Jerome Gambit: Reorientate

The following game reminds me of chess advice

“If you have made a mistake or committed an inaccuracy there is no need to become annoyed and to think that everything is lost. You have to reorientate yourself quickly and find a new plan in the new situation.”
– David Bronstein

angelcamina - MarcelVogel118

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 

This position is at least as old as Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, 1875 (1-0, 28).

7.Qd5 +Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qc4 

angelcamina has played 16 games that reached this position, scoring 63%.

9...Qe7 10.Nc3 Ne5 11.Qe2 Nf6 

Black is better, with a piece for two pawns, but his King remains at risk - something that could be remedied if he could now castle, but that is no longer possible.

12.d4 Ng6 

Instead, 12...Nc6 was more forcing, because White's Queen no longer defends the d-pawn.

13.O-O Kf7 14.f4 Re8 

15.e5

The "Jerome pawns" begin their advance.

15...dxe5 16.fxe5 Kg8 

Completing his castling-by-hand, but better - leading to an even game - is returning the sacrificed material with 16...Nxe5 17.dxe5 Qxe5 18.Qf2 Bd7 19.Bf4 Qh5 20.Rad1.

17.Qc4+ 

White could have played 17.exf6 with advantage, but it is a lot to calculate (17...Qxe2 18.f7+ Kh8 19.Nxe2 Rf8 20.d5 Ne5 21.b3 Rxf7 22.Bb2 Bf5 23.Ng3 Bxc2 24.Bxe5 Re7 25.Bf4) versus getting Her Majesty out of the line of fire, with check.

The text move works because of the time control.

17...Be6 18.d5 Nxd5 

Instead, the retreat 18...Qd8 would have won a piece.

19.Nxd5 Bxd5 

See the note, above.

20.Qxd5+ Kh8 

The position is settling down.

21.Bd2 Qxe5 22.Qxe5 Nxe5 23.Bc3 Ng4 

The text move allows White to grab the initiative again.

24.Rf7 Rg8 25.Rxc7 Rac8 26.Rxb7 Rcd8 27.Re1 Rde8 28.Rxe8 Rxe8 29.Bxg7+ Kg8 30.Bc3 

30...Ne3 31.Rxa7 Nxc2 32.Rg7+ Kf8 33.Rxh7 Re1+ 34.Kf2 Re7 35.Rxe7 Kxe7 36.g4 Ke6 37.h4 White won on time

5,000 Blog Posts

 

This is the blog's 5,000th post!

Many thanks to those who have shared comments, provided encouragement, and contributed games and analysis over the years.

Thanks, too, to Readers, for whom I continue to publish this blog.

Jerome Gambit: Rely On the "Jerome pawns"

In the following game, White relies on the pawns that he has to overcome whatever advantage Black might have by having an extra piece.

angel_camina - Dreamscape1

Chess.com, 2026

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.O-O Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ke6 

8.c3 

White played this one move later, in angelcamina - hamed1988h, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023:  8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.c3 Qf6 10.Qh3 Nf7 11.d4 Bb6 12.e5+ Nxe5 13.dxe5+ Qxe5 14.Rd1+ Ke7 15.Bd2 Kf8 16.Qf3+ Nf6 17.Re1 Qd5 18.Qg3 d6 19.c4 Qxc4 20.Bc3 Bd7 21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Nc3 Qc5 23.Rad1 Qxf2+ 24.Qxf2 Bxf2+ 25.Kxf2 Black resigned

8...g6 9.Qh3+ Kf7 10.d4 d6 

11.Qg3 Bxd4 

Black returns some of the sacrificed material.

White activates his "Jerome pawns".

12.cxd4 Nc6 13.d5 Ne5 14.f4 Ng4 15.h3 N4f6 16.Nc3 Nh5 17.Qf3 Kg7 

18.g4 Nhf6 19.e5 Nd7 

Too passive. Counterplay with 19...h5 - even at the cost of another piece - was the right way to go.

20.e6 Ndf6 21.g5 Nh5 22.f5 hxg5 23.fxg6 Nf4 24.Bxf4 gxf4 25.Qxf4 

White is clearly in control.

25...Nf6 26.Rf3 c6 27.Raf1 Rf8 28.Qh4 cxd5 29.Rxf6 Rxf6 30.Qh7+ Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Knowledge Grows From Experience

The ability to play quickly (see "I Don't Know How They Do It") is one advantage in playing the Jerome Gambit.

Another is the ability to play from experience.

Concerning the following game, it is helpful to know that White has played 375 Jerome Gambits at Chess.com.

It shows.

yoooooooooooooooo1 - VicomteDeTurenne

3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2026

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

7.Qxe5 Qe7 

Alonzo Wheeler Jerome used this defense in three of his games, all wins, against Daniel Jaeger, in their 1880 correspondence match.

8.Qf4+ Nf6 9.d3 h6 10.Qxc7 d6 11.Qa5 

White's Queen has grabbed a third pawn to compensate for his sacrificed piece, but the first player's lag in development requires care.

11...Ng4 12.O-O Qh4 

Taking advantage of the enemy's Queen's wandering.

13.h3 Bxf2+ 14.Kh1 Ke8 15.Bf4 

Coming to the King's aid.

Black exchanges the piece off, but that comes with an unexpected weakness - the kind of thing that can happen in a 3-minute game.

15...Bg3 16.Bxg3 Qxg3 17.Qh5+ 

Her Majesty switches sides of the board, claiming the advantage.

17...Kd7 

Not much better is 17...Kd8. The text allows the exchange of Queens.

18.Qxg4+ Qxg4 19.hxg4 Kc6 20.Nc3 Bxg4 

The smoke has cleared, and White has an extra pawn, the better pawn structure, and an open line for his Rooks.

21.Rf7 Rhg8 22.Raf1 Be6 23.Re7 Bd7 24.Rff7 Rad8 25.Rxg7 Rxg7 26.Rxg7 

This is the point where some annotators would say "the rest is just a matter of technique".

26...Rf8 27.Kg1 b5 28.Nxb5 Kxb5 29.Rxd7 Kc5 30.Rxa7 Kd4 31.Rd7 Ke3 32.Rxd6 Ra8 

The play has the feel of being affected by a ticking clock.

33.a3 Rb8 34.b4 Rc8 35.c4 Rh8 36.b5 h5 37.b6 h4 38.b7 h3 39.gxh3 Rg8+ 

40.Kh2 Rf8 

I suppose that Black could have tried the cheapo 40...Kf2, threatening Rook checks at g2 and g1, forcing a draw.

However, given the steadiness of White's play up to this point, I don't think that would work, as the simple 41.Rf6+ would show. 

41.Rc6 Rf2+ 42.Kg3 Rf3+ 43.Kg4 Rf8 44.Rc8 

There is not much left for the defender, save a spite check or two.

44...Rf4+ 45.Kg5 Rf3 46.b8=Q Kf2 47.Rf8 Black resigned

A business-like game, from start to finish.

I Don't Know How They Do It

I continue to be impressed by chess players who can manage both an unusual chess opening line and the bullet time control.

And win.

I mean, I could easily play a few meaningless moves and lose on time. I know how to do that.

But in the following game HenriDepraz brings home the full point - with checkmate - in under 10 moves.

HenriDepraz - ls103

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 

I looked at this move in the first year of this blog, 2008. 

Of course, White can now simply play 4.Nxe5, but what's the fun in that? 

My most comprehensive coverage was in "Jerome Gambit: Again the Early Sources"

Looking again (see "Jerome Gambit: Early Sources") through Peter J. Monte's The Classical Era of Modern Chess (2014) I noticed that the Jerome Gambit-related line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 4.Bxf7+ (see "Offside" for starters) has appeared as early as in Rodrigo "Ruy" López de Segura's Libro de la invencion liberal y arte del juego del Axedrez (1561) and Giulio Cesare Polerio's Ordini di giuochi degli scacchi in diversi modi, cosi di mano, come sottomano, cio e in offenza, e dife[n]za co[n] altri bellissimi partiti, sono di Guilio Cesare Polerio alias l'Apruzzese. Giocandosi del Pari (1594).

 Monte writes

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5: Mentioned in Lopez III, xiv, the move 3...Na5 is refuted by the sequence 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ etc. in Polerio's D16 and 29.

The early lines of play are given

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5

Last move in Lopez III, xiv. 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+

* 5...Ke7 6.d4 d6 7.Bg5 Nf6 8.Nd3 h6 9.Bh4 g5 10.Bg3 Bg4 11.f3 Bh5 12.Qd2 in Doazan D16

* 5...Ke6 6.Qg4+ Kxe5 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.Qd5+ Ke7 9.Qxa5 and

* 5...Ke8 6.Qh5+ Ke7 7.Qf7+ Kd6 8.Qd5+ Ke7 9.Qxa5 in Doazan D29

"Doazan" refers to Gabriel Eloy Doazan's 1843 article in Le Palamede, where his "Un manuscrit sur les echecs" presented one of Polario's manuscripts. 

4.Bxf7+ 

There are 2,860 games with this move in The Database. White scores 71%.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 

Black's King steps back.

Stockfish 16.1 slightly prefers 5...Ke7, e.g. 6.d4 d6 7.Bg5+ Nf6 8.Nd3 h6, when play gets wild - 9.Qh5 hxg5 10.Qxh8 Nxe4 11.0-0 Bf5 but supposedly equal, where White has a Rook and a pawn (and a safer King) for two pieces.

6.d4 

Simple enough.

With only one minute on the clock, White does not explore 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 hxg6 8.Qxg6+ Ke7 9.d3 Bh6 10.Bxh6 Nxh6 11.Qg5+ Kf7 12.Qxa5 with four pawns (and a safer King) for a piece. 

6...d6 

Encouraging - or overlooking - White's next move.

7.Qh5+ Ke7 

Black would have better chances to hold on with 7...g6 8.Nxg6 Nf6 9.Qh4 hxg6 10.Qxh8 Nxe4 11.Bh6 Qf6 12.Qxf8+ Qxf8 13.Bxf8 Kxf8 when White would have a Rook and two pawns for two pieces. 

8.Qf7 checkmate

There are 7 games like this in The Database

Jerome Gambit: Complications, Complications, Complications

I continue to be amazed how players like angelcamina can find their way through the complications of the Jerome Gambit to gain the full point - all with only seconds of thinking time per move.

angelcamina - Gregigras

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2026

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

Open Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4 Qe7 

angelcamina has reached this position 22 times, scoring 14 - 6 - 2. 

9.O-O Nc6 10.Qc4+ Qe6 11.Qe2 

White has some work ahead of him to get things going.

11...Nd4 

It is always tempting to harass the enemy Queen. This move does not squander Black's advantage, but it reduces it.

12.Qd3 c5 13.f4 a5 

Planning to develop a piece to a6?

14.e5 

This is a complicated position to solve in a 1-minute game!

Black's best might be to return a piece while adding more tactical complexity - 14...b6 15.exf6 Ba6 16.f5 Qe5 17.Qh3 Bxf1 18.fxg7 Qxg7 19.Qh5+ Kg8 20.Kxf1 Nxf5 - ending up an exchange ahead.

15.Nxd5 Qxd5 16.c3 Rf8 

Stockfish 16.1 gives a line that keeps things even - 16...d6 17.cxd4 Qxd4+ 18.Qxd4 cxd4 19.Bd2 dxe5 20.fxe5+ Ke6 21.Rad1 Bd7 (21...Kxe5 22.Bf4+) 22.Rf4 Ba4 23.Rc1 Rhd8 24.Rc7 Bc6 25.Rxg7 Rg8 26.Rxg8 Rxg8 27.Rxd4 Rxg2+ 28.Kf1 Rxh2 29.Bc3.

Of course, the computer can calculate very rapidly.

17.cxd4 cxd4 

Safer was exchanging Queens after 17...Qxd4+.

18.Be3 

To win the d-pawn.

With more time, White would have found that he could grab a different pawn, with 18.Qxh7 Ke8 19.f5 Qg8. 

18...b6 19.Qxd4 Qe6 

It still was safer, instead, to exchange Queens.

20.f5 Qc6 21.Rac1 Qb7 22.Qc4+ Ke8 

23.f6 gxf6 24.exf6 Rf7 

The only way to put off checkmate was 24...d5.

25.Bf4 d5 26.Rce1+ Kf8 

27.Bh6+ Kg8 28.Re8+ Rf8 29.Rxf8 checkmate

Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit: Be Careful

In the following game, Black introduces an interesting offer of a pawn, only to be met with an offer of a piece.

The defender must be careful, and, when he isn't, open lines facilitate White's attack.

HenriDepraz - sds_slothv2

2 1 bullet, lichess.org, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4

Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

 4.Bxf7+ 

Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7 6.c3 Nc6 7.Nxc6+ dxc6 

Black - with a piece for two pawns - has an edge, but, with his King at risk, he must be careful.

8.d4 Nf6 

This is asking for the Knight to be kicked. Stockfish 16.1 prefers 8...Kf7. 

9.e5 Nd5 10.Bg5+ Nf6 11.exf6+ gxf6 

12.Qe2+ 

Earlier in the year HenriDepraz tried 12.Be3 Kf7 13.Qh5+ Kg8 14.Nd2 Be6 15.O-O Bf7 16.Qf3 Bd6 17.Ne4 Kg7 18.Qg4+ Bg6 19.Ng3 Rg8 20.Nf5+ Kh8 21.Nxd6 Qxd6 22.Qf3 Rae8 23.Rfe1 Be4 24.Qf4 Rxg2+ 25.Kf1 Reg8 26.Ke2 Qe6 27.Kd2 f5 28.Rac1 Qxa2 29.Qe5+ R2g7 30.Bh6 Qxb2+ 31.Ke3 Qb5 32.Bxg7+ Rxg7 33.Qxb5 cxb5 34.Rg1 Re7 35.Kf4 a6 36.f3 Bd3 37.Rce1 Rxe1 38.Rxe1 a5 39.Re3 Bc4 40.Kxf5 a4 41.Kf6 h6 42.Re8+ White won on time, HenriDepraz - shekibkhan_2023, 2 1 bullet, lichess.org, 2025. 

12...Kf7 13.Qh5+ Kg8 14.Be3 Bd6 

Missing a chance to exchange Queens with 14...Qd5.

Black's King has moved out of the center - but not for long.

15.O-O Be6 16.Nd2 Bf7 17.Qg4+ Kf8 

Having brought back his light-squared Bishop to chase the enemy King away, he should have put it to further use by blocking the check with 17...Bg6.

White now uses open lines to continue his attack on the King.

18.Bh6+ Ke8 19.Rfe1+ Be7 20.Ne4 Rg8 21.Nxf6 checkmate