For what it's worth - and for me, it has been about 18 years worth - yesterday's blog post was #5,100.
That's a lot of Jerome Gambit - and related openings.
It all began with "Welcome!"
Many thanks to my chessfriends who have contributed much content and a lot of support.
Also, many thanks to Readers - especially those who have written to provide me with feedback.
The story of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's opening continues to be written.
If you wondered what SkillerEP's recent Jerome Gambit game was about - here it is.
SkillerEP - Inocencio
3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2026
This game was presented in the video "The jerome gambit isn't so easily beat - YouTube". My thanks to SkillerEP for the exposition. (Also see "Jerome Gambit: Not So Easily Beat.)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6
It is okay for the Knight to go to g6 on the 6th move, in response to White's Queen's check, but the retreat now is not to be recommended. (The Database has 268 games with this position. White scores 70%.)
8.f5+
Tempting, although the simple 8.Qxc5 would lead to an even game.
8...Kf7
This is the mistake that turns the game around, and rewards the first player's aggression.
Instead, 8...Ke7 9.fxg6 d6 10.e5 Qe8 11.d4 Bb6 12.Qg5+ Kd7 13.gxh7 was better for Black, while 8...Kd6 9.d4 Bxd4 10.fxg6 Nf6 11.Qd1 c5 12.c3 Re8 13.cxd4 Rxe4+ 14.Kf1 Rxd4 15.Qf3 was about even.
9.fxg6+ hxg6 10.Qxc5
Taking the Rook with 10.Qxh8 was also fine.
10...d6
Kicking the enemy Queen, but somewhat passive, although the more active 10...Qh4+ is countered by 11.Qf2+ Qxf2+ 12. Kxf2 and White is better in the Queenless middlegame.
11.Qf2+ Ke8 12.d3 Bg4 13.h4 Qd7
14.Bg5
Holding up the enemy King from castling Queenside.
14...Ne7 15.O-O Be6
Making the Bishop's trip to g4 questionable.
16.d4 d5
Instead, maybe 16...Bc4, although 17.Re1 Rf8 18.Qg3 followed by Nd2 is still good for White (material, central control).
17.exd5 Bf5
Capturing the advanced d-pawn with any of the three pieces was better.
18.c4
Reasonable. There was also 18.Re1.
18...c6 19.dxc6 bxc6 20.Nc3
Making room for reinforcements, but it is too late.
21.Rae1 Re8 22.d5 c5 23.d6
23...a6 24.dxe7+ Rxe7 25.Rd1 Black resigned
(Yes, 25.Nd5 would bring checkmate.)
There is an advantage to studying an opening and playing it regularly. At the very least, it provides strategic ideas (from which flow tactics).
The following game is an odd example - even without finding the best moves, in a familiar opening, White is able to stumble toward a win.
perrypawnpusher - rffuse
3d/move, Chess.com, 2026
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5
Against the Blackburne, White can take the Rook and, after adventures, probably draw.
Against the Whistler, White takes the Rook at great peril.
7...Qe7 8.Qf4+ Qf6
Or 8...Nf6 as in perrypawnpusher - F0nix, 3d/move, Chess.com, 2021, (1-0, 16) and perrypawnpusher - accattone444, "Jerome Gambit Classic #1" Chess.com, 05.2024 (1-0, 44); or
8...Kg7 as in perrypawnpusher - tmarkst, blitz, FICS, 2009, (1-0, 43)
9.Qg3 d6
10.c3
Or 10.Nc3 as in perrypawnpusher - alvarzr, blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 49)
10...Bd7 11.d4 Bb6
I have seen Bill Wall (who knows a lot about chess, and the Jerome Gambit in particular) adopt this pawn formation, awaiting his opponents' tries.
Stockfish 17.1 rates Black (32 ply) as about 2 1/2 pawns better - but it is only an advantage if you do something with it.
13...c5
Attacking the center while White's Queen and dark square Bishop are away from home. Still, there was something to be said for 13...Nf6.
14.d5 Qe5 15.Bf4 Qh5 16.Bxd6
White has three pawns for the sacrificed piece, and those "Jerome pawns" are beginning to look dangerous.
Black has better development, but this is offset by the uneasy position of his King.
17.Nd2 Rhe8 18.c4 Kg8
Safety.
19.O-O
Stockfish prefers castling long. I never even thought abou that.
19...Rad8
Here we go.
20...Qh6
You attack my Knight, I will attack yours.
21.f4
Consistent, but not best. Instead, the position called out for 21.Ne4.
21...Nh5
Moving to safety, and repositioning for defense.
Because of White's slip on the last move, Black had the equalizing 21...Bf5 (You capture my Knight, I will capture your Bishop) instead.
22.Qf3 Ng7 23.Ne4
The King moves away from the threatened Knight fork
24.Nf6 Rh8 25.Nxd7 Black resigned
perrypawnpusher - NN
"Not only the Italians play the italian game", Chesscom, 2026
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 d5
6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Ng5+ Kg8 8.Qxg4
Defending and attacking.
9.O-O Nxc2
Ooops. Attacking, yes; defending, no.
10.Qe6 checkmate
The following game shows a series of sacrifices, acceptances or declinations - hurried by the one-minute time control.
Black's defense doesn't quite work out.
angelcamina - Aybars_Carlsen
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.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Ke7
This non-acceptance of sacrificed material shows up in only 2 games (2 angelcamina games) in The Database - a win and a loss.
7.d4
Or 7.Nxc6+ bxc6 8.O-O Re8 9.d4 as in angelcamina - hpmck, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019 (0-1, 49)
There was also 7.O-O, hoping to transpose to main lines after 7...Nxe5 8.d4
7...Nxe5
Things have changed, and the routine capture should be put off a few moves, i.e. 7...Bxd4 8.Nd5+ Nxd5 9.Nxc6+ dxc6 10.Qxd4 Nf6 and Black is still better.
8.dxe5 Bxf2+
9.Kxf2 Rf8 10.exf6+ Rxf6+ 11.Ke1
11...Qf8 12.Bg5 d6 13.Nd5+ Ke6 Black resigned
Our chessfriend SkillerEP has a video on an interesting Jerome Gambit game - check it out!
If you have been following this blog for any length of time, you know that angelcamina is a powerful force with the Jerome Gambit at bullet speed. A quick look at The Database shows he has about 1,100 games, out-scoring his opponents by about 2 to 1.
angel_camina - vule34
1 1 bullet, Chess.com, 2026
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bb4
8.dxe5 Nxe4 9.Qd5+
9...Kf8
Or 9...Ke7 10.Qxe4 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 d6 (11...Qf8 in angelcamina-LoFi_Lxgend/https://lichess.org/SU5XbSDu 2024 [1-0, 21]; 11... Rf8 in angelcamina - Davide313, lichess.org, 2023 [1-0, 16]) 12.Bg5+ Kd7 13.Bxd8 Kxd8 (13...Rxd8 in angelcamina - V1rtuoso, lichess.org, 2024 [1-0, 19]) 14.exd6 angelcamina - adriannez, lichess.org, 2019 [1-0, 44]);
Or 9...Kg6 10.Qxe4+ Kf7 11.Qxb4 Qe7 12.O-O Qxb4 angelcamina - abhinavatul, lichess.org, 2020 (0-1);
Or 9...Ke8 10.Qxe4 Bxc3+ (10...a5 11.O-O g5 12.Nd5 Bc5 13.Nf6+ Ke7 14.Bxg5 h6 15.Nd5+ angelcamina - The_KGD, lichess.org, 2019 [1-0]) 11.bxc3 Kf8 12.Ba3+ d6 13.Qf3+ Ke8 14.O-O-O Qg5+ 15.Kb1 Rf8 16.Qe2 Bg4 17.f3 Be6 18.exd6 Kf7 19.dxc7 Rac8 20.Bxf8 Rxf8 21.Rhe1 Rc8 22.Qxe6+ angelcamina - Parsel_1, lichess.org, 2020 (1-0).
10.Qxe4 Bxc3+
Or 10...Qe8 11.Qxb4+ angelcamina - ngx11, lichess.org, 2020 (1-0); or 10...Qe7 angelcamina - iciaren, lichess.org, 2025 (1-0)
11.bxc3 Qe7 12.a4
Or 12.O-O d6 (12...c6 13.a4 b6 14.Ba3 c5 angelcamina - aviplot, lichess.org, 2024 [1-0, 22] 13.Ba3 (13.f4 Bd7 14.Ba3 Bc6 (14...Bb5 angelcamina - Heptrook, lichess.org, 2025 [1-0, 30]) 15.Qe3 Re8 16.Rad1 g6 17.Qg3 Kg7 18.c4 Rhf8 19.Bb2 Kg8 20.f5 angelcamina - CATCHESS11, lichess.org, 2024 [1-0, 20]) 13... Kg8 angelcamina - likinfride, lichess.org, 2019 [1-0, 27])
12...d6 13.Ba3 Qxe5
A time slip. 1-minute per game is a challenge.
14.Qxe5 Black resigned
