I enjoy the games of International Michael Basman, whichs often start out in an unusual manner, and continue so throughout the game. His latest work is titled U Cannot Be Serious.
By contrast, it is not a surprise when someone plays the Jerome Gambit, making it look, well, normal.
The following game is a good example.
Tom - NN
3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2026
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qd5+
The good old "nudge".
7...Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Qf6
It is probably stronger to put the Knight on f6.
On the other hand, if Black were to move his Queen, it might go to h4.
In either event, White still has some work to do to catch up.
10.O-O Bd7
The computer is generally skeptical when it comes to the Jerome, but that does not stop it from recommending 10...Nf4 11.d3 g5 against it here.
Instead, Black takes a calmer route.
11.Nc3 c6
To keep the enemy Knight out of d5, where it would attack the Queen.
12.d4 Qe7 13.f4 Nf6
The "Jerome pawns" take the field. If only Black's King could now castle to safety...
14.e5
Or 14.f5, also sowing confusion in the enemy ranks.
14...Ng4 15.Qg3 Rf8
Kicking the Knight.
Stockfish 17.1 gives a long series of moves, ending up with about an equal game: 16.Ne4 dxe5 17.dxe5 Qh4 18.Qxh4 Nxh4 19.Nd6+ Ke7 20.h3 Nh6 21.f5 Rxf5 22.Nxf5+ N4xf5 23.Bg5+ Ke8 24.g4 Nd4 25.Bxh6 gxh6 26.Rf6.
I am pretty sure that I would kick the Knight, too.
16...Nh6 17.Bd2 Nf5
A hard choice: move the Bishop a second time, with 17...Bf5, or chase White's Queen to a more effective square, with the text.
18.Qd3 d5
A slip, but this is a blitz game. (Backing up the pawn, first, with 23.Rae1 was consistent.)
23...Bxe6 24.Rae1 Kd7 25.Ne2 Qg6
Exchanging Queen now would help the defense, so White declines.
26.Qg3 Qg5 27.Nf4
Black retreats his Bishop and blockades the enemy passed pawn.
What could go wrong?
He still had a route to a draw (by repetition) with 27...Rxf6 28.Nxe6 Rxe6 29.Rxe6 Kxe6 30.Qe1+ Kd7 31.Rf7+ Kd6 32.Qb4+ Ke6 33.Qxb7 Qe3+ 34.Kh2 Qe2+ 35.Kg3 Qe1+ 36.Kh2 Qe2+ 37.Kg3 Qe1+.
28.Re7+ Kd8 29.Ne6+ Bxe6 30.Qc7 checkmate
Attack on an uncastled King, leading to checkmate. Seems pretty normal to me.
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