambit is rarely the most important thing in them.

Jerome Gambit: Comon Themes

If you play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ ) often enough - and Bill has 1,455 games in The Database - common themes emerge, time and again; and being aware of them can guide White's play.

Wall, Bill - singh

SparkChess, 2026

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ 

6...Kf8 

The Jerome Defense to the Jerome Gambit.

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Qf6 

9.Nc3 Ne7 

Or 9...a6 as in Wall,B - GoldCoinCollector, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 17); 

Or 9...Be6 as in Wall,B - Faust, internet, 2023 (1-0, 24) 

Or 9...c6 10.O-O Ne7 11.Kh1 Qg6 12.Qf4+ Qf6 13.Qg3 Qg6 14.Na4  Qxg3 15.fxg3+ Ke8 16.Nxc5 dxc5 17.b3 Rf8 18.Bb2 Rxf1+ 19.Rxf1 g6 20.h3  Be6 21.d3 a5 22.Bg7 Bf7 23.g4 a4 24.Rf2 axb3 25.axb3 Ra1+ 26.Bxa1 Black resigned, Wall,B - JayDeep, internet, 2024 

10.O-O Be6 

Or 10...a6 as in Wall,B - Akela, internet, 2022 (1-0, 34) 

11.d3 h6 

Or 11...Kf7 as in Wall,B - Josti, PlayChess.com, 2013, (1-0, 26). 

Now the action moves to the Queenside.

12.Be3 Bb4 13.Nb5 Ba5 

14.b4 a6 15.Nxd6 Bxb4 16.Nxb7 

16...Bd6 17.f4 

Thematic move for White: the Rook on the f-file targets the enemy King.

17...Qb2 18.Nxd6 cxd6 19.f5 Bxa2 20.Qxd6 Qxc2 21.f6 Black resigned

Danger along the f-file - a common Jerome Gambit theme.