Looking Back At Janus?!

 

I continue to be nagged by the unorthodox (non-Jerome) opening line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 d5?, as mentioned in the post "Jerome Gambit: Janus".

(What a strange way to avoid the Jerome Gambit. 😏)

                                  

So far, I have uncovered about 200 games with that defense (there must be many more), some - not surprisingly - by young players (U20, U18, U15, U12, U11, U10, U8); and some by players rated 2000+, playing 1-minute games. 

Again, not surprisingly, Whites scores about 80%.

However, the earliest example that I have been able to uncover (Thank you, Tim Harding, for your extensive UltraCorr database) is from a Canadian correspondence game in 1972. 

Maly, Gunther - Spencer, Leo W

corr CCCA, 1972

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 d5 4.exd5 Na5 5.Bb5+ c6 6.dxc6 bxc6 7.Ba4 Nf6 8.b4 Bxb4 9.Nxe5 Qd5 10.Qe2 O-O 11.O-O Re8 12.Bb2 Ng4 13.d4 Bd7 14.c4 Nxc4 15.Qxc4 Nxe5 16.Qxb4 Nf3+ 17.gxf3 Bh3 18.Qc5 Qxf3 19.Bxc6 Qg4+ 20.Kh1 Bxf1 21.Nd2 Bh3 22.Rg1 Qxg1+ 23.Kxg1 Re1+ 24.Nf1 Rxf1 checkmate

I have sent an inquiry to the Chess Federation of Canada for more information on Mr. Spencer. (I am not able to contact Mr. Spencer, himself, as he passed away almost 4 decades ago.)

I suppose that I could also contact Bill Wall, who faced the defense 9 times and won all of the games, the longest lasting 18 moves.

In the meantime, I will set aside some time to peruse my stack of Randspringer magazines... Probably my Unorthodox Chess Openings issues, as well. (Alas, I sold my copies of the Myers Openings Bulletin many years ago.)

As Yul Brynner noted in "The King and I", is a puzzlement.

Jerome Gambit: 5,100!

 

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.

Jerome Gambit: Again, Not So Easily Beat

                                                       

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 

7.f4 Ng6 

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 

I admit, I don't know what is going on here.

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 

20...Kd8 

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

Black will forfeit his Queen.

(Yes, 25.Nd5 would bring checkmate.)

Jerome Gambit: Stumble

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 

Black can now choose Blackburne's defense, 7...d6, or Whistler's defense, 7...Qe7.

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

Or 9...Ne7 as in perrypawnpusher - joro_videv, 3 d/move, "Giuoco Piano Game", Chess.com Chess.com (3), 2022 (0-1, 34); perrypawnpusher - atastypawn, "Italian Game" tournament, Chess.com, 2024 (0-1, 30); perrypawnpusher - yaku, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1/2-1/2, 26);

Or 9...Kg7 as in perrypawnpusher - tacotopia, 1d/move, Chess.com, 2020 (1/2-1/2, 64);

Or 9...Qe6 as in perrypawnpusher - IndeedPerhapsYes, 3d/move, Chess.com, 2012 (1-0, 32);

Or 9...d5 as in perrypawnpusher - MeisterBob, 1d/move, Chess.com, 2021 (1-0, 32).

10.c3 

Or 10.Nc3 as in perrypawnpusher - alvarzr, blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 49)

10...Bd7 11.d4 Bb6 

12.Bg5 Qe6 13.f3 

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 

16...Nf6

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 

20.e5 

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 

23...Kf7 

The King moves away from the threatened Knight fork

24.Nf6 Rh8 25.Nxd7 Black resigned

If 25...Rxd7, then 26.e6+, forking King and Rook.

Jerome Gambit: Janus

In the following miniature (not a Jerome Gambit, as my opponent stifled my attempt) my opponent found a move to both defend his position and attack mine. When he went forward with his attack, however, he relinquished the defense, and I saw my moment.

perrypawnpusher - NN

"Not only the Italians play the italian game", Chesscom, 2026

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 d5 

I don't think that I have seen this move before. More research needed here. In the meantime: No Jerome Gambit today.

4.Bxd5 Nge7 5.Bb3 Bg4 

Allowing a tactic that wins a pawn.

6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Ng5+ Kg8 8.Qxg4 

8...Nd4 

Defending and attacking.

9.O-O Nxc2 

Ooops. Attacking, yes; defending, no.

10.Qe6 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Doesn't Quite Work Out

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+ 

Tossing another piece, perhaps hoping to prevail in the chaos.

9.Kxf2 Rf8 10.exf6+ Rxf6+ 11.Ke1 

Things are not going as Black had hoped.

11...Qf8 12.Bg5 d6 13.Nd5+ Ke6 Black resigned

One possible continuation is 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Rf1.

Jerome Gambit: Not So Easily Beat

 

Our chessfriend SkillerEP has a video on an interesting Jerome Gambit game - check it out!

The jerome gambit isn't so easily beat - YouTube YouTube