Jerome Gambit: Hungry Hungry Hippos

I was tempted to start this post with a quote from "Sleeping in the Gutter or Getting Away?"

He who captures the Queen's Knight pawn sleeps in the gutter -- a stern warning against pawn-grabbing

He who grabs the pawn, and spirits away, lives to fight another day -- a lesson from Bill Wall's Jerome Gambit 

Then, I was reminded of the children's game, "Hungry, Hungry Hippos" and thought it humorously represented the actions of Bill's Queen in gobbling up pawns.

Wall, Bill - Benjamin

internet, 2026

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ 

Bill is 17- 0 - 1 with this move - all the more interesting when you consider that Stockfish 17.1 evaluates the position as 3 1/4 pawns better for Black. 

6...Ng6 7.Qxc5 d6 8.Qd5+ 

This Queen check shows up in Bill's games, the earliest being Wall,B - Guest4395, Microsoft Internet Gaming Zone, 2001 (1/2-1/2, 17).

Black is asked about his b-pawn.

8...Be6

8 of Bill's games saw this move 

9.Qxb7 Nf6 10.Nc3 Qe7 

White has 3 pawns for his sacrificed piece.

He needs to be careful about his Queen, and he needs to respect Black's piece advantage on the Kingside.

11.O-O Ne5 

This "kick me" move challenges White in that he will have to choose: d-pawn or f-pawn?

12.d4 

Stockfish 17.1 (33 ply) agrees.

12...Neg4 

Mounting an attack.

He might consider taking advantage of the placement of the enemy Queen: 12...Rhb8 13.Qa6 Bc4 14.Qa4 Bxf1 15.dxe5 Qxe5 16.Kxf1 Qxh2 17.Qc4+ Kg6 18.Qd3 Qh1+ 19.Ke2 Kf7

13.f3 Nh6 14. Bxh6 gxh6 

15.d5 Bd7 16.Qxc7 

The Queen's pawn-grabbing makes me nervous, but Stockfish reassures that White is slightly better.

16...Rhc8 

It is time to punish Her Majesty for playing a game of Hungry Hungry Hippos, but is Black up to the task?

17.Qa5 a6 18.Rae1 Bb5 19.Rf2 Nd7 

The Knight effectively traps its own Bishop, which Bill reacts to immediately.

20. a4 Bc4 21. Nd1 Nc5 22.Ne3 Ba2 23.Ra1 

23...Kg8 

It is interesting that the computer treats Black's Bishop's excursion as a problem of tempo, i.e. 23...Bb3 24.Nf5 Qf6 25.Qb6 Rab8 26.Qxd6 Bxa4 27.Rxa4 Nxa4 28.Qd7+ Kf8 29.Qxa4 Qxb2 30.Qxa6 Qb6 31.Qxb6 Rxb6

analysis diagram

The analysis diagram shows that White would have 4 pawns (4 connected passers!) for the exchange.

24.Rxa2 Nd7 25.Nf5 Qf6 26.Qd2  Ne5 27.Qxh6

Black resigned

The second player does not have compensation for five pawns.

Jerome Gambit: Brilliant!

I was drawn to the YouTube video by ChessFam because of its title - "Brilliant Jerome Gambit Refutation!" 

How could I not be?

The video shows a game between two players, and, indeed, it features brilliant attacking play by Black.

That is to say, Black plays Henry Joseph Blackburne's defense and counter-attack, repeats his famous game against an Amateur, and grabs the full point in 14 moves!

To this Defender, I say: Keep playing that line!

To this Attacker, I say: Find a way (or several ways) to avoid such misfortune (You could start by perusing this blog. Make use of the "Search This Blog" feature on the right side.) 

Jerome Gambit: Blackburne vs Whistler

 

Some information for Defenders:

A look at The Database, for a comparison between the Blackburne defense - 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5+ 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6 - and the Whistler defense - 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5+ 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7 - when White then captures the Rook on h8 with 8.Qxh8, shows that White scores 77% with the former line, but only 51% for the latter.

Books that only show Blackburne's violent crush of the Jerome Gambit do readers a disfavor, leading defenders to a weaker line of play, desplite The Black Death's success.

The much-less-known Whistler defense should be the unbiased choice. (It is the choice of Stockfish 17.1, by a wide margin.)

Still: play what you know, what you are comfortable with, what you have had success with.

And feel free to send me your games, while you are at it.

Jerome Gambit: Attack and Checkmate the Enemy King

Attack and checkmate the enemy King.

In a 1-minute game, do it quickly.

angelcamina - okramkomljenovic

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2026

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

7.Qxe5 Nf6 

The Database has 35 games by angelcamina with this position, with White scoring 80%. 

Instead, Black had Blackburne's (7...d6) or Whistler's (7...Qe7) defenses. 

8.Qxc5 Nxe4 9.Qd5+ Kg7 10.Qd4+

Not 10.Qxe4 because of 10...Re8, pinning and winning White's Queen. 

10...Kh6

Better: 10...Nf6.

Black's King is in serious danger.

11.d3+ g5 12.h4 Nd6 13.hxg5+ 

Opening the h-file for the Rook: he is going after the King, not the Queen.

13...Kg6 14.Rh6+ Kf7 

15.Qf6+ 

This is a 1-minute game. With a longer time control, White can explore 15.g6+.

15...Ke8 

Sure, save the King.

Instead, after 15...Qxf6 16.Rxf6+ Kg7, White is up two pawns and will grind Black down. Would that stress the first player's clock? Unclear.

16.Qxh8+ Kf7 17.Rxh7+ Black resigned

Checkmate is coming in a few moves.

Jerome Gambit: A Lot of Trash (Part 2)

                                              

[continued from the previous post]

As I mentioned (see "Jerome Gambit: A Lot of Trash (Part 1)"), in playing the following game against a chess-playing bot at Chess.com, I was not prepared for a large helping of rude "trash talk". 

I was somewhat put off by the rudeness of the bot, and my play was inconsistent - no doubt, an intended outcome.

Samantha bot's comments are in blue. My notes are in red.

perrypawnpusher - Samantha bot

Chess.com, 2025

25.Nxg4 

Routine.

Already, White has 25.Rf6+, leading to checkmate or the win of Black's Queen.

25...Rb6 

Black takes awkward steps to remedy his poor development.

26.e8=Q+

A chance coronation for your many follies.

Samantha bot has got it right: instead, 26.Rf6+ was strong.

26...Rxe8 27.Nf6

This is chess. Not a truckstop vending machine. Please play with purpose.

27...Kf7

Stronger, but leading to a lost endgeme, is 27...Rxf6 28.exf6 Rxe2 29.fxg7 Kxg7 30.Rf2 

28.Qh5+ 

“When you see a good move, look for a better one.” — Emanuel Lasker

28.Nh5

28...Qg6 29.Nxe8+ Kxe8

Consider yourself lucky that you're playing against an aspiring MENSA candidate.

30.Qxg6+

Nice capture... did you go to public school?

Once again, a "Fine" move; from "Jerome Gambit: A Bear (Part 2)"

As I related 16 years ago, in Blackburned! #1

My first chess book was Reuben Fine's Chess the Easy Way – available in paperback these days, used, for under $5.00 [currently, about $10.00; also at the Internet Archive] – and it gave me the idea (rightly or wrongly) that much of chess can be boiled down to: win a pawn, exchange everything else, win the K + P vs K endgame...  

Here, the exchange is well-motivated and simplifies to an endgame with an exchange + 2 pawn advantage.

30...hxg6 

31.Rf2 b4 32.Rcf1 Be6 33.Rf6

You must be new here.

33...Bf5 34.Rxb6 cxb6 

Chess the Easy Way.

35.cxb4 a5

Would you please stop slouching? This isn't a Starbucks.

36.bxa5 Kd8 37.axb6 Bd3 38.Rc1 Bb5 39.b7 

The game is effectively over, but the bot will not resign.

39...Kd7 40.b8=Q Bc4 41.Qd6+

Once again, I've fallen victim to daydreaming about my label maker.

41...Ke8

With a resting heart rate of 180 bpm, I see moves that you haven't even thought of yet.

42.e6

You move your pieces with the conviction of a toddler on a chocolate-smudged iPad. No offense.

42...g5 43.Qd7+ Kf8 44.Qf7# 

Yeah. Well. I let you win!

Me and the Jerome Gambit, lest you forget.

Jerome Gambit: A Lot of Trash (Part 1)

I know that some critics view the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) as "trash", but I was not prepared in the following game, against a chess-playing bot at Chess.com, to receive a large helping of "trash talk". 

Samantha bot's comments are in blue. My notes are in red.

I admit, I was put off by the rudeness of the bot, and my play was inconsistent - no doubt, an intended outcome.

Why I continue to play against bots is still a puzzlement...

perrypawnpusher - Samantha bot

Chess.com, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 

...High-School Valedictorian Emeritus, Class President In Aeternum, Co-Chair of the Co-Chair Electorate, and Future Summa Cum Laude of Life. 

2...Nc6

...And you are? 

3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

Hmmm. Cute.

4...Kxf7

Adding to my bonafides. 

5.Nxe5+ 

You play just like my purebred labrador retriever. No offense. 

5...Nxe5

Whoever said winning isn't everything hasn't won anything.

6.Qh5+ Kf8 

7.Qxe5

You get an A for effort but an F for execution.

7...Bb6 8.Nc3 

Or 8.d3 as in perrypawnpusher - Urumpel, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 23); 

or 8.d4 as in perrypawnpusher - Compani, blitz, FICS, 2017 (1-0, 60)

8...Qf6 

At least pretend like you know what you're doing.

9.Qg3 Ne7 10.O-O Bd4 11.Na4 

More to the point is 11.Nb5, when Black has a slight advantage.

11...b5

I suppose average people must find meaning in life's little moments.

12.Nc3 a6 

13.Nd1 

This Knight has a poor sense of direction; better is 13.Ne2.

13...g5 14.c3 Be5

By all means, move at a glacial pace. You know how that thrills me. 

15.Qe3 d5 16.d4 Bf4 17.Qe2 Qg6

I'm not Type A. I'm Type A+.

18.e5 

18...Bxc1 19.Rxc1 Rb8 20.f4

Impressively unimpressive.

20...g4 21.f5 

The pawn advance is a bit risky, but, with my Rook and the enemy King on the same file, I want to open the f-file.

21...Qh6 

Attacking the unprotected Rook on c1, but this is short-sighted, and turns over the advantage to me.

22.Ne3 Kg7 

Out of the frying pan and into the fire. Jumping into a fork is not a good idea.

23.f6+ Kg6

I'm sure all of your buddies from your local bowling league are very proud.

24.fxe7

I'd suggest breathing through your nose rather than your mouth. You might circulate more oxygen to your brain that way.

24...Qg7 

Black's game is spiraling out of control.

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: It's A Bear (Part 3)

                                                         

[continued from the previous post]

Here is the finish to my game with Bear Bot at Chess.com.

perrypawnpusher - The Bear Bot

Chess.com, 20216

Surely I can beat the bot...

37...Kd4 38.Rc8 Bc5 39.g4 

Another pawn joins in the fun!

Uh, 39.Rxc5 Kxc5 40.e7 was enough. 

39...Kxc4+ 40.Kg2 Kd4 41.g5 

See the second note to move 39.

41...Kxd5 42.Rxc5+ 

Finally.

42...Kd6 

Catch the passer!

43.Re5 

A distraction?

43...Kxe5 

Yes!

44.e7 Kf5 45.e8=Q Kxg5 

All that is left is for me to avoid stalemate.

46.Qf8 b5 47.Kf3 a5 48.Ke4 Kg6 49.Kd5 Kh5 50.Qg8 Kh6 51.Ke5 b4 52.Kf5 Kh5 53.Qg5 checkmate

As Samuel Johnson (who did not play chess) never said "Sir, the Jerome Gambit. It is not done well; but you are surprised to find it done at all."