Jerome Gambit: Just In Time

                                                          

Just in time, chessriddler contributes a game that fills in a gap in current Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) practice and theory.

chessriddler - mouathalsebaie

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2025

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6  

This move was addressed recently in the post "You Can Pay Me Now or Pay Me Later" covering Wall, Bill - Docteur, SparkChess, 2025 (1-0, 11).

6.Qg4+ 

Sharp, but sacrificing another piece is best.

6...Kxe5 7.d4+ Nxd4

Not the correct capture. Better was 7...Bxd4, as seen in Wall, Bill - Docteur, SparkChess, 2025.

Chessriddler punishes the text move quickly.

8.Bf4+ Kf6 9.Bg5+ Kf7 10.Bxd8 Nxc2+

It is possible that Black counted on this fork to claw back some material.

11.Kd1 Nxa1 12.Qf5+ 

Simpler was 12.Qh5+ Kf8 13.Qxc5+ snagging the Bishop. But, remember, this is a 3-minute game, and a win is a win is a win.

12...Nf6 13.Bxf6 d6 14.Qg5 gxf6 15.Qh5+ Ke7 

Black has two Bishops for a Rook, but his cornered Knight could be at risk.

16.Nc3 Bxf2 

Tempting, but another factor in play is the risky position of Black's King, as White demonstrates.

17.Nd5+ Kd8 18.Qf7 

White has a forced checkmate in 15 - if Black's defense is the best.

18...Bd7 

Providing more resistance, but still leading to an eventual checkmate, is provided by 18...Bg4+.

19.Qxf6+ Ke8 20.Qe7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Unusual

 

A dozen and a half years ago - in the first year of this blog - I learned of an unusual line in the Jerome Gambit.

Of course, back then, I mentioned the Pausen variation here, but I was not prepared to see how many regular Jerome Gambit players would eventually encounter it: angelcamina, Babypawnmonster, chessriddler, drumme, DutchLiLi, HauntedKnight, Littleplayerparis, perrypawnpusher, UNPREDICTABLE, Wall, ZahariSokolov, ZeKnightRider - and more.

The following game is Matthew_Slater's second such encounter.

Matthew_Slater - SeattleSeahaksfan

1 0 bullet, Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Ke7 

This is not a strong reply, but in a 60-second game, taking the game off of the beaten path is often worth it, because of the thinking time that it costs an opponent.

As we shall see, the tactic was only partially effective.

6.Qh5 Bxf2+ 

I am impressed by SeattleSeahaksfan's play. Stockfish 16.1 sees this return of material as best. No other game in The Database has this move.

7.Kxf2 Qf8+ 8.Ke1 Nd4 

9.Nc3 

Cold-blooded - and correct.

9...Nxc2+ 

It is not likely that, with an eye-blink's worth of thought, Black would have found 9...Nf6, driving the enemy Queen back to protect the square his Knight was attacking, 10.Qd1, then further ejection with 10...d6 11.Nf3 Bg4. White would be a pawn better, in that line; while in the text, the Rook on a1 is poisoned. 

10.Kd1 Nxa1 

In for a penny, in for a pound.

11.Nd5+ Kd6 12.Nc4+ Kc5 

Things are not looking good for Black's King.

13.Nxc7+ 

This move holds the promise of winning the Rook at a8, but there was also 13.b4+ Kb5 14.Nc3+ Kxc4 15.Qb5+ Kd4 16.Qd5 checkmate - not easy to catch in a bullet game. 

Now White gathers material.

13...Kc6 14.Nxa8 d6 15.Qd5+ Kd7 16.Ne5+ Ke7 17.Nc7 Bd7 18.Nxd7 Kxd7 19.Nb5 Ke7 20 Qxd6+ Kf7 

21.Qd5+ Kf6 22.Nd6 

Tightening the noose. After the game, he likely found 22.Rf1+ Kg6 23.Rxf8 Ne7 24.Qf7+ Kh6 25.d3+ g5 26.Rxh8 Ng8 27.Qxh7# 

22...Kg6 23.Nf5 Kf6 24.Qd6+ 

It is clear that Black's King will not escape.

24...Kf7 25.Qxf8+ Kxf8 26.Ke2 Kf7 27.d3 Ke6 28.Be3 Ke5 29.Rxa1 b6 

This has to be a nod toward the clock, as White's extra piece and two passers are enough to win easily.

30.d4+ Kxe4 31.b4 Kxf5 

Okay: Tick tock, tick tock...

32.a4 Ke6 33.a5 bxa5 34.Rxa5 a6 35.Rxa6+ Kd5 36. b5 Kc4 37.Ra5 Kb4 

38.b6 

The text is based on the idea that White's Rook can be jettisoned as his pawn races ahead. Just so - although the assessment overlooks the other side of the board.

With a few more minutes' thinking time, he would have found 38.Ra8 Kxb5 39.Rc8!?, when Black's Knight is pinned, his Rook is tied down to the Knight, and his King is cut off from stopping the advance of White's d-pawn.

38...Kxa5 39.b7 Ka4 

The clock ticks for Black, as well.

Seeing that he cannot catch the pawn, the King runs away from the future Queen, overlooking 39...Nf6, which would uncover the Rook and save the day.

40.b8=Q Ka3 41.Bd2 Ka2 42.Qb4 Ka1 43.Bc3+ Ka2 44.Qb2 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Peering Back

Today I was peering back at Jerome Gambit: A New Look at an Older Line, where I looked at the game Cristopher_Sonido13 - Stefcho2020, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2024: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qf7#

Here are some of my comments, with updates, and updates of updates...

It is interesting to review what I wrote back then. Modern comments are in red. [Today's 2025 comments are in pink.]

6.Qh5+

At the time that I played this move, I knew that the "right" choice was 6.Nxc6, [today's The Database shows 102 games, White scores 73% { In 2025, this is now 110 games, White scores 72%}] since either 6...dxc6 or 6...bxc6 would allow White to play 7.Qh5+ followed by capturing the Bishop; for example, as in perrypawnpusher - rodrigojalpa, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 25) and Wall,B - Qwerty, chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 9).

Looking at 6.Nxc6 now, I still think that it is best for White, but I wanted to point out two untested responses that might surprise the first player.

a) 6...Bxf2+ (as long as Black is going to lose this piece, he decides to get a pawn for it) 7.Kxf2 Qf6+ 8.Qf3 Qxc6 (avoiding doubled c-pawns) when White is a bit better. He has to be careful because of the loose pawn on c2 and the King and Queen being on the same file (vulnerable to ...Ne7 and ...Rf8).

[Today's The Database shows 4 games with 6...Bxf2+, all wins for White, including one by mwafakalhaswa and two by chessriddler. Stockfish 16.1 shows White to have a winning position. {Unchanged in 2025}]

Black also has the untried counter-attacking

b) 6...Qh4, (which I mentioned about 3 years ago in this blog) may be better than the capture of the Knight at c6, as well. White's best response is 7.d4, and after 7...Qxe4+ 8.Qe2 Qxe2+ 9.Kxe2 Bb6 material is even, i.e. 10.Nb4 Bxd4.

The Database in 2025 has 9 games with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Nxc6 Qh4, with White scoring 4 - 5. 

Thus, 6...Qh4 remains the strongest response for Black to 6.Nxc6. Stockfish 16.1 agrees, assessing the position as slightly better (+/=) for White.

Jerome Gambit: "Nothing" Moves

It is a good idea not to ignore "nothing" moves by your opponent, as they may contain threats that need to be attended to.

chessriddler - CrazyHorses

5 3 blitz, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ Qe7 9.Qe3 Nf6 

There are 225 examples of this position in The Database.

10.d3 d5 

A proper strike at the center.

11.b3 

This appears to be a "nothing" move, allowing Black to win the e-pawn. It can be properly met by 11...Qe5, but this is a blitz game, and things can be overlooked. 

11...dxe4 12.Ba3 Black resigned 

Ouch.

The game follows the path of shugart - pitagorico, blitz, FICS, 2013, which had the additional moves 12...c5 13.Bxc5 before Black resigned.

Jerome Gambit: Wanting More

In the following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, White does not wish to settle for a small disadvantage, or a small advantage - he wants more.

chessriddler - LucyCross

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.b4 

This pawn move is at least as old as D.Y. Mills - Anonymous, Edinburgh, 1899 (1-0, 15.)

As I wrote in "Jerome Gambit: Silicon Clash (Part 1)"

It is also very relevant to read up on the Jerome-Mills variations, as analyzed by Yury V. Bukayev.

Taking the pawn now is fine, although retreating the Bishop to b6 - possibly after the provocation, ...Bd4 - is slightly better.

8...Bxf2+ 

 The idea of returning some of the sacrificed material in the Jerome Gambit, through the sacrifice of the Bishop at f2, was first seen in Blackstone,John - Dommeyer,Carl, skittles game, Campbell, CA, 1960 (1-0, 13) and  Hultgren,R - Harrow, Campbell, CA 1960 (1-0, 13).

It leads to an even game, which brings up the eternal argument, is that a success for Black, or for White?

9.Qxf2 Qf6 

Black would like to exchange Queens, which would lead to advantage.

White wants more.

10.Qc5+ Ke6 11.Rf1 

A sinister intermezzo.

11...Qe7 

Another offer to exchange Queens.

Again, White wants more.

12.Qd5 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: chessriddler Instructs

I just finished watching Greg Cannon's - chessriddler's - video "FM rated Jerome win review!! Winning through tactics". 

He analyzes several of his Jerome Gambit games against strong players, paying attention to "tricks, traps and tactics".

His understanding of his opponents' thinking as they make their way through the games is particularly interesting.

It is also worthwhile to review an earlier post "Jerome Gambit: chessriddler's Study".

Having played over 200 Jerome Gambit games, he really knows what he is doing. Check it out.

Jerome Gambit: A New Look at an Older Line

I recently ran across a very short Jerome Gambit game, which allowed me to update some assessments I made of the line, years ago.

Cristopher_Sonido13 - Stefcho2020

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qf7#

Checking The Database showed that I had found 5 previous games that ended the same way.

I was surprised to see that perrypawnpusher - platel, 10 3 blitz, FICS, 2011 was one of them.

Was that covered on this blog? Indeed, yes, 13 years ago.

It is interesting to review what I wrote back then. Modern comments are in red.

6.Qh5+

At the time that I played this move, I knew that the "right" choice was 6.Nxc6, [today's The Database shows 102 games, White scores 73%] since either 6...dxc6 or 6...bxc6 would allow White to play 7.Qh5+ followed by capturing the Bishop; for example, as in perrypawnpusher - rodrigojalpa, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 25) and Wall,B - Qwerty, chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 9).

Looking at 6.Nxc6 now, I still think that it is best for White, but I wanted to point out two untested responses that might surprise the first player.

a) 6...Bxf2+ (as long as Black is going to lose this piece, he decides to get a pawn for it) 7.Kxf2 Qf6+ 8.Qf3 Qxc6 (avoiding doubled c-pawns) when White is a bit better. He has to be careful because of the loose pawn on c2 and the King and Queen being on the same file (vulnerable to ...Ne7 and ...Rf8).

analysis diagram




[Today's The Database shows 4 games with 6...Bxf2+, all wins for White, including one by mwafakalhaswa and two by chessriddler. Stockfish 16.1 shows White to have a winning position.]

Black also has the untried counter-attacking

b) 6...Qh4, (which I mentioned about 3 years ago in this blog) may be better than the capture of the Knight at c6, as well. White's best response is 7.d4, and after 7...Qxe4+ 8.Qe2 Qxe2+ 9.Kxe2 Bb6 material is even, i.e. 10.Nb4 Bxd4.

analysis diagram




[Today's The Database shows 9 games with 6...Qh4, with White winning 4 of them - 44%. Stockfish 16.1 agrees that 7.d4 is White's best response, although after 7...Qxe4+ it slightly prefers 8.Be3 over 8.Qe2, while it still gives White an edge after 8...Qxe2+ 9.Kxe2 Bb6.]

I suppose Black can side-step some of this excitement by capturing the Knight with 5...Nxe5, or by retreating his King to f8, instead of e8, as in the game.

 

Jerome Gambit: Study Plus Video

                                                 

About 3 weeks ago, in the blog post "Jerome Gambit: chessriddler's Study" I mentioned that the online player chessriddler had "assembled a 14 chapter study of the Jerome Gambit - including some Jerome ideas for Black - at lichess.org."

Tell me, Readers - did you visit the site?

Did  you make it to the 14th chapter, featuring the Jerome Gambit game chessriddler - NM CrazyHorses?

It only lasted a dozen moves; you might have missed it.

Still I think it would be worth your while - for both educational and entertainment value - to head on over to lichess.org and check it out.

Or, you can watch the game on a short YouTube video titled "NM CRAZYHORSES IS BACK!! JEROME GAMBIT TRAP!!"

I watched it.

It left me chuckling, shaking my head, and muttering "That must have hurt!"

Go ahead. You know you want to.

Jerome Gambit: chessriddler's Study

The online player chessriddler, with over 200 games in The Database, is someone who we have recently seen in blog posts "Jerome Gambit: Battle Royal", "Jerome Gambit: Hunker Down", and "Jerome Gambit: Great Minds Think Alike". 

He has assembled a 14 chapter study of the Jerome Gambit - including some Jerome ideas for Black - at lichess.org.

The games are well worth playing over.

 

Jerome Gambit: Battle Royal

If I ever faced a 2500 player in a blitz game, I would probably get serious and play 1.d4, heading for the London Opening.

Who am I kidding? I would play the Jerome Gambit and see what happens - just because.

In the following game, chessriddler, with almost 200 games in The Database, steps up and hurls Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's opening at his opponent, with equal aplomb.

A poke in the eye? A tweak of the nose? Choose your own metaphor, but do enjoy the battle.

chessriddler - peperoni10

10 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ 

Just to illustrate the first player's attitude, here he offered a draw.

 5...Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 

Here we have a standard Jerome Gambit position. There are 820 games with it in The Database, going back to Charlick - Mann, correspondence, 1881 (1-0, 72) . White scores 65%.

10.O-O Rf8 

Preparing to castle-by-hand, quite prudent.

11.f4 

First, a precaution was played in chessriddler - Aliasgari77, lichess.org, 2023: 11.h3 Kf7 12.f4 Kg8 13.f5 Ne5 14.b3 Bd7 15.d4 Nf7 16.c4 c5 17.d5 Re8 18.Nd2 Ne5 19.Bb2 Qe7 20.Nf3 Nxf3+ 21.Qxf3 Qxe4 22.Qg3 Nh5 23.Qg5 Qe3+ 24.Qxe3 Rxe3 25.Rad1 Ng3 26.Rf2 Nxf5 27.Bc1 Rg3 28.Rdf1 Ne3 29.Rf8+ Rxf8 30.Rxf8+ Kxf8 31.Bxe3 Rxe3 32.Kf2 Re2+ 33.Kxe2 Bf5 34.Kf3 Bc2 35.g4 Bb1 Black won on time

11...Qe7 12.d3 Kf7

Or 12...Be6 13.f5 Bf7 14.fxg6 Bxg6 15.Nc3 Kd7 16.Qh3+ Qe6 17.Qxe6+ Kxe6 18.Bg5 c6 19.d4 Nxe4 20.Rae1 d5 21.Rxf8 Rxf8 22.h3 h6 23.Bc1 Kd6 24.Nxe4+ Bxe4 25.Kh2 g5 26.Bd2 Rf2 27.Rg1 Rxd2 28.c3 Rxb2 29.Kg3 Rxa2 30.Kg4 Rxg2+ 31.Kh5 Rxg1 Black won on time,  chessriddler - M80_11m, lichess.org, 2023. 

13.f5 Ne5 14.h3 Kg8 

Black has an extra piece for two pawns, better development - and a safe King. The computer sees him as about a pawn and 1/4 better.

Things can change, however, especially in a 10-minute game.

15.b3 d5 

Here we go. Hitting White's pawn chain looks like a solid idea, but it overlooks a tactic. It is not surprising that peperoni10 did not choose the Stockfish 16.1 suggestion of 15...b5.

16.Ba3 Qf7

A little better was the tricky 16...d4!?, e.g. 17.Bxe7 dxe3 18.Bxf8 Kxf8 and after gathering in the pawn on e3 White will have a Rook and 3 pawns vs 2 pieces. Two pieces often best a Rook, but the extra pawns - and White's pawn structure - support the first player.

17.Bxf8 Kxf8

To add insult to injury, White now displaces the enemy Knights.

18.d4 Nc6 19.e5 Ne4

I am reminded of the lament, Now that I have what I really want, do I really want what I have?

What should White's plan be?

20.e6 

Stifling the enemy Bishop. There was also the uncomplicated 20.Nc3 Nxc3 21.Qxc3 Kg8 22.Rae1 focusing on further development.

20...Qf6 21.c3 b6 22.Na3 

It looks like White has a plan to undermine the advance Black Knight with c2-c4 (or the goofy Nc4). Instead, he still had 22.Nd2 Nxd2 23.Qxd2.

22...Ne7 

23.Qf4

It is clear that the f-file is important. This move also takes control of some of the dark squares that were ceded with the advance of the e-pawn.

Yet, things begin to unravel.

Stockfish 16.1 suggests a Knight's tour with 23.Nc4 Ba6 24.Ne5 Kg8 25.Nd7 Qg5 26.Qxg5 Nxg5 27.Rfe1 h6 (not 17...Nxf5 because of 18.Re5) 28.f6 gxf6 29.Nxf6+ Kg7 30.Nh5+ Kg6 31.Nf4+ Kf5 32.Nxd5 Nxd5 33.Re5+ Kf6 34. Rxd5. Give me a break.

23...Nxc3 24.Rae1

Again, it takes some computer help to come up with the alternative, 24.Qxc7 Ne2+ 25.Kh2 Ba6 26.Rae1 Nxd4 27.Rf2 Bd3 28.Qf4 Kg8 29.g4 Be4 30.Nc4 h5 31.Qe5 hxg4 32.Qxf6 g3+ 33.Kxg3 gxf6 34.Nd6 Bc2 35.Kf4 Ndxf5 36.Rxc2 Nxd6 37.Rc7 Ng6+ 38.Kg3 Re8 39.Rxa7 Ne5. When the pawn on e6 falls, Black will have two Knights for a Rook. Whew!

24...Ba6 25.Rf3 

This returns the exchange.

25...Ne2+ 26.Rxe2 Bxe2 27.Rf2 Bd3 28.g4 c5 

White's pawns continue to be under pressure.

29.Rf3 Be4 30.Rf2 Qxd4 31.g5

One last push. 

31...Nxf5 32.Qd6+ Kg8 33.Qd7

White's Queen is very active, but his King is in grave danger.

33...Rf8 34.e7 Nxe7 35.Qe6+ Kh8 

White resigned

Quite a game.