Jerome Gambit: A Good Example

The goal of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is to attack the enemy King.

The following game is a good example.

Witzelsucht - Dencoln

3 2 blitz, 2023 Autumn Marathon, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.Nc3 Qe7 11.O-O Kf7 

White's King has castled. Black's King is halfway there.

Black has the standard piece-for-two-pawns material advantage that the defender has in the Jerome Gambit; but he has to be ready for the advance of the "Jerome pawns" and the following attack. 

12.f4 Re8 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc6 15.Bd2 

15...Bxf5 

Black makes an interesting mistake, the kind that can happen in blitz games. He sees that White's e-pawn is pinned (16.exf5 Qxe3+ 17.Bxe3 Rxe3) but overlooks the protection of the f-pawn by the Rook.

16.Rxf5 g6 17.Rxf6+ 

“When you come to a fork in the road, take it” said baseball player Yogi Berra.

17...Kxf6 18.Rf1+ Kg7 19.Qh6+ Kg8 20.Nd5 

White's pieces continue to swarm.

20...Qe6 21.Nf6+ Kh8 22.Qxh7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: The Daily Grind

The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game made it to the half-century mark in terms of moves, as Bill Wall systematically ground down his opponent.

Wall, Bill - Ahmad

SparkChess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6 9.d3 Bb6 

Bill has also faced 

9...Nh5 in Wall,B - Guest6614602, PlayChess.com, 2014 (1/2-1/2, 53); Wall,B - Guest3611504, PlayChess.com, 2015 (0-1, 54) and Wall,B - Guest9159455, PlayChess.com, 2019 (0-1, 31);  

9...Be6 in Wall,B - Milsrilion, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 50); 

9... Kf7 in Wall,B - Badbeat994, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 48); 

9...Ng4 in Wall,B - Filipmihov, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 39); 

9... h6 in Wall,B - Guest1055608, PlayChess.com, 2019 (1-0, 26); and

9...Bg4 in Wall,B - Guest2928386, PlayChess.com, 2015 (1-0, 38) 

10.O-O Kf7 11.Kh1 Rf8 12.f4 Kg8 

13.Nc3 a6 14.f5 Bd4 15.Be3 Be5 16.Qf3 Qe8 

Black overlooks that this move puts his Bishop in danger. He could have kept his advantage with either 16...d5 or 16...c5. 

17.d4 Bxh2 

Black could have complicated things with 17...Nxe4.

The text move gains a pawn in exchange for the beleaguered piece.

18.Kxh2 Bd7 19.Rh1 c6 20.Bf4 d5 21.e5 Ne4 

22.e6 Bc8 

If this were a blitz game, he might have tried 22...Rxf5 23.exd7 Qf7 24.Rhf1 Nd2 25.Bxd2 Rxf3 26.Rxf3 Qxd7 when maybe his Queen could have been more effective than White's 3 extra pieces, with the clock ticking.

As it is, he can grab one of the two annoying "Jerome pawns", but the situation still favors the first player.

23.Nxe4 dxe4 24.Qxe4 Qh5+ 25.Kg3 Qxf5 26.Rae1 Qxe4 27.Rxe4 Re8 

With all the Rooks on the board, any drawing chances due to the Bishops-of-opposite-colors will have to wait.

28.e7 Bf5 29.Re2 Kf7 30.Bd6 h6 31.Kf4 Be6 32.Rf2 Bd5 33. Ke5+ Kg8 

This King retreat will cost the exchange.

34.Rf8+ Rxf8 35.exf8=Q+ Rxf8 36.Bxf8 Kxf8 37.Rf1+ Ke7 

The Rook now proceeds to outplay the Bishop.

38. a4 g5 39. Rh1 Bxg2 40. Rxh6 g4 41. Rh7+ Ke8 42. Rxb7 Bf3 43. Kf4 Kd8 44. Rb6 Kc7 45. Rxa6 Bd1 46. a5 Bxc2 47. Kxg4 Bd3 48. Rb6 Bc4 49. Rb4 Bb5 50.Rxb5 

Simplifying things.

50...cxb5 51.b4 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: One Reason to Play

One reason to play the Jerome Gambit is that you can occasionally finish a game quickly - like this:

Cristopher_Sonido13 - Stefcho2020

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qf7 checkmate

Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit: What Is In A Name?

                          

The following game starts as a Blackburne Shilling Gambit, although I have not been able to find a single example of Joseph Henry Blackburne ever playing the line.

It features the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit, although I have also failed to find an example of Blackburne playing the Jerome Gambit. (Destroying it, yes.)

The name fits, though, as it is thematically right on target.

Serving2021 - Aromel143

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4. Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

Objectively better is 4.Nxd4, 4.O-O, or 4.d3, but White is feeling aggressive.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ 

Again, the computer considers 6.c3 Ne6 7.d4 Nf6 8.O-O d6 to be the preferred line, but that is not the direction White is heading.

6...g6 7.Nxg6 hxg6 8.Qxh8 Qg5 

Black has aggressive intentions as well. The Queen move is thematic in the Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

This time, Black wanders away from the computer's suggestion of 

8...Nxc2+ 9.Kd1 Nxa1 10.Qxg8 which would be better for him, although The Database shows Black scoring 50% in 214 games. 

9.Qxd4 Qxg2 10.Rf1 d6 11.Nc3 

The action is fast and furious, as you would expect from a 3-minute game.

11...Bg4 

Hoping to keep White's King in the middle of the board by preventing castling Queenside.

If White can get untangled, however, his advantage of the exchange plus two pawns should be winning.

12.Qe3 Qxh2 13.Qg3 

An exchange of Queens would help settle things down.

13...Qh5 

Tactics now win out.

14.Rg1 Nh6 15.d3 g5 16.Nd5 Kd7 17.Nf6+ Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Attack the King

 

A new Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) video from Chess Tricks & Treats presents the kind of brutal attacking play targeting Black's King that Alonzo Wheeler Jerome would have enjoyed.

It is worth playing over the video, with the voice over commentary, as well as checking out the other videos available from Chess Tricks & Treats.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Qf6 8.Rf1 d6 9.d4 Bb4+ 10.c3 Ba5 11.Qe8+ Qe7 12.d5+ Kf6 13.fxe5+ Kxe5 14.Qh5+ Kxe4 15.Rf4+ Kd3+ 16.Kf1 Qf6 17.Qd1 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: A Sparkling Checkmate

In the following Jerome Gambit game, White's pawns advance to disrupt his opponent's position, clearing the way for his pieces to invade the enemy position and deliver a sparkling checkmate - even more impressive because it was a bullet game.

Wolfpack1051 - ogLMFAO

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8

Seen as early as Blackstone,John - Dommeyer,Carl, skittles game, Campbell, CA, 1960 (1-0, 13).

6.Qh5+

More aggession. Wolfpack1051 earlier played the better 6.Nxc6 in Wolfpack1051 - gks3, lichess.org, 2022 (1-0, 69), but in that case one has to be ready for the wild 6...Qh4. 

6...g6 

Not 6...Ke7 7.Ng6+ Kd6 8.Qd5 checkmate, Wolfpack1051 - S-YusupovRustam-7, lichess.org, 2021. 

7.Nxg6 Qf6 

Black's counter-threat of capturing on f2 with his Queen, is part of the right idea - this happens in bullet games. Instead, 7...Bxf2+ was best, i.e. 8.Kxf2 Nf6 9.Qh4 Rg8 10.Rf1 Rxg6 11.Kg1 Qe7. 

Wolfpack1051 has also faced 7...hxg6 8.Qxh8 Kf8 9.d3 Qe7 10.Bh6+ Kf7 11.Nc3 Qf6 12.Qxf6+ Nxf6 13.Be3 Ng4 14.Bxc5 Black resigned, Wolfpack1051 - pohang, lichess.org, 2022 

8.Nxh8+ Kf8 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qe3 Qxh8 11.O-O Qf6 

White is up 3 pawns and the exchange. He still has to beat the clock, as well as his opponent.

12.Nc3 Nge7 13.d4 Qg6 14.f4 

White puts his pawns in motion.

14...Bg4 15.f5 Qh5 16.e5 dxe5 17.dxe5 Re8 

Black could have grabbed a pawn with 17...Nxf5, but, with his King on the same file as White's Rook, it looks too dangerous - especially in a 1-minute game.  

18.f6 Ng6 19.Qh6+ Qxh6 20.Bxh6+ Kf7 21.Ne4 

21...Ncxe5

It is not immediatly clear, but this capture is with the wrong Knight.

It also allows a forced checkmate.

22.Ng5+ Kg8 23.f7+ Nxf7 24.Rxf7 Ne5 

25.Rg7+ Kh8 26.Rxh7+ Kg8 27.Rg7+ Kh8 28.Rxc7 Rg8 29.Rh7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Pieces and Pawns

Often in an attacking game, the pieces take a major part, but sometimes it is in the suppport of the pawns, instead of the other way around.

In the following game, the pawns finish things.

Wall, Bill - Mazloom

sparkchess, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 

White's Queen's retreat is more conventional than that of the game in the previous post.

9...Nf6 10.h3 

Preventing possible mischief on g4.

10...Kf7 

Bill has also seen 10...Be6 11.Nc3 a6 12.f4 Bf7 13.O-O Kd7 14.d4 Re8 15.f5 Ne7 16.e5 Nfd5 17.e6+ Kc8 18.Nxd5 Nxd5 19.Qg3 Bxe6 20.fxe6 Rxe6 21.Qg4 Qe7 22.Bg5 Qe8 23.Rae1 Kd7 24.Rxe6 Qxe6 25.Rf7+ Ne7 26.Rxe7+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Dasasary, internet, 2023. 

11.O-O Re8 12.d3 d5 

Black is ahead in material (a piece for two pawns) and development, so he pursues his own attack.

Jerome Gambit players have to be prepared for such blowback.

13.f3 d4 

Instead, Black should be thinking about opening lines. Now, White's e- and f-pawns can become more effective.

14.Qe1 Kg8 15.f4 Qe7 16.Nd2 Qc5 17.Qd1 Bd7 

18.Nb3 Qb6 19.a4 c5 

Reinforcing his pawn on d4.

20.e5 Nd5 21.e6 

White throws dust in his opponent's face.

21...Bc6 

Staying away from a beneficial line, because of the anticipated pawn fork: 21...Bxe6 22.f5 Ne3 23.Bxe3 dxe3 24.fxe6 e2 25.Qxe2 c4+ 26.d4 cxb3 27.c3] and White's pawns are probably not enough compensation.

22.f5 Nge7 23.Qg4

White's Queen joins the fray, threatening f5-f6.

23...Ne3

This strike can be dealt with, and it is not an effective response.

24.Bxe3 dxe3 25.f6 

25...Ng6 26.f7+ Kf8 27.fxe8=Q+Kxe8 

The tables have turned. White is ahead in material and his attack on the enemy King will end things.

28.Rf7 e2 29.a5 Qb4 30.Qxe2 Nf4 31.Qe5 Black resigned

Checkmate of the Black King is inescapable.