Jerome Gambit: Black Slips, White Scores

Black slips, White scores.

That often is a synopsis of the tale of the Jerome Gambit, as the following game illustrates.

angelcamina - greekgodd

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2025

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ 

The "nudge" to push Black's King back to the 8th rank and block his Rook from coming to the e-file.

I like this idea, so I checked with The Database. angelcamina has played it 522 times, scoring 63%. That is a decent outcome, but he has also played the direct 7.Qxc5 107 times, scoring 72%. Hmmm...

A quick peek at The Database in general shows 5,418 games with the "nudge", also scoring 63%; but 6,210 games with 7.Qxc5, scoring only 52%.

So, I guess I am still okay with 7.Qd5+, which has scored well for angelcamina; it is just that, for him, 7.Qxc5 has scored even better.

For the record, Stockfish 16.1 [27 ply]  rates the direct capture 7.Qxc5 as about  2 1/4 pawns better for Black, as opposed to about 2 pawns better for Black with 7.Qd5+.

Yet, White wins at least more than half the time? That's the Jerome Gambit for you.

7...Ke8 

On this square, White's capture of the Bishop does not come with check.

8.Qxc5 d6 

The "natural" move, anyhow.

The alterative, 8...b6, is as old as Charlick, H. - Cooke, W., Adelaide, 1884 (1-0, 25).

9.Qb5+ Bd7 10.Qxb7 

I have discussed this pawn grab in "Sleeping in the Gutter or Getting Away?" in the context of Bill Wall's games.

10...Nf6 11.Nc3 Kf7 12.O-O Re8 

13.d3 Ne5 14.f4 Bc6 

This attack by the Bishop on the Queen is the reason for Black's Knight placement in the center - but it doesn't work. Blame it on the fact that this is a 1-minute game.

15.Qb3+ Kf8 16.fxe5 Rxe5 17.Bf4 Rh5 

Thanks to Black's slip, White has pulled ahead in material.

18.Bg3 Rg5 19.Rae1 Be8 20.e5 dxe5 21.Bxe5 

A slip that both players miss. Black now has 21...Rxe5 22.Rxe5 Qd4+ 23.Rf2 Qxe5, winning a piece. 

21...Rb8 22.Qc4 Bf7 23.Qc5+ Qe7 24.Qxe7+ Kxe7 

Exhanging Queens does not really simplifiy the position, as White's tactics show there is more material to be had.

25.Bxf6+ Kf8 26.Bxg5 Kg8 

Black's best hope now is to win on time, but that does not happen.

27.Bc1 Bxa2 28.Nxa2 Rd8 29.Nc3 Re8 30.Rxe8 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: A Cousin

The following game, featuring an opening relative to the Jerome Gambit, is a good example of the exhortation to Keep on playing! even when things are looking dim for you. White does not give up until he delivers checkmate.

angelcamina - cheesecomputer

1 0 bullet, lichess.com, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nxe4 5.Bxf7+

This is the the Noa Gambit, otherwise known as the Monck Gambit, otherwise known as the Open Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, a Jerome cousin. See "Further Explorations (Parts 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5)"

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe4 d5 7.Neg5+ 

In Pollock Memories: A Collection of Chess Games, Problems, &c., &c., Including His Matches with Eugene Delmar, Jackson Showalter, and G.H.D. Gossip (1899), Pollock wrote 

In some positions the king should not always be 'checked to death,' or he may 'escape alive'.

In another game, angelcamina took this advice: 7.Nc3 e4 8. Ng1 Bc5 9. d4 Bxd4 10. Nge2 Bb6 11. O-O Rf8 12. Nxd5 Kg8 13. Nxb6 axb6 14. Qe1 Ne5 15. Qc3 Qf6 16. Bf4 Ng4 17. Qxf6 Nxf6 18. Bxc7 Bg4 19. Ng3 Rac8 20. Bxb6 Rxc2 21. Bd4 Rd8 22. Bc3 b5 23. a3 Rd3 24. h3 Be6 25. Rad1 Bb3 26. Rxd3 exd3 27. Rd1 {'?'}Bc4 28. Ne4 Nd5 29. Nd2 Nxc3 30. Nxc4 Rxb2 31. Rxd3 Nd1 32. Kh2 Rc2 33. Rd8+ Kf7 34. Ne3 Nxe3 35. fxe3 Rf2 36. Rd7+ Kg6 37. Ra7 Black resigned, angelcamina - florianschreib, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019.

7...Kg6 

Not as strong as 7...Kf6, but you would not know that by 8.d4 Bg4 9.dxe5+ Nxe5 10.Qd4 Bxf3 11.Nxf3 Qe7 12.Bg5+ Black resigned angelcamina - GrainBowl, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023.

Alternatives

7...Ke8 8.d4 h6 9.Nh3 e4 10.Ne5 Nxe5 11.Qh5+ Nf7 12.Nf4 Qf6 13.Nxd5 Qd6 14.Bf4 Qc6 15.Nxc7+ Ke7 16.Nd5+ Ke8 17.Nc7+ Ke7 18.Nxa8 Qxc2 19.O-O Be6 20.Rac1 Qxb2 21.Rc7+ Ke8 22.Rxf7 Bxf7 23.Qe5+ Be7 24.Nc7+ Kf8 25.d5 Qb6 26.d6 Qxd6 27.Qxd6 Bxd6 28.Bxd6+ Kg8 29.Rc1 Bxa2 30.Nb5 a6 31.Nd4 Kh7 32.Rc7 Rd8 33.Be5 b5 34.Rxg7+ Kh8 35.Rd7+ Black resigned, angelcamina-Farbic, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024;

7...Kg8 8.d4 e4 9.Ne5 Nxe5 10.dxe5 h6 (10...Be7 11.Nxe4 dxe4 12.Qxd8+ Bxd8 13.Bf4 Bf5 14.O-O-O Be7 15.e6 Rd8 16.Rxd8+ Bxd8 17.Re1 Bf6 18.f3 exf3 19.e7 f2 20.e8=Q checkmate, angelcamina - rutkaycabuk, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024; 10...c6 11.Nxe4 Bf5 12.Ng3 Bg6 13.O-O h6 14.f4 Be7 15.f5 Bf7 16.Qg4 Kh7 17.Nh5 Bxh5 18.Qxh5 Qb6+ 19.Kh1 Rhf8 20.Qg6+ Kh8 21.f6 gxf6 22.exf6 c5 23.Qg7 checkmate, angelcamina-Lelzwashere, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024) 11.Nxe4 Bb4+ (11...Bg4 12.Qxg4 dxe4 13.Qxe4 Bc5 14.Bd2 Qe7 15.O-O-O a5 16.f4 b5 17.f5 Kf7 18.e6+ Kf6 19.Bc3+ Kg5 20.h4+ Kh5 21.g4 checkmate, angelcamina-dv_66, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2025) 12.c3 Be7 13.Ng3 c6 14.O-O Be6 15.f4 Kh7 16.f5 Black resigned, angelcamina - Otschin_Karascho, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024.

8.d4 

White is better, but the position is more complicated than it might look.

8...h6 

This move should allow White's Knights to gallop all over the place, but, remember this is a 1-minute, no increment game, and sometimes fortunes swing wildly. 

9.Nxe5+ 

Next time, White will find 9.Nh4+Kf6 10.Qf3+ Ke7 11.Ng6+Kd6 12.Nf7+ and the defender will lose both his Queen and a Rook.

9...Nxe5 10.dxe5 hxg5 

Things may look dire for White, but, remember, he has two things on his side - the clock, and the uneasy placement of Black's King.

11.Qd3+ Kf7 12.O-O Bc5 13.Be3 Bxe3 14.fxe3+ Kg8 

White's Rook is in the game, and that's something.

15.e4 dxe4 

Oh, dear. The clock ticks against Black.

16.Qxd8+ 

Not surprisingly, White now has a forced checkmate.

16...Kh7 17.Qxg5 Be6 18.Qh4+ Kg8 19.Qe7 Bf7 20.Rxf7 Kh7 21.Rxg7+ Kh6 22.Qf6+ Kh5 23.Rg5+ Kh4 24.Qf4 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Fun

 

YouTube videos on the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) have been appearing frequently, of late.

A fun, quick, overview of opening move choices in the Jerome, by TheChessFellow, can be found -

Chess Tips & Tricks: Openings The Jerome Gambit - YouTube Also, for an enjoyable, catchy, tune which includes the very relevant warning "The first to panic loses the game" check out Malcolm's   Jerome gambit - YouTube Both vidoes reinforce the notion that for a lot of club players, the choice of the Jerome Gambit is a fun one.

Jerome Gambit: For Whom the Bell Tolls

In the following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, Black adopts a strong counter to White's sacrificial attack, but fails to follow through accurately. Thus, the game ends as a miniature, but with the first player succeeding.

Wall, Bill - Saud

internet, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4

This counter-attack goes back to the game Sorensen - X, Denmark, 1888 (1-0, 27). 

White has to hold on, and hope that his opponent doesn't quite know what he is doing. (In 54 games with this position, Bill, as White, has scored 82%. Mind you, that's a bit off of his full results found in The Database: over 1,500 games, scoring 95%.)

7.O-O Bd6 

Showing unfamiliarity, although he does save the Bishop. Main line play was 7...Qxe4. 

8.dxe5 Bxe5

Again. The Bishop needed to retreat with 8...Be7 or 8...Bf8. 

9.f4 

Or 9.Qd5+ Kf6 10.f4 Bxf4 11.Bxf4 d6 12. Bg3+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Neilson,C, internet, 2016. 

9...Bd6 10.e5 Bc5+ 11.Kh1 Qe7 

12.Nc3 c6 13.Ne4 d5 Nxc5 Qxc5

Black has managed to keep a piece-for-pawn advantage, but those "Jerome pawns" are ready for action, while Black's extra piece is still at home.

15.f5 Ne7 

Developing a piece, threatening to win his opponent's f-pawn - what could be wrong with this? It turns out that he should have physically prevented White's next move with 15...h5. 

16.Qh5+ Kf8 17.e6

Black resigned

There is nothing but sorrow ahead for the defender, starting with 17...Ng6 (putting off checkmate for a while) 18.fxg6+ Ke8 19.gxh7+ Kd8 20.Qe5 Bxe6 (ditto) 21.Qxe6 Kc7 22.Rf7+ Kb6 23.Be3 on top of which there would now be a checkmate in 10.

As John Donne wrote,

...never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

Jerome Gambit: Training Game #9

Here is the ninth training game from Sacrifice Theory. The Bishop mentioned in the previous post (see "Jerome Gambit: Sacrifice Theory").

It is possible the Black could have survived after unnecessarily sacrificing a piece, but his subsequent Queen's misadventure on the queenside cost valuable time; and White was able to take advantage .

NN - NN

#9 Training Game, Gambit, Ryabova

2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

A strong defense for Black, first mentioned by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, himself, in analysis published in the July 1874 edition of the Dubuque Chess Journal.

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Qf6 9.d3 Kf7 

Instead, NN - NN, Training game #2, 2024 continued 9...Be6 10.O-O h5 11.h4 Ne7 12.c3 Kg8 13.Bg5 Qf7 14.d4 Bb6 15.f4 Bc4 16.Re1 Kh7 17.Nd2 Rhe8 18.f5 Bxa2 19.Bxe7 Rxe7 20.Nf3 Kh8 21.Ng5 Qb3 22.Qf3 Qxb2 23.Qxh5+ Kg8 24.Kh2 Qxc3 25.Rxa2 Qb3 26.d5 g6 27.Qxg6+ Rg7 28.Qe6+ Kf8 29.f6 Qxa2 30.fxg7+ Kxg7 31.Qf7+ Kh6 32.Qh7#

10.Nc3 Ne7 11.Bg5 Nf5 

Bold. Reckless. Perhaps the game was played at high speed. 

Safer was 11...Qg6.

12.exf5 

White is not afraid of opening the e-file, despite the upcoming attack on his King. 

Stockfish 16.1 recommended, instead, 12.Qf4 Qd4 13.Qf3 Rf8 14.Be3 Qb4 15.Bxc5 Qxc5 16.exf5  when 16...Re8+ could be met by 17.Kd2, and if Black recovers a pawn with 17...Qxf5 18.Qxf5+ Bxf5, the game has quieted with White holding a pawn advantage.

12...Re8+ 13.Ne4 

13.Kd1 was okay, too. 

13...Qe5 

Black avoids 13...Qxb2 - for now.

14.Bf4 Qxb2 15. O-O Bxf5 16. Nxc5 dxc5 

The computer assesses White as being more that 2 1/2 pawns better. I can't quite see that. It must be looking at the Queenside.

17.Rab1 Qxc2 18.Be5 

And the Kingside.

18...Rg8 

Black had to play 18...g6 or 18...Bg6, but in either case White would still be better.

19.Rxb7 Rac8 20.Bxc7 Qa4 

Black hopes to get his Queen to assist in his defense, but it is too late.

21.Ba5+ Bd7 22.Qg5 Kf8 

Seeking safety, but there is none.

23.Re1 Rh8 24.Qe7+ Kg8 25.Rxd7 Qxd7 26.Qxd7 g6 27.Bc3 h6 28.Qg7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Say What?

According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Online

The phrase "say what?" is an informal expression used to convey surprise or disbelief. It can be used when you did not hear what someone said or when you find something hard to believe. For example, if someone shares unexpected news, you might respond with "Say what?!" to express your shock or confusion. 

The following game suggests that the defender had time to respond to the Jerome Gambit with "Say what?" - and then it was all over in under a dozen moves.

Wall, Bill - Pinball

sparkchess, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bd6 

Instead, the straight-forward 6...Bxd4 is simplest.

7.dxe5 Bxe5

This is dangerous. Black should play 7...Bb4+, hoping to exchange the piece off after 8.Bd2 (with some advantage), or simply retreat the piece with 7...Be7 (with an even game).

 8.Qd5+ 

Black will lose a piece - and things could get even worse.

8...Kf6 

In his games that have reached this position, Bill is 16 - 0.

9.f4 

Alternately, 9.h4, as in Wall, B - Guest625265, playchess.com, 2017 (1-0, 12), illustrates the danger to both enemy King and Queen.

9...Qe7 10.O-O 

Sure, why not? Though there was also 10.fxe5+ Qxe5 11.Rf1+ Kg6 12.Qf7# as in Wall, B - Vicher, lichess.org, 2016.

10...Bd6 11.Qf5 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Worst Opening Ever in the History of Chess

 

My Google Alert, set to inform me of any "Jerome Gambit" references, turned up the following post from X (previously Twitter).

My thanks to poster George, for the mention. - Rick

Post

Conversation

George

@George773626

The Jerome Gambit Blog is getting daily updates on the worst opening ever in the history of chess. https://jeromegambit.blogspot.com

2:47 PM · May 30, 2025

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