Jerome Gambit: A Whole Lot of Experience

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angelcamina has almost 1,650 games in The Database.

Play against him, and you play against a whole lot of experience.

angelcamina - Winter-123

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2026

1. e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit

According to The Database, angelcamina has played this line 339 times, scoring 61%.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 

7...Bb4 8.dxe5 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Nxe4 

10.Qd5+ 

Interesting, but not as strong as the text, was 10.Qf3+ as in angelcamina - puffy04, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019 (1-0, 20)

10...Kf8 

Or 10...Ke8 11.Qxe4 Qe7 (11...Rf8 12.O-O Qh4 13.Ba3 (13.g3 Qxe4 White resigned, angelcamina - Gregigras, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2026) 13...Rf4 14.Qe3 c6 15.Rad1 Qg4 16.Bd6 Re4 17.Qg3 Qxg3 18.hxg3 b5 19.Rd4 Rxd4 20.cxd4 Bb7 21.f4 Kf7 22.g4 Ke6 23.Kf2 a5 24.Ke3 a4 25.Ke4 g6 26.f5+ gxf5+ 27.gxf5+ Kf7 28.Ke3 Re8 29.Rh1 Ba6 30.Rxh7+ Kg8 31.Rxd7 b4 32.Ra7 Bb5 33.f6 Kh8 Black won on time, angelcamina - ottobitunbyte, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020) 12.O-O d6 13.Ba3 (13.f4 dxe5 14.fxe5 Be6 15.a4 Rd8 16.Ba3 Qg5 17.Rf3 Bd5 18.Qf5 Qd2 19.Rd3 Qxg2 checkmate, angelcamina - HasanTastic, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024) 13...Rf8 14.Rfe1 Bf5 15.Qe3 Kd7 16.exd6 Qxe3 17.Rxe3 Rae8 18.dxc7 Rxe3 19.fxe3 Rc8 20.Rd1+ Kxc7 21.Rd2 Kb8 22.Bd6+ Ka8 23.Be5 Be6 24.a3 g6 25.Bf6 Rf8 26.Rd8+ Rxd8 27.Bxd8 a6 28.Bb6 Bf5 29.c4 Bxc2 30.Kf2 Bb3 31.c5 Kb8 32.Kf3 Kc8 33.Kf4 Kd7 34.g4 Kc6 35.h4 Kb5 36.e4 Ka4 37.e5 Kxa3 38.Kg5 a5 39.Kf6 a4 40.e6 Bxe6 41.Kxe6 Kb4 42.Bd8 a3 43.Bf6 a2 Black won on time, angelcamina - outis, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019; 

Or 10...Ke7 11.Qxe4 Rf8 (11...d6 12.Bg5+ Kd7 13.Bxd8 Kxd8 14.exd6 Re8 15.O-O-O Rxe4 16.dxc7+ Kxc7 17.f3 Re2 18.Rhe1 Rxg2 19.Re7+ Kb6 20.Rd6+ Kc5 21.Rd4 Bf5 22.Re5+ Kc6 23.Rxf5 Rxh2 24.Rg4 Rh1+ 25.Kb2 Rd8 26.Rxg7 Rd7 27.Rf6+ Rd6 28.Rxd6+ Kxd6 29.Rxb7 Rh5 30.Rxa7 h6 31.Rh7 Rb5+ 32.Kc1 h5 33.c4 Ke6 34.cxb5 Kd6 35.Rxh5 Kc7 36.a4 Kb6 37.a5+ Kxa5 38.c4 Kb6 39.Rh6+ Ka5 40.b6 Ka6 41.c5 Kb7 42.Rh7+ Kb8 43.c6 Ka8 44.Rh8 checkmate, angelcamina - adriannez, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019) 12.Bg5+ Rf6 13.exf6+ Kf7 14.Qd5+ Kf8 15.fxg7+ Kxg7 16.Bxd8 Black resigned, angelcamina - Davide313, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023 

11.Qxe4 d5 

Alternately, 11...d6 12.Ba3 Qg5 (12...Be6 13.O-O-O Bf7 14.exd6 cxd6 15.Bxd6+ Kg8 16.Rhe1 Qg5+ 17.Bf4 Qa5 18.Rd7 Qxc3 19.Rxf7 Kxf7 20.Qe6+ Kf8 21.Bd6 checkmate, angelcamina - apropes, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019) 13.exd6 cxd6 14.Bxd6+ Kg8 15.O-O Bf5 16.Qd5+ Be6 17.Qxe6 checkmate, angelcamina - Master1615, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019;

Or 11...Kf7 12.Qd5+ Kf8 13.O-O Qe7 14.a4 c6 15.Qf3+ Qf7 16.Qe3 Ke7 17.Ba3+ Kd8 18.Rad1 Kc7 19.Bd6+ Kd8 20.e6 dxe6 21.Bb4+ Kc7 22.Qe5+ Kb6 23.Qa5 checkmate, angelcamina - Keithman3, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019;

Or 11...Qe7 12.a4 d6 13.Ba3 Qxe5 14.Qxe5 c5 15.Qxd6+ Kg8 16.Qd5+ Kf8 17.Bxc5+ Ke8 18.O-O-O Be6 19.Qxe6 checkmate, angelcamina - Yaroslav_Syzran, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020;

Or 11...Qh4 12.Qxh4 Black resigned, angelcamina - AmolTyagi, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024.

12.Ba3+ Black resigned 

(As a footnote, we have the alternative, 12.exd6 Qxd6 13.O-O as in angelcamina - amda, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020)

Black still has time on his clock, and is only one (isolated, doubled) pawn down, but his King is a target, while White's King will be tucked away after it castles - not an encouraging situation. 

The Bishops-of-opposite colors might lend some drawishness to an endgame position, but the game will probably not last that long. 

Jerome Gambit: A Club Player's Opening (Part 2)

                                                       

[continued from the previous post]

keegers2 - Tagkinho

10 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2026

Okay, Readers, so we are all sitting at our computers following the game, without a ticking clock and no rating points at stake - What is Black's threat? 

12...Bg4 

I am not sure what this move is about.

Could Black be hoping to provoke 13.h3, to answer with 13...h5, because 14.hxg4 hxg4 would give Black's Rook the deadly h-file?

Oh, yeah - what is really going on is that Black has 12...Nh5 when White's Queen is a goner. (Readers saw that, right?)

Remember, though, that this is a 10-minute game, and the clock can affect the calculations.

13.Re1

Speaking of files, White puts his Rook on the e-file, targeting an enemy pawn and Queen.

13...Bf5 

Black moves his Bishop to a safe square, renewing his threat to the Queen.

14.d3 

White's Queen can now escape to g5, if the enemy Knight threatens.

Humorous would be 14.h3, to answer 14...Nh5 with 15.Qh2.

14...Rd8

The focus of play shifts away from the White Queen and to the d3 pawn.

15.dxe4 Bxe4 

Black executes the self-pin of his Bishop, as the piece can not be kicked by f2-f3, because the other Bishop pins that pawn.

However, keegers2 sees much further, as his play shows.

16.Bg5 h6 17.Rxe4 

Nice.

17...Nxe4 

Hoping to capture White's Queen, if White captures his Queen first - but that first capture will come with check.

Instead, 17...hxg5 18.Rxe7 Bxe7 would leave him with a Rook and a Bishop against a Queen and one or two pawns - still not enough compensation.

18.Bxe7+ Kxe7 19.Nxe4 Rhf8 

Black activates his last piece, but it is too late. His King is vulnerable and checkmate is approaching.

20.Nxc5 Rd5 

 

Nothing helps, although this has a time-pressure feel to it.

21.Re1+ Kf7 22.Qxc7+ Kg8 23.h3 

White is also subject to the clock, and here he takes a safety step against a possible back rank checkmate.

23...Rd2 24.f3 Rxc2 25.Re7 Rc1+ 26.Kh2 

26...Rxf3 

What's left?

27.gxf3 Rc2+ 28.Kg3 Rxb2 29.Qc8 checkmate

Quite successful for a first time outing with the Jerome Gambit!

Jerome Gambit: A Club Player's Opening (Part 1)

I have been looking over my old (30+ years) score sheets, and checking out the openings they contain.

I played the Four Knights Game, and the Reversed Four Knights Game.

Against the Sicilian Defense, I did not risk facing the Najdorf or Dragon - I played the Wing Gambit 2.b4, if I were feeling adventurous, and the Snyder, 2.b3, if I were feeling cautious.

In fact, I played 2.b3 against both the Caro Kann and the French Defenses, as well, regardless of how I was feeling.

Likewise, against 1.e4 I played the French Defense, if I were feeling cautious, or the Latvian Gambit, if I were feeling adventurous.

All of the games were examples of a club player, choosing a club player's opening, in a club tournament.

None of the games were played at bullet, blitz, or even rapid, time controls. They were slow games.

I make these distinctions because today some adventurous club players dive into blitz games with their opening weapons, and use them to help navigate the dangers of the whirlpools they encounter. 

So - the following game is one such example. 

The weapon is the Jerome Gambit.

The game is not mine, but by a chessfriend who is willing to try the opening.

(The comments are mine.)

[If you insist on looking for grandmaster Jerome Gambit games, use the Search box on the right for "Hambleton" or "Nakamura".]

keegers2 - Tagkinho

10 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2026

1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4... Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

The lichess.com annotation - by Stockfish 19? - is that Black's move is a mistake; that 6...Ke6 is best (and the example it gives as an alternative is that of the "Annoying Defense").

I suppose that if I were rated 3300+, like Stockfish, I would be critical of 6...g6, too, although, through human eyes, it is a perfectly fine response to White's check - as are 6...Ke6, 6...Kf8, and 6...Ng6.

7.Qxe5 Qe7

 Whistler's defense, quite strong and suggesting that Black is familiar with the Jerome Gambit.

8.Qd5+

Suggesting that White is familiar with Yury V. Bukayev's explorations of this move in "Anatoly Karpov & Jerome Gambit (Parts 7 & 8) "and "JG: The New in Its Opening Theory, in Its Psychology (Part 16)" 

Good for keegers2!

8...Kf8 9.Nc3 

Here, the computer suggests the novelty 9.b4, which I do not understand at all. In fact, the whole line of  play it gives is above my club player head: 9....Bxb4 10.O-O [Um, sure, but doesn't the dark square Bishop go to b2, now, instead?] h5 [Development, anybody?] 11.Qb3 [Preparing for Nc3, without having to worry about doubled pawns if ...Bxc3, right?] b6 [Staying away from 11...Qxe4 12.Nc3 Bxc3 13.Qxc3 Rh7 14.Qxc7 Qc6, right?] 12.d4 Ba6 13.c4 c5 

Fortunately, it wasn't me playing White.

10.Qd3 

10...d5

Black plays a thematic move - and the computer frowns.

"Ke8 was best" it opines. 

I'm not even going to argue; Tagkinho's move looks fine to me.

11.O-O

Safety - not pawn-grabbing (11.Nxd5 Nxd5 12.Qxd5) - first.

11...dxe4 12.Qg3 

About White's last move, to quote the robot in the 1960s TV series "Lost in Space": Danger, Will Robinson!

Okay, so keegers2 is playing the White pieces, not Will Robinson, but you get my point, right?

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Game Over

I have expressed it a number of ways, but the fact is that White wins in the Jerome Gambit only if he receives some help from his opponent (or his opponent's clock).

The first player goes ahead, making strong, thematic moves - until something in the defense cracks.

If it doesn't?

Then it's "Game Over" for White.

perrypawnpusher - Macavity474

"Italian Game" tournament, Chess.com, 2026

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

Against this retreat, The Database shows that I have had 70 games, scoring 71%.

7.Qxe5 d5 8.d4 

Not quite as good: 8.Qxd5 Qxd5 9.exd5 Bd6 10.d4 Nf6 11.c4 Be7 12.Nc3 a5 13.Bf4 Bg4 14.f3 Ra6 15.fxg4 Nxg4 16.O-O Rb6 17.Bxc7+ Rf6 18.Rxf6+ Bxf6 19.d6 Rg8 20.d7 Bxd4+ 21.Kf1 Ke7 22.d8=Q+ Rxd8 23.Bxd8+ Kxd8 24.Re1 Bxc3 25.bxc3 a4 26.h3 Nf6 27.Re5 Kd7 28.Ra5 b6 29.Rxa4 Kc8 30.Ra7 Kb8 31.Rxg7 b5 32.cxb5 Ne4 33.Rxh7 Nd6 34.a4 Ne4 35.g4 Nxc3 36.g5 Nxa4 37.g6 Nc5 38.g7 Ka7 39.g8=Q+ Kb6 40.Rh6+ Kxb5 41.Rh5 Ka5 42.Rxc5+ Kb6 43.Qc4 Kb7 44.Qb4+ Ka6 45.Ra5 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - Jaime Jaquez Jr. Bot, Chess.com, 2024 

8...Bb6 9.Bg5 Qd6 10.exd5 Qxe5+ 11.dxe5 

White has 3 pawns for a piece (and a beautiful pawn center), but Stockfish 16.1 is not impressed, seeing Black (30 ply) as almost 3 pawns better.

11...Bd4 12.c3 Bxe5 13.Nd2 Bf5 14.Nc4 Bf6 15.Bf4 Re8+ 16.Ne3 Be5

17.O-O 

The computer's suggestion of 17.Bxe5 Rxe5 18.0-0-0 is a bit stronger.

17...Bxf4 18.Nxf5 Nf6 

Black no longer has the two Bishops, but he is still clearly better.

19.Rad1 Kf7 20.g3 Bd6 21.c4 Re2 

When Black's last piece is developed, it is definitely "Game Over" for me.

22.Rb1 Rhe8 23.Nd4 R2e4 24.Nb5 Rxc4 25.Nxa7 Rb4 White Resigns

One possible continuation shows how White has nothing in return for his sacrificed material: 26.a4 Rxa4 27.Nb5 Ra5 28.Nc3 Nxd5 29.Rfd1 Nf6 when Black is simply, if quietly, a piece up.

(Fortunately, the top 3 players of each group of 5 will advance to the next round of the "Italian Game" tournament, so even if I lose my final 2 games, there will still be a Round 3 for me.) 

AI, Revisited

 

About 2 1/2 years ago, in "Jerome Gambit: AI", I asked the artificial intelligence entity Chat GPT about the Jerome Gambit.

Shortly thereafter, in "Jerome Gambit: AI Once More", I inquired about the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

As a further post, "Jerome Gambit: Has ChatGPT Learned Anything?" suggested, the answer was not much.

Still, in time I was struck by the AI's humor, as related in "ChatGPT Strikes Again!" featuring a made-up game where Bobby Fischer plays the Abrahams Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+) and checkmates in 6 moves.

Today, I asked (the much improved) Chat GPT about the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit, and it responded

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit is an eccentric counter to Black's Blackburne Shilling Gambit:

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+!?

Black has just played 3...Nd4, hoping White grabs the apparent free pawn with 4.Nxe5?, when 4...Qg5 creates dangerous threats. Instead, White plays the Jerome-style bishop sacrifice 4.Bxf7+, forcing Black's king into the open. This is distinct from both the ordinary Blackburne Shilling Gambit and the regular Jerome Gambit.

What White is trying to do

After the usual continuation:

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+

White has sacrificed a bishop to:

remove Black's f7-pawn;

drag the king into the open;

recover the e5-pawn with check;

build an attack with c3, d4, Qh5+, Rf1, and rapid development.

One particularly wild line is:

5...Ke6 6.c3 Kxe5 7.cxd4+

White recovers Black's advanced knight, leaving an unusual position with an exposed king. Some versions can approach equality, but the tactics are highly move-dependent.

Is it any good?

Objectively, not really. After sensible defence, Black generally keeps an advantage, often holding a piece for two pawns. For example:

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7 6.c3 Nc6 7.Nxc6+ dxc6

Black should consolidate with moves such as ...Kf7, exchange queens when possible, and avoid greedily marching the king through the centre.

At club level, however, it has practical value:

Setting                 Verdict

Classical tournament game Too risky for regular use

Rapid Playable as an                                                                                           occasional surprise

Blitz or bullet         Dangerous and                                                                                           entertaining

Against prepared opposition Usually favourable                                                                                    for Black

Its principal weapon is surprise, not theoretical soundness. White's moves are natural and forcing, while Black may have to find several unintuitive king retreats. The opening has also appeared only rarely, so its name and theory are less standardized than those of mainstream gambits. 

Here is an instructive online club game, 

HenriDepraz - sds_slothv2

2+1, Lichess, 2025:

1.e4            e5

2.Nf3         Nc6

3.Bc4         Nd4

4.Bxf7+     Kxf7

5.Nxe5+    Ke7

6.c3            Nc6

7.Nxc6+    dxc6

8.d4           Nf6?!

9.e5            Nd5

10.Bg5+     Nf6

11.exf6+     gxf6

12.Qe2+

Black emerged from the opening a piece for two pawns and was objectively better, but 8...Nf6?! allowed White to open more lines against the king. The game continued with Black missing chances to simplify:

12...            Kf7

13.Bh4       Be6

14.Nd2       Qd7

15.O-O       Be6

16.Nd2       Bf7

17.Qg4+     Kf8?

18.Bh6+     Ke8

19.Rfe1+    Be7

20.Ne4        Rg8

21.Nxf6#

The recorded score ends in checkmate. The instructive point is not that White's sacrifice was sound: Black obtained the better position but failed to neutralize the attack. On moves 14 and 17, exchanging queens or blocking with ...Bg6 would have made Black's extra material much more important. 

The practical rule is simple: play it for tactical fun and surprise value, but do not build a serious White repertoire around it.

Abrahams Jerome Gambit: A Quick Look

 

A quick look at the Abrahams Jerome Gambit, with the help of The Database and Stockfish 16.1, suggests that 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ should be answered by 4...Kf8, as it is the only move that gives Black a clear advantage.

The move 4...Kf8 appears in only 49% of the games (after 4.Qh5+) in The Database. Stockfish 16.1 (32 ply) evaluates Black as being almost 2 1/2 pawns better. 

Giving Black a small advantage (1/2 a pawn) is 4...Ke6, which appears in 13% of the 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ games.

Then follows 4...g6, which is seen in the second most games - 36% of them - but leads to a position that is evaluated as even.

Both 4...Ke7 and 4...Kf6, relatively rarely played, lead to advantage for White, each more 3 pawns.

What this means is that in the Abrahams Jerome Gambit, Black has a clearly best line of play in 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+Kf8.

However, if The Database is reflective of the club play in the larger world, White can still play the Abrahams, knowing that the defender will choose the strongest 4th move less than half of the time.

(There is one game left to be completed before players can move on to the next round in the BISHOP'S OPENING CUP 2025 tournament. The good news for impatient people is that one side is a Queen ahead; the bad news is that the time control is 1 move in 10 days.) 

Tilt

 

I stumbled across Shawn Bennett's short piece on The House of Staunton website, "Chess Trolling: The Art of Playing Bad Chess Openings to Tilt Your Opponent" and had to smile.

The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and I and our fellow travelers had been found out!

Bennett explains

The form of trolling we will look at today takes place on the board. It is legal and often carried out in a more lighthearted spirit. Friendly high-level players [or not-so-high-level - Rick] may joke with each other by playing theoretically ridiculous openings...

Playing lesser-known openings is a good tactic in chess...

However, trolling your opponent requires going beyond coming up with an unexpected French Defense response. These chess openings may be unknown and completely crazy, or playable but highly dubious...

His cautions are spot on

The risks of playing a bad opening are pretty clear. If your opponent keeps their head, you’re just in a worse position. If you’re playing something untheoretical on purpose, you better have a good plan in place. In some cases, something suboptimal but trappy [like the Grob] can be very successful at the beginner and intermediate levels. 

Another lesson we learn from this kind of play is that the opening is not always as important as we think it is. Playing silly opening moves can lead to a losing position, but if your opponent fails to capitalize, the game may quickly even out. More than trolling your opponent, what a weird opening does is challenge them to calculate. Beyond memorization, do they understand opening theory enough to claim the initiative?

Personally, I think it's worth trying an occasional weird opening move. It makes for interesting games and creates a new challenge for players. 

 You can check out more of Bennett's wisdom.