I recently received a friendly email that I would like to quote from
I came across a chess video on YouTube by GM Aman Hambleton in 2020 where he played the Jerome Gambit. He was apparently inspired by your research into this wonderfully strange and unusual opening.
Readers can check out posts "Jerome Gambit: All In Good Fun" and "Jerome Gambit: New Games Coming" for Grandmaster Hambleton's encounter with the Jerome Gambit, and his influence on the opening's popularity.
Ever since then, I have always wanted to try it and finally it happened. I am rated 884 and my opponent was rated 729. The game ended after 9 moves to my surprise. It seems obvious that my opponent had never seen the Jerome before and was completely unprepared for it. I would venture to say that that surprise factor is what makes the Jerome so enticing to play.
I usually play the Scotch Gambit as White. So the Jerome in this game transposed out of the Scotch gambit. Attached is the PGN. Please let me know if this game is worthy of being added to your database. I would be so honored to hear back from you. If I am successful in future games, please let me know if you would like to continue to receive them from me.
I am always interested in receiving Jerome Gambit and Jerome-related games and analysis. In the case of the aforementioned game, it provides an opportunity to touch on earlier discussions as well.
LSCLegend13 - hughtuff230
5 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2026
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4
The Scotch Gambit.
4...Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The earliest example that I have of this position in The Database is Wright - Hunn, Pine Bluff, Arkansas, 1874 (0-1, 18).
Presented in the November 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal, it garnered the overall assessment "Brilliant but not sound."
Further, the Dubuque Chess Journal continued
An unsound variation of Jerome's double opening.
Note that it is the P at Q5 [d4] that gives the second player such a wonderfully harassing position later in the game.
5...Kxf7 6.Ne5+
According to the 1874 Dubuque Chess Journal "SK5 [Ne5] à la Jerome is better than SS5 [Ng5]."
In 2026, Stockfish 17.1 disagrees, rating 6.Ng5+ higher than 6.Ne5+, but it actually prefers 6.c3, with a possible transposition to the Goring Gambit.
6...Nxe5 7.Qh5+
Save that Knight.
8.f4 g6
Kick that Queen.
9.Qxe5+
The Bishop will be taken, too. Material will be even, but Black's King will still be unsafe.
I think, though, that hughtuff230 should have played on for one more move. If he played 9...Kf7 and White responded with 10.Qxh8, Black could push back with 10...Qh4, when the first player would only have a small edge.
Of course, I am sure that LSCLegend13 would have captured the Bishop, and, later, the pawn on d4, settling things.
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