Jerome Gambit: It Helps to Be Prepared

Opponents facing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) would do well to be prepared. Even if the opening is officially "refuted", any old response will not do. The following game is a good example of how things can quickly go bad for the defender.

The games in the notes provide additional proof that Black needs to be careful.

Eelco_Niermeijer - CatharWitch
2 1 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 

Here, Black resigned recently in Martynas-S - OkKidA, 5 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2020.

8...Qe7

Also seen, lately,

8...Qf6 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 10.Nc3 (10.d3 Ng4 11.f3 Ne5 12.Bf4 Nc6 13.c3 Bd7 14.d4 Bb6 15.Nd2 Re8 16.O-O-O Na5 17.d5 Kf6 18.b4 g5 19.Bg3 Be3 20.bxa5 h5 21.Rhe1 Bc5 22.Rf1 h4 23.Bf2 Ba4 24.Rde1 Ba3+ 25.Kb1 Ke5 26.Nc4+ Black resigned Nobody_WhtSoEvr - CASHDAVIS, 5 5 blitz, lichess.org, 2020) 10...Be6 11.a3 c6 12.O-O Rf8 13.b4 Bd4 14.Bb2 b5 15.d3 Kg8 16.Nd1 Bb6 17.Bxf6 Rxf6 18.Ne3 d5 19.exd5 cxd5 20.Rae1 Rf8 21.Nd1 Bg4 22.Nc3 d4 23.Nxb5 a5 24.Re4 Bd7 25.Nxd4 axb4 26.axb4 Kh8 27.c4 Ba4 28.Ne6 Rf6 29.c5 Bc6 30.Re3 White won on time, Atti0130 - Narsin, 5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020; 

8...d5 9.Qxh7+ Kf6 10.e5+ Kf5 11.O-O Kxe5 12.Qxg6 Bf5 13.Re1+ Kd4 14.c3+ Kd3 15.Qxf5+ Black resigned, HadesNoir - Ingerboi, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020;

8...Qg5 9.Qxh7+ Kf8 10.O-O Nh6 11.d4 Qg4 12.Qxh6+ Kg8 13.dxc5 Qxe4 14.Nc3 Qxc2 15.Be3 Qxb2 16.Bd4 Black resigned, gabrielebattaglia - FDACH00, 15 10, lichess.org, 2020;

8...Nf6 9.Qxd8 Black resigned, CasualGames4ever - Alanvarela10, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020 9...Nxe4 10.Qxc7+ Ke8 11.Qxh7 Nxf2 12.O-O Ng4+ 13.Kh1 Nf2+ 14.Rxf2 Bxf2 15.Qxg6+ Kd8 16.Qf6+ Ke8 17.Qxf2 Be6 18.Nc3 Rd8 19.d3 d5 20.Bg5 Rd6 21.Qxa7 Black resigned, akosimike - Dadlani_Harsh, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020; and

8... Qh4 9. O-O (9.d4 Qxe4+ [9...Bh3 10.Be3 Re8 11.dxc5 Nf6 12.Qxe8+ Kxe8 13.gxh3 Qxe4 14.Rg1 Qxc2 15.Nd2 dxc5 16.Rg5 b6 17.Rd1 Qxb2 18.Nf3 Qxa2 19.Re5+ Kf7 20.Ng5+ Kg7 21.Re7+ Kg8 22.Rd8+ Black resigned, penguingim1 - sutcunuri, .5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020] 10.Be3 Qxg2 11.Qxh7+ Kf8 12.Rf1 Bh3 13.Nd2 Nf6 14.Bh6+ Ke8 15.Qh8+ Kf7 16.Qg7+ Ke6 17.dxc5 Rg8 18.Qxg8+ Nxg8 19.Be3 Kf7 20.cxd6 Qc6 21.dxc7 Qxc7 22.Rg1 Bf5 23.c3 Qc4 24.Nxc4 Black resigned, penguingim1 - sutcunuri, .5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020) 9... Qxe4 (9...Nf6 10.Nc3 Bh3 11.Qxa8 Qg4 12.g3 Qf3 White resigned, flash_ahaaa - thefinalzugzwang, 2 1 blitz, lichess.org, 2020) 10.Nc3 Qf4 11.Nd5 Qg4 12.Qxh7+ Kf8 13.d3 Qg5 14.Bxg5 Black resigned, Jelks_Cabaniss - alessandrochiesa, 10 0 blitz, Chess.com 2020. 

9.Qxh7+ Kf8 10.Qxe7+ Kxe7 11.O-O Nf6 Black resigned

Interestingly enough, the same moves were played in youngrema - Stella-chan, lichess.org, 2020.

Jerome Gambit: Quick Finishes

I have received a number of Jerome Gambits that show clearly why players are drawn to it - the sacrifice shows up in a variety of lines, and the games feature quick finishes. Take a look.

In his first Jerome, Kylon tries what I have begun to call an "impatient Jerome Gambit" (White doesn't wait for ...Bc5) against the Hungarian Defense. In this case, impatience is rewarded, with a checkmate in 9 moves.

Kylon - PawnStar10111
3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Be7 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.d4 Nc4 8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.Qd5#

Rawnessman applies the Jerome treatment to the Two Knights Defense, in a 1-minute bullet game. His aim is true.

Rawnessman - chepea2019
1 0 bullet, Chess.com, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Ng6 7.e5 Nd5 8.Qf3+ Kg8 9.Qxd5#

The_Guccinator does not let his opponent hide in the Petroff Defense. A Jerome-inspired sacrificial attack brings mate in under 10 moves.

The_Guccinator - taks54321
15 10 blitz, Chess.com, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 Rg8 8.Nh8+ Ke7 9.Qe5#

Things did not go exactly as planned for Jean_Kn's opponent in the following game. At least the suffering was short.

Jean_Kn - teozuy
3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Nf6 8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 Black resigned

Changing sides of the board, Jean_Kn plays a reversed Jerome Gambit, also know as the Busch-Gass Gambit or Chiodini's Gambit.

Amess923 - Jean_Kn
3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020
1.Nf3 e5 2.e4 Bc5 3.Nxe5 Nc6 4.Nxc6 dxc6 5.d3 Nf6 6.Bg5 Bxf2+ 7.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 8.dxe4 Qxd1 White resigned

DropBearMKJ's first Jerome Gambit turned out better than he expected, and certainly better than his opponent had hoped.

DropBearMKJ - ximikmamaj
3 2 blitz, Chess.com, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qf6 8.Qxc5 Black resigned

Here we have another Two Knights that gets ambushed by an impatient Jerome Gambit. I think we've seen this kind of ending position before.

ChessBrah - kevvvvvvv
5 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nc6 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Nc6 7.e5 Nd5 8.Qf3+ Kg8 9.Qxd5#

Martynas-S is ready for a full fight after 8 moves in the Jerome Gambit. His opponent, however, is ready to turn over his King.

Martynas-S - OKKidA
5 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 Black resigned