Sunday, August 17, 2025

Jerome Gambit: Safety-Seeking or Tempo-Taking


Playing 4.O-O after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc4 - sometimes, a pause on the way to the Jerome Gambit - can lead to a "modern" variation of the opening (no 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+), as opposed to the "classical" variation (4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+) played by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, himself.

Is 4.O-O a bit of King-safety-seeking, before a bold play on the other player's King? Or is it a bit of tempo-taking, awaiting a particular move by the defender before triggering the attack?

Consider the player CassomaD4, with 335 games in The Database. He has played 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc4 4.O-O 35 times. In 28 of those games, his opponent played 4...Nf6, the move rated by Stockfish 16.1 as the strongest response; which was met, in turn, by 5.Bxf7+.

If you check for this position in The Database, however, 123 of CassomaD4's games will show up, reflecting a transposition from the Two Knights Defense, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.O-O Bc5 5.Bxf7+

In all, his score of 43% compared well with the overall statistics for the position: 2,022 games in The Database, with White scoring 42%.

Both fall short of the "classical" Jerome Gambit's statistics in The Database, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc4 4.Bxf7+, 

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