Jerome Gambit: The Risk of Dismissing

For every chess player intimidated by the Jerome Gambit, there has to be a half-dozen who dismiss it as foolish and unsound.

Unsound it may be, but, for defenders to thoughtlessly dismiss the Jerome - and its moves - as barely requiring their full attention, is, well, foolish.

The following is a painful lesson for Black.

Abshakespeare - lossmoose

Chess.com, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Ne5 

Provocative.

Looking at The Database, Black seems to do better with 9...Nf6, (9...Ne5 scores 23% vs 9...Nf6 scores 37%).

Stockfish 16.1 agrees, rating 9...Nf6 as about a pawn better than 9...Ne5.

But - why worry? It's only the Jerome Gambit.

10.f4 Ng4 

Apparently Black's idea.

11.Qf3 N8f6 

He might have explored 11...Qh4+ 12.g3 Qh3.

12.O-O Kf7 

Black prepares to castle-by-hand. He must be careful, as his King is now on the danger file. Still, the game is about even.

13.e5 dxe5 14.fxe5 Nxe5 

Looking good. Black can handle this opening with his brain tied behind his back...

15.Qb3+ Kf8 16.c3 

Stopping the Queen check.

16...Qd5 

Yikes!

The is defense hadly worth the thought...

If only defeating the Jerome Gambit were actually that easy.

17.Qxd5 Black resigned

Another Jerome Gambit miniature for the record books.