Jerome Gambit: Action Figure

 

Action figure not available

[Sorry, I couldn't wait until April 1.]

Jerome Gambit: Standards

The faster the time control, the more likely a player is to occasionally rely on standard moves that are often played in the opening.

Sometimes that works, sometimes it does not.

NukNoName - fpmr1375

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ 

The "nudge". Relatively standard.

7...Kf8 8.Qxc5+ Qe7 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.d3 d5 

A standard riposte.

11.Nc3 dxe4 12.dxe4 Kf7 13.f4 

A standard use of the "Jerome pawns". Stockfish 16.1 is not supportive, but NukNoName makes it work.

13...Re8 14.e5 Ng4 

Black could also safeguard his King, first: 14...Kg8 15.O-O Ng4 16.Qf3 Rb8 17.h3 Qc5+ 18.Kh1 N4xe5 19.fxe5 Nxe5 20.Qd5+ Qxd5 21.Nxd5 c6 22.Bf4 cxd5 23.Rae1 Bd7 24.Rxe5 Rxe5 25.Bxe5 Rc8 26.c3 Bc6 27.Bd4 Re8 28.Kg1 Re2 29.Rf2 Re1+ 30.Kh2 Rb1 31.Kg3 a6 32.a3 Rd1 33.b4 Rd3+ 34.Rf3 Rd1 35.Rf2 h6 36.Rf3 Rd3 37.Kf4 Rxf3+ 38.Kxf3 Black resigned, Anti-Duhring - balavb06, blitz, lichess.org, 2022. 

15.Qf3 

15...N6xe5 

A standard tactic by Black, returning a piece for a couple of pawns.

Here, though, it doesn't work. Quite possibly, the time control affected the decision making.

16.fxe5+ 

The check makes the difference

16...Kg8 

The second player's King is now safe. Perhaps this emboldens him.

17.O-O Qxe5 

And then Black realized his error.

Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Videos by SalyErik

                                                          

I just watched two Jerome Gambit videos on YouTube - here and here - by SalyErik. These were two of his 40 chess videos, primarily covering dynamic chess openings.

The first video illustrates a line not found in The Database

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 g6 9.Qxe5+ Kc6 10.Qd5+ Kb6 11.d4 Bb4+

Up to this point, this is the same as the game pclaudio - Champion_A1, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023 (1-0, 37)

12.c3 Ba5 13.b4 Nf6 14.Qxa5+ Kc6 15.Qc5 checkmate

The second video shows a more familiar line (for example, see "Jerome Gambit: Razerchess"), the earliest of which, according to The Database, blackburne - karmmark, Jerome Gambit thematic tournament, ChessWorld.net, 2007

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Nc6 8.Qxc5 Qe7 9.Qd5+ Kf6 10.Qf5 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Things Can Become Interesting, Quickly

When two players rated 2500+ battle it out in Jerome Gambit games - with a 1-minute time control - things can become interesting, quickly.

If you are keeping track, the Jerome emerges 4 - 1.

Arman-Avdalyan - BusDriver-NC4920

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2026

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 

Or

5...Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 (6...Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Qe7 (9...Nf6 10.Nc3 Rf8 (10...Ng4 11.Qg3 Qf6 12.f3 N4e5 13.O-O c6 14.d3 Qh4 15.Be3 Qxg3 16.hxg3 Rf8 17.b3 Be6 18.d4 Nd7 19.f4 Bg8 20.f5 Ne7 21.Bf4 Nc8 22.Rae1 Kd8 23.g4 Kc7 24.e5 dxe5 25.dxe5 Kb6 26.e6 Nf6 27.a4 Nxg4 28.Rd1 Rxf5 29.Rd7 g6 30.Bc7+ Ka6 31.b4 b6 32.b5+ cxb5 33.axb5+ Ka5 34.Rb1 Bxe6 35. Rd4 Black resigned, Arman-Avdalyan - BusDriver-NC4920, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2026) 11.O-O Nh5 12.d3 Qf6 13.g3 Bh3 14.f4 Bxf1 15.Kxf1 c6 16.f5 Ne5 White resigned, Arman-Avdalyan - BusDriver-NC4920, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2026) 10.Nc3 Nf6 11.O-O Rf8 12.f4 c6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d3 Ned7 15.h3 d5 16.g4 dxe4 17.dxe4 Ne5 18.Qg3 Bd7 19.Bf4 Nf7 20.e5 Nd5 21.Nxd5 cxd5 22.e6 Bc6 23.exf7+ Qxf7 24.Rfe1+ Kd7 25.Bd6 Rfe8 26.Bc5 Qf6 27.c3 h6 28.Bd4 Qd6 29.Qxd6+ Kxd6 30.Bxg7 h5 31.gxh5 Rg8 32.h6 Black resigned, Arman-Avdalyan - BusDriver-NC4920, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2026) 7.Qxe5 Bd6 8.Qc3 Qf6 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 10.d3 Be7 11.f3 d6 12.Nd2 Kf7 13.Ke2 Rf8 14.h3 Kg8 15.Rf1 Nh5 16.Nc4 Ng3+ 17.Kf2 Nxf1 18.Kxf1 Be6 19.Ne3 Bg5 20.Ke2 Rad8 21.a4 d5 22.Bd2 d4 23.Nf1 Bxd2 24.Nxd2 Rf6 25.b3 a6 26.g4 h5 27.g5 Rf4 28.Rh1 Rh4 29.Kf2 Rxh3 30.Rxh3 Bxh3 31.Kg3 Be6 32.f4 Bg4 33.f5 c5 34.Nc4 Kf7 35.Ne5+ Ke7 36.Kf4 Rh8 37.Ng6+ Kf7 38.Nxh8+ Kg8 39.Ng6 Bd1 40.e5 Bxc2 41.e6 Bxb3 42.e7 Kf7 43.f6 gxf6 44.gxf6 Bc2 45.Ne5+ Ke8 46.a5 Bb3 47.Kf5 Bf7 48.Nxf7 Kxf7 49.Ke5 h4 50.Kd6 Ke8 51.Ke6 Black resigned, Arman-Avdalyan - BusDriver-NC4920, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2026) 

6.Qh5+

The Database has 439 games with this position. White scores 71%. 

Stockfish 16.1 prefers 6.Nxc6, although it must be noted that there are only 147 games in The Database with that move, with White, nonetheless, scoring 75%. 

6...g6 7.Nxg6 hxg6

For the stronger 7...Bxf2+ see the previous post, with angelcamina - kevinserge, lichess.org, 2026 (1-0, 32).

Bullet chess requires lightning fast decision-making, and you can't always get it right in an eye-blink. 

8.Qxh8 Kf8 9.d3 Qf6 

10.Bh6+ Kf7 11.Qh7+ Ke8 12.Qxg8+ Black resigned

One possible continuation shows Black's dilemma: 12...Ke7 13.Nc3 White's King will still be safer than Black's after this move, but it take some thought and courage - in a 1-minute game. 13...Qxf2+ 14.Kd1 d5 15.Nxd5+ Kd7 16.Qg7+ Ne7 17.Be3 Qxg2 18.Bxc5 Qxh1+ 19.Kd2 Qxh2+ 20.Kc3 Whew! 

Jerome Gambit: Sacrifice vs Sacrifice

Black counters a Bishop sacrifice with a Bishop sacrifice of his own. It allows him to reach an equal position - only to be outplayed, again.

angelcamina - kevinserge

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2026

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8

angelcamina has 28 games in The Database with this position. He scores 84%.  

6.Qh5+ 

Very Jerome-ish. He has also played 6.Nxc6 (Stockfish 16.1's preference) a few times, scoring 4 - 2 - 0  (67%). 

6...g6 

If you play bullet chess, you will see games like 6...Ke7 7.Qf7+ Kd6 8.Nc4 checkmate, angelcamina - SammmDBest, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021.

7.Nxg6 Bxf2+ 

Seen as early as the twin games Hultgren - Harrow, SVE cup, Campbell, CA, 1960 and Blackstone - Dommeyer, skittles, Campbell, CA 1960: 7...Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 Qf6+ 9.Nf4+ Kd8 10.d3 d6 11.Rf1 Qd4+ 12.Be3 Qf6 13.c3 Black resigned.

angelcamina has faced alternate lines of play

7...hxg6 8.Qxh8 Kf8 9.O-O d6 10.c3 Be6 11.d4 Bb6 12.d5 Bf7 13.dxc6 bxc6 14.Bh6+ Ke7 15.Bg5+ Nf6 16.Bxf6+ Ke6 17.Bxd8 Rxd8 18.Qxd8 Bxf2+ 19.Rxf2 d5 20.exd5+ cxd5 21.Rf6+ Ke5 22.Nd2 c5 23.Qe7+ Be6 24.Qxe6 checkmate, angelcamina - MegaBane, 1 0 bullet lichess.org. 2019; 

7...Nf6 8.Qh4 Nxe4 9.Qxe4+ Ne7 10.Nxh8 d6 11.Qxh7 Be6 12.O-O Qd7 13.Ng6 Nxg6 14.Qxg6+ Bf7 15.Re1+ Kf8 16.Qh6+ Kg8 17.c3 Qf5 18.d4 Bb6 19.Bg5 d5 20.Bf6 Qh7 21.Qg5+ Qg6 22.Qh4 Qh7 23.Qg3+ Qg6 24.Qxg6+ Bxg6 25.Nd2 c6 26.Re7 Bc7 27.Rae1 Bd6 28.Rd7 Bf8 29.Nf3 Rb8 30.Be7 b5 31.Bxf8 Kxf8 32.Ree7 Be8 33.Rxa7 White won on time, angelcamina - stockfishdanirealno1, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021; and

7...Qf6 8.Nxh8+ Kd8 9.Qxc5 Qxh8 10.Qf8 checkmate, angelcamina - DenBlood, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2022.

8.Kxf2 Qf6+

This follow up to the Bishop sacrifice wins in all variations - except one: 8...Nf6 9.Qh4 Rg8. 

9.Nf4+ Qf7 

Or 9...Qg6 10.Nxg6 Black resigned, angelcamina - boarnara, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023; and 

9...Kd8 10.d3 Nd4 11.Rf1 Nh6 12.Kg1 Qd6 13.Nd5 Ne6 14.Qxh6 c6 15.Qh4+ Ke8 16.Nf6+ Kf7 17.Bf4 Qe7 18.Qh5+ Kg7 19.Bh6 checkmate, angelcamina - Fabio-rj, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023 

10.Qxf7+ 

Or 10.Qh4 d6 11.Rf1 Be6 12.Kg1 Kd7 13.Nd5 Qe8 14.Nf6+ Nxf6 15.Rxf6 Qe7 16.Rh6 d5 17.Qxe7+ Nxe7 18.exd5 Nxd5 19.Nc3 Raf8 20.Nxd5 Bxd5 21.c3 c6 22.d4 Re8 23.Bf4 Re6 24.Rxe6 Bxe6 25.Re1 Re8 26.Bg3 b6 27.Kf2 b5 28.Re5 Rf8+ 29.Ke3 a5 30.a3 a4 31.Rg5 Rf7 32.Be5 Ke7 33.Rg7 Bd7 34.Rxf7+ Kxf7 35.g4 h6 36.h4 h5 37.g5 Bg4 38.Kf4 Kg6 39.Bd6 Bf5 40.Bb4 Bd7 41.Bc5 Be6 42.Bd6 Bc4 43.Bc5 Bb3 44.Bb4 Bc4 45.Bc5 b4 White resigned, angelcamina - PinkPandaPresident, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023.

10...Kxf7 

The position has been simplified, and White is up a couple of pawns.

angelcamina can find his moves quickly.

11.Rf1 Ke7 12.c3 d6 13.Kg1 Nf6 14.d3 Bg4 15.h3 Bh5 16.Nxh5 Nxh5 17.Bg5+ Ke6 18.Nd2 Raf8 

19.Nf3 Ng3 20.Rf2 Ne5 21.Bh4 Nh5 22.Nd4+ Kd7 23.Rxf8 Rxf8 

24.Nf5 Nxd3 25.Rd1 Nxb2 26.Rb1 Nc4 27.Rxb7

The Rook has finally found gainful employment.

27...Kc6 28.Rxa7 Ne5 29.Ne7+ Kd7 

A slip, under pressure. He had to try 29...Kb6.

30.Nd5 Rf4 31.Rxc7+ Ke6 32.Re7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: White (Part 5)

 

[continued from the previous post]

Notes in black are from the bot. Notes in blue are from me.

perrypawnpusher - Yoko Ono bot

Chess.com, 2026

40...Kc5 41.Qe5+

Who can see the wind?

41...Kb6 42.Qab8+

Imagine all the people living life in peace.

42...Kc6

I am healthy because I trust. Not trusting is bad for the health of your mind and body.

43.Qed6 checkmate

It is not winning that interests me but rather exercising my own brain. Let's try one more.

That was interesting. I wonder if there ever will be a Bob Dylan bot?

Jerome Gambit: White (Part 4)

 

[continued from the previous post]

Notes in black are from the bot. Notes in blue are from me.

perrypawnpusher - Yoko Ono bot

Chess.com, 2026

Finishing up.

27.Qxb7 Rf8 

Listen to a heart beat.

28.Qxa7 

The child in you will save you. 

Missing a nice checkmate: 28.Nb5+ Ke5 29.Qg7+ Rf6 30.Qc7#

Analysis Diagram

28...Rf1+

I'm just saying hello.

29.Nd1 Rh1 30.Qxb6+ Kd7

The board goes through many quiet changes, which correspond to the changes within you.

31.Qxc5

We are together and we are all one.

I am he
As you are he
As you are me
And we are all together

31...Kd8 32.Qd6+ Ke8 33.Qxe6+ Kd8 

Imagine a cloud slowly going across the sky and back. Send a postcard to your friend.

34.Qh6

The thing you thought was an obstacle might be a great help. It's how you look at it.

Playing it safe, protecting myself from throwing the game away.

34...Re1 35.a4

Taking the easy way. Bots don't ever resign, do they?

35...Re2 36.a5 Kc8

Sit under a blue sky. Keep your head open and empty. Let ideas come into you. Cherish them.

37.a6

People need shadows to rest in. I would advise you to send a bucket of shadow to a friend.

Throwing shade?

37...Kd7 38.a7 Rxh2

Keep your quiet center and stand for peace instead of fighting for peace.

39.Qg7+ Kd6 

Many of my pieces are white because I think that it'd be easier to put imaginary colours on white.

40.a8=Q

Every pawn has the imagination to become whatever it wants. 

[to be continued]