Jerome Gambit: Coffeehouse Chess

Here is another game from Boris Trapsky, a computer program we have seen before (see "Jerome Gambit: Boris Trapsky [Parts 1 and 2]").

Coffeehouse chess, anyone?

Boris Trapsky

** Blunder to Victory: the Boris Trapsky Story **

Most chess engines cautiously assume their opponent will play the best possible move, but @Boris-Trapsky tries to guess your _actual_ reply....

Challenge @Boris-Trapsky yourself, and see if he can get in _your_ head!

Challenge me to Standard chess---Blitz, Rapid, or Classical. I estimate your skill, then try to play interesting, tricky moves for you. See "Blunder to Victory" lichess.org/study/qDFa6puH for games where I gambled and won. Visit boristrapsky.com/ to read my arrogant, self-serving bio!

Boris-Trapsky - whitelordsk8r

5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Bxf7+ 

On the way to the Jerome Gambit, the computer encounters the Two Knights Defense. No problem - it Jeromes the position, anyhow.

This line goes back at least as far as Draper, Dr - Child, AW., Belfast - Dublin team correspondence match-2 1891-2.

4...Kxf7 5.d4 exd4 6.e5 Kg8 

Black decides to sequester his King, while returning a piece.

7.c3

 Amusing. This is definitely not the best move.

7...Nd5 8.Be3 

Excellent, Boris-Trapsky, coffeehouse chess at its finest. 

8...dxe3 

A free piece is a free piece...

9.Qxd5 checkmate

Boris seems to understand Jerome Gambit-like positions. I hope to see other games by the program.

Jerome Gambit: Playing the Most Popular Moves?!

I have been having a lot of fun watching the many You Tube videos by Kaspa Chess.

Exploring different chess openings, move-by-move, the presenter follows the line of play most popular in the lichess.org database. 

I thought that I would give the same approach to the Jerome Gambit, so I visited lichess.org and began entering the opening's moves.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5

It turns out that each of these moves were the top choice.

4.Bxf7+

Well, this is only the 8th most popular move at lichess.org, but that's how we get the Jerome. 

By the way, the database has over 800,000 Jerome Gambit games.

4...Kxf7

A full 97% of the games included this capture.

5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+

Each move was the overwhelming favorite. No surprise.

6...Ng6

This is the top choice, 50% vs 19% for 6...Ke6. That was a bit of a surprise to me, but, I guess 6...Ke6 and 6...g6 (18%) are more committal.

7.Qxc5

Okay, I like the "nudge" 7.Qd5+ before capturing the Bishop, to displace the King to where it might interfere with the development of his Rook - but that is the second most popular choice at lichess.org.

7...d6

Easily #1.

8.Qd5+ Be6 9.Qxb7

White now has 3 pawns for his sacrificed piece, but I have always labelled this line of play with a "Caution" sign.

9...Nf6 10.d3 Re8

Black's move is barely more popular than the second choice, 10...Rf8 (857 games vs 844).

11.O-O Kg8

King safety is easy to understand.

12.Bg5 h6 13.Bxf6 Qxf6 14.Qxc7 Qxb2

Pawn grabs are not just for White.

15.Nd2 

15...Qxc2

What in the world??

We are down to only 12 games in this line in the lichess.org database, after 15.Nd2, and the text is the most popular response, really - 3 games.

16.Qxc2 Black resigned

And that is how the line at lichess.org ended, along with the games mulong28 - xJO3Yx, 1 0 bullet, lichess, 2021 and hassankondri - pradhanguru1982, 5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2022

Jerome Gambit: The Bishops Bounty

Well, I am somewhat late to the party, as the post apparently went up on February 4, 2025, but it is still important to mention The Bishops Bounty website, with its massive amount of chess information, most especially, their post "The Jerome Gambit: Free Ultimate Guide to History, Tactics & Modern Mastery (With Curated Resources)" - a fantastic resource for anyone interested in 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+.

You can start with "The Jerome Gambit: Chess’s Most Dangerous (and Delightful) Experiment" where you can learn that the site has 

In This Free Jerome Gambit Archive:

• ✅ Rare historical archives of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome’s original games
• 📺 Video breakdowns of aggressive chess tactics and traps
• 🧩 Puzzles testing your ability to exploit open kings
• 🔥 Debates on its effectiveness in modern chess
• 🏆 Famous Jerome Gambit games that left audiences speechless

Whether you’re a thrill-seeking player or a chess historian, this is your roadmap to mastering (or mocking) the opening that turns “quiet games” into firefights. Let’s ignite the board.

The site is very well done, and I tip my hat and bow to its creator. It is certainly the thing that I should have created - were I that skillful.

Go visit. But, be careful, there is so much content there to grab you, time will fly by while your are enjoying the visit.