Jerome Gambit: Sidestepped Threat

The following chess game sees threats to both Queens - sidestepped, perhaps unnoticed, ultimately unplayed.

 

angelcamina - RussianMaverik

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2026

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ Qe7 

According to The Database, angelcamina has reached this position in 52 games, scoring 68%. That is better than the results of The Database as a whole, 566 games with White scoring 58%.  

As a reflection of the chaos of the Jerome Gambit, Stockfish 16.1 (37 ply) evaluates the position as being 1 1/2 pawns better for Black.

9.Qc4 

The computer prefers an exchange of Queens here. It is understandable that this choice does not appeal to a human player.

9...Ne5

It can be very attractive to attack the enemy Queen, especially in a bullet game, to distract the player from his intended course. 

More to the point is 9...d5. 

10.Qxc7 Nc6 11.Nc3 Nf6 12.d3 

White has three pawns and a safer King for his sacrificed piece.

12...b6 13.Bf4 

Developing White's dark-square Bishop is a good idea, but this is not the square to use. 

What happens - or does not happen - is a reflection of the bullet time control. 

13...Ba6 

Playing over the game, with a lot of time and a cup of coffee, I noticed that 13...Ne8 would trap the Queen. Easy to overlook with the time ticking down.

The text move misses the threat to his own Queen. Easy to overlook with the time ticking down.

14.Bd6 Qxd6 15.Qxd6+ Ne7 

White now needs to make use of his advantage in material, before his flag falls.

16.O-O Kf7 17.f4 Nc8 18.Qa3 Bb7 

19.e5 Nh5 20.Ne4 Bxe4 21.dxe4 Re8 22.Rad1 Kg8 23.Rxd7 

23...g6 24.Qb3+ Kf8 25.Qf7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: In The End, The Jerome Pawns

The following game has its tactical conflicts, but, when the smoke clears, the "Jerome pawns" help win the day.

angelcamina - LuuPhucMinh_CBT

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 305 games with White with this position, scoring 59%. 

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4 Re8 

9.O-O Kg8 10.f4 Nc6 

Or 10...Nf7 11.e5 Nh5 12.Bd2 g6 13.g4 Ng7 14.Rae1 d6 15.exd6 Rxe1 16.Rxe1 cxd6 17.Nd5 Bxg4 18.Bc3 Qf8 19.Nf6+ Kh8 20.Nxg4 h5 21.Nf6 Re8 22.Rxe8 Nxe8 23.Nxe8+ Kg8 24.Nf6+ Kh8 25.Nxh5+ Kh7 26.Nf6+ Kh6 27.f5 gxf5 28.Qh4+ Kg6 29.Nd7 Qe7 30.Qxe7 f4 31.Qf6+ Kh5 32.Qxf7+ Kg4 33.Nf6+ Kf3 34.Nd5 Ke2 35.Qxf4 Kd1 36.Qe3 b5 37.Qd2 checkmate, angelcamina - brylloyy, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020 

11.Qc4+ Kh8

Or 11...d5 12.exd5 Nxd5 13.Nxd5 Be6 14.Rd1 (14.Ne7+ Qxe7 15.Qb5 Rad8 16.b3 Nd4 17.Qxb7 Nxc2 18.Rb1 Qc5+ 19.Kh1 Ne3 20.Bxe3 Qxe3 21.f5 Bd5 22.Qxc7 Qe2 23.Rg1 Rc8 24.Qd6 Rc2 25.Qxd5+ Kh8 26.h3 Rg8 27.Qd4 Qh5 28.f6 Rgc8 29.fxg7+ Kg8 30.Rbf1 R2c7 31.Rf8+ Rxf8 32.gxf8=Q+ Kxf8 33.Qh8+ Ke7 34.Re1+ Kd6 35.Qd4+ Kc6 36.Rc1+ Kb7 37.Qb4+ Kc8 38.Qf8+ Kb7 White resigned, angelcamina - photoking007, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2025) 14...Ne7 15.Nxe7+ Rxe7 16.Rxd8+ Rxd8 17.Qe2 Rdd7 18.Qf3 Bd5 19.Qg4 Be6 20.Qf3 Bd5 21.Qg4 Be6 22.Qh5 Bf7 23.Qf3 Bd5 24.Qg4 draw, angelcamina - Bicycle_day, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2018 

12.e5 

Here come the "Jerome pawns".

Or 12.b3 b6 13.Bb2 a5 14.a4 Ba6 15.Nb5 Nb4 16.e5 Nfd5 17.Qe2 c6 18.Nd6 Bxe2 White resigned, angelcamina - Yuma_Durruti, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024 

12...Ng4 

Countering the "Jerome pawns" by starting an attack on the Kingside - but, that, in turn, is countered.

 Or 12...d5 13.exd6 Qxd6 14.b3 Qd4+ 15.Qxd4 Nxd4 16.Bb2 Nxc2 17.Rac1 Ne3 18.Rfe1 Ned5 19.Rxe8+ Nxe8 20.Nxd5 c6 21.Ne7 Be6 22.f5 Bf7 23.f6 gxf6 24.Rf1 Kg7 25.Nf5+ Kg6 26.Nh4+ Kg5 27.g3 h6 $2 28.Rf5+ Kg4 29.Kg2 Be6 30.h3 checkmate, angelcamina - MrCrawfish, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2025; or

12...Ng8 13.Ne4 d5 14.exd6 cxd6 15.Ng5 Qf6 16.Nf7+ Qxf7 17.Qxf7 Be6 18.Qh5 Nd4 19.c3 Nc2 20.Rb1 Bc4 21.Rd1 Nf6 22.Qf3 Be2 23.Qf2 Bxd1 24.Bd2 Ne4 25.Qh4 Nxd2 26.Rxd1 Nc4 27.f5 Rf8 28.Qxc4 Rae8 29.Qb3 Re1+ 30.Rxe1 Nxe1 31.Qd1 Re8 32.Kf2 Kg8 33.Qxe1 Rxe1 34.Kxe1 Black resigned, angelcamina - DMagnusH1993, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2025 

13.h3 Nh6 14.f5 d6 15.e6 

Blocking the light-squared Bishop.

15...Qf6

A slip which angelcamina immediately takes advantage of.

It was time for Black to return a piece for a couple of pawns: 15...Nxf5 16.Rxf5 Bxe6 17.Rd5 Bd7 18.Bg5 c6 19.Rf1 Qb6+ 20.Kh2 Nxd5, keeping his advantage.

16.Nd5 Qd4+ 

The exchange of Queens does not slow White.

17.Qxd4 Nxd4 18.Nxc7 Nxc2 19.Rb1 b6 20.Bxh6 gxh6 21.Nxe8

White's Knight collected a Rook; Black's did not.

21...Ba6 22.Nc7 Rc8 23.Nxa6 Black resigned 

Black is down a Rook, and still has to deal with two connected, passed "Jerome pawns".

Jerome Gambit: The Defense Rests

In the following Jerome Gambit game, the defender hangs in for a while, but, in the end, his army is over-run and he must tip his King.

Wall, Bill - Dasasary

sparkchess, 2026

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 

6...Bb4+ 7.c3 Bxc3+ 

Instead, Black had the calm withdrawal, 7...Be7, or the aggressive 7...Qh4, e.g. 

7...Qh4 8.O-O Ng4 9.h3 Be7 (9...Bxc3? 10.Nxc3 N4f6 11.e5 Ne4 12.Qf3+ Ke8 13.Nxe4 Nh6 14.Bg5 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest11706903, PlayChess.com 2018) 10.hxg4 d6 11.Qb3+Ke8 12.f3 Nf6 13.Be3 b6 $6 14.e5 dxe5 15.dxe5 Nxg4? 16.fxg4 Qxg4 $4 17.Qf7+ Kd7 18.Qd5+ Ke8 19.Qc6+ Bd7 20.Qxa8+ Bd8 21.Nd2 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest436030, PlayChess.com 2018. 

8.Nxc3 Ng6 9.O-O d6 

White has only a pawn for his sacrificed piece, but he can make things difficult for the enemy monarch.

10.f4 N6e7 

None of the other defenses that Bill has faced have fared any better - 

10...Qf6 11.f5 Ne5 12.Nd5 Qh4 13.dxe5 dxe5 14.Nxc7 Rb8 15.Qd5+ Kf6 16.Ne8+ Ke7 17.Qxe5+ Kf8 18.f6 Nxf6 19.Nxf6 gxf6 20.Rxf6+ Kg8 21.Qe8+ Kg7 22.Qf7 checkmate, Wall,B - NN, internet, 2016; 

10...Nh6 11.f5 Ne7 12.Qh5+ Kg8 13.f6 Ng6 14.Bxh6 gxh6 15.Qxh6 Kf7 16.Qg7+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Facundo, lichess.org 2017;

10...N8e7 11.f5 Nf8 12.Qh5+ Kg8 13.f6 g6 14.f7+ Kg7 15.Bh6 checkmate, Wall,B - Alta, internet, 2022; and

10...h6 11.e5 dxe5 12.fxe5+ Ke6 13.Qb3+ Kd7 14.Qd5+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Kahve, internet, 2022) 

11.g4 

Bold and risky, but there is no mistaking the intention.

11...Kf8 12.f5 h6 13.h4 

See the note to move 11.

13...a6 14.Be3 b5 15.Qf3 Bb7 16.d5 Nf6 17.Ne2 Kg8 18.Nf4 Bc8 

The center is blocked. Black has holes on the light squares, White on the dark squares. 

Now the Kings, then the Rooks, adjust.

19.Kg2 Kh7 20.Rh1 Re8 21.Rae1 Neg8 22.Bd4 

Bill is not in a hurry. 

His opponent's extra piece helps shore up the defense.

22...c5 23.dxc6 Bb7 

This looks like a mouse slip, or a touch-move error.

24.cxb7 Rb8 25.e5 

Breaking in the center, strafing the Queenside.

25...dxe5 26.Bxe5 Qd2+ 27.Re2 Qd7 28.Bxb8 Rxb8 29.g5 

The center, the Queenside, now the Kingside.

29...Qxf5 30.gxf6 Nxf6 31.Re7 Qc2+ 32.Kh3 Qf5+ 33.Kh2 

33...Ng4+ 34.Kg3 Ne5 35.Qh5 Qf6 36.Re6 Black resigned

The defender has had enough for one game.

Jerome Gambit: Valuable Time (Part 7)

 

                             

[continued from earlier post]

Our game just finished.

perrypawnpusher - JAMARTINO

Not only the Italians play the Italian, Chess.com, 2025

41....Kxh2 

Speeding things up, but there is no escape from mate.

42.Kf3 b4 43.Bxb4 h4 44.gxh4 Kh3 45.Rh1 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: The Bandit Queen

One criticism of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is that the attacker moves his Queen too often.

However, in the following game, Bill Wall's Queen is very active, invades the opponent's position, captures material, and escapes.

Wall, Bill - Chest

sparkchess, 2026

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 Qf6 

Bill has reached this postion 29 times in his games, scoring 95% (27 - 1 - 1).

Black has the straight-forward threat of ...Nf3+, winning the Queen. 

Instead of moving his Queen to f6, Bill's opponent has also played 7...d6 8.O-O h6 (8...Nf6 9.f4 Nc6 10.Qd3 Re8 11.Nc3 Kg8 12.b3 Kh8 13.Bb2 Nb4 14.Qd2 c5 15.Rae1 Qb6 16.a3 Nc6 17.Nd5 Nxd5 18.exd5 Ne7 19.Qc3 c4+ 20.Rf2 Black resigned, Wall,B - Chest, sparkchess 2025) 9.f4 Nc6 10.Qd5+ Be6 11.Qh5+ g6 12.Qe2 Nge7 13.Be3 Re8 14.f5 Bxf5 15.g4 Kg7 16.gxf5 gxf5 17.Qh5 Rh8 18.exf5 Nd5 19.Qg6+ Kf8 20.Bxh6+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Chest, sparkchess 2025. 

8.Nd2 Ng4 9.Qc4+ 

Bill has no interest in exchanging Queens.

9...Kf8 10.f3 Ne5 11.Qxc7 

11...Ne7

Played too quickly. 

Instead, 11...b6 12.Nc4 Nxc4 13.Qxc4 Ne7 14.O-O Nc6 would have kept his small advantage. 

12.Qd8+ Kf7 13.Qxh8 N7g6 14.Qxh7 

The Queen will escape with her treasure.

14...d6 15.O-O Be6 16.f4 Nxf4 

Not much stronger, but perhaps a bit more emotionally satisfying, is 16...Rh8 17.fxe5 Qxf1+ 18.Nxf1 Rxh7 19.exd6 when Black has captured the bandit Queen but is four pawns down. 

17.Nf3 

17...Nxf3+ 18.Rxf3 Ke7 19.Bxf4 Qxb2 

Clawing back a pawin, but it is poisoned. White now has a forced checkmate 

20.Rd1 Qb6+ 21.Kh1 Rg8 22.Bxd6+ Black resigned

The defender has had enough.

Was H.Nakamura Right? Is JG ‘Unbreakable’, Is EG ‘Legendary’ For Beginners’ Games? (Part 11)

 Was H.Nakamura Right? Is JG ‘Unbreakable’, Is EG ‘Legendary’

For Beginners’ Games? (Part 11)

(by Yury V. Bukayev)

Again and again, if an expert’s appraisal is based on something without real proofs, he can be right or “almost right” here sometimes. That is so, even in the case where he realizes that his appraisal is hasty, or non-serious, or bold, or emotional. Sometimes he is right here for a large per cent (for example, 55, 75 or 95) of cases which he appraises.

We remember Rick Kennedy’s post ‘Jerome Gambit: Which Tier? Unbreakable?’ (September 23, 2020) where the notable dialogue about the standard system of the Jerome gambit (JG) between Top GM Hikaru Nakamura and IM Levy Rozman was shown as the part of their popular video and as its approximate text. Thus, they have discussed there what chess opening tier for beginners’ practice is right for it. The end of this text contains several phrases by Mr. Nakamura where he places the standard system of JG near the top of ‘Unbreakable’. Mr. Nakamura’s words contain no proofs of this very high appraisal. In my opinion, the tier’s name ‘Unbreakable’ is very arguable, because we discuss an opening practice, not an opening theory: each opening can be broken in a game as a result of practical mistakes of a player. But this name plays no role for us, just this very high appraisal of 4.Bxf7+ for beginners’ practice is important for our consideration.

Before writing of my Part 1 of this analytical research (please, look at it: it’s a blog post of October 16, 2022) it was enough difficult for me to prove this Hikaru Nakamura’s appraisal, for a large per cent of cases. It was necessary to choose a certain control of time for beginners’ games, and I have chosen an unlimited one. And in the Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 of this research I have made some clear proofs of this Mr. Nakamura’s appraisal and some “not absolutely clear proofs” of it. We shouldn’t forget that the word ‘unbreakable’ includes a draw, not only a win.

And here is my new invented trap - no.17 - which is based on a similar ‘natural’ reaction of a beginner.

Trap 17. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb4+ 7.c3 Qh4 (It’s a strong theoretical way for Black, so White’s future trap is not only for games against beginners.) 8.dxe5!? Qxe4+ 9.Be3!? Qxg2 10.Rf1 Ba5? (It’s a typical reaction for beginners and not only for them: Black wants to not retreat from the centre, to continue …Bb6, to attack White’s important points. And it’s an idea of this trap.) 11.Qh5+! AN (White’s extremely strong idea 12.e6! makes the position unclear, with good chances for White to get an advantage further.)

That is why White will get here also a very large per cent of identical successful results against beginners. And against much more strong players!

It maybe, the invention of my traps 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and my approaches (Part 1, Part 2) will cause Mr. Nakamura’s and Mr. Rozman’s wish to replace the standard system of JG into their top tier ‘Legendary’ (on ‘GMHikaru’ YouTube channel).

Contact the author: istinayubukayev@yandex.ru

© 2026 Yury V. Bukayev (Copyright © Bukayev Yury Vyacheslavovich 2026). All rights reserved.

[A legal using of this investigation with a reference to it is permitted and doesn't require author's consent.]

Jerome Gambit: Psychic Pain

I always experience a bit of psychic pain when I face the Jerome Gambit, instead of play it.

Worse yet, I have a slightly better score defending, compared to attacking.

So when I was recently challenged...

NN - perrypawnpusher

chess.com, 2026

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7

As I noted in "Flaws (Part II)", concerning Blackburne's 7...d6

...Black has a stronger counter-attack here, starting with 7...Qe7! as Jerome discovered to his dismay in the games of his correspondence match with Lt. G. N. Whistler, secretary of the Lexington, Kentucky Chess Club, in 1876.

My advice, here, was clear in my post"Jerome Gambit: Don't Take the Rook" - mind you, in 7 games with the Black pieces in this position, I scored 100% when my opponent did take the Rook.

8.Qxh8 

For 8.Qd5+!?, see Yury V. Bukayev's "Anatoly Karpov & Jerome Gambit (Parts 7 & 8)" and "JG: The New in Its Opening Theory, in Its Psychology (Parts 15 & 16)",   

8...Qxe4+ 9.Kf1 Qh4 10.g3 Qh3+ 11.Kg1 

White is up the exchange and a pawn, but his King is in dire straits.

If 11.Ke1 Nf6 12.d3 Qg2 13.Rf1 d5 14.Qd8 (14.Bg5 Qxf1+ 15.Kxf1 Bh3+ 16.Kg1 Rxh8 17.Nd2 Ng4 18.Be3 Nxe3 19.fxe3 Bxe3+ White resigned, wolfwerner - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit Classic #1, 2024) 14...Qxf1+ White resigned, Seishiro_Chess - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit Classic #1, 2024. 

11...b6 

More to the point than 11...Qe6 12.Kg2 (12.d4, 12.Qxh7+) Qe4+ 13.Kg1 Qe1+ 14.Kg2 Qxf2+ 15.Kh3 d5+ 16.g4 Qf3+ 17.Kh4 Qxg4 checkmate, IndeedPerhapsYes - perrypawnpusher, Chess.com, 2021 

12.Qc3

With a defensive idea, but now Black has a forced checkmate. 

12...Bb7 13.Qc4+ Kg7 14.Qf1 

14...Qg4 15.h4  Qxg3+ 16.Qg2 Qxg2 checkmate

Pass the acetaminophen...