Jerome Gambit: As Alonzo Wheeler Jerome Would Have Intended

The Jerome Gambit often leads to a sharp attack that gives Black plenty of ways to go wrong - disastrously.

The following game goes just as Alonzo Wheeler Jerome would have intended.

thunder_84 - nityahajong

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 

Black's King travels onto the battlefield, at great risk.

6.Qg4+ 

White fairly insists that Black capture another piece.

According to The Database, the Queen move has scored 70% in 27 games. 

Black would have been happier if White had tried 6.Nxc6, as he could have responded 6...Qh4. 

6...Kxe5 7.d4+

The only move.

7...Kxd4 

In turn, Black had to try 7...Bxd4 and hope to hang on after 8.Bf4+ Kf6 (if 8...Kxe4 White has a long checkmate: 9.c4 Bxf2+ 10.Kf1 d5 11.Nc3+ Kd4 12.Qd1+ Kc5 13.Na4+ Kxc4 14.Qe2+ Kb4 15.Bd2+ Kxa4 16.b3+ Ka3 17.Bc3 d4 18.Qb2#) 9.Bg5+ Kf7 10.Bxd8 Nxd8 and - because of his unstable King - his 3 pieces will not match up with White's Queen and pawn.

Likewise, 7...Nxd4 would fall to 8.Bg5+, as would 7...Kf6.

The retreat 7...Kd6 is interesting, but 8.dxc5+ Kxc5 9.Be3+ Kd6 10.Bf4+ Ne5 11.Qg3 Qf6 12.Nc3 c6 13.O-O-O+ woud be clearly in White's favor.

Now White wraps thing up.

8.Be3+ Kc4 9.Qe2+ Kb4 10.Bd2+ Ka4 11.b3 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: We Have Been Here Before

In the following game, Black resists the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) with interesting play, but he ultimately turns down his King - perhaps a bit prematurely. 

joker0909 - Papi_Chulo111

3 2 blitz, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 

From "A Second Chance to Decline" 

While declining the second piece is as old as Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, 1875 (1/2-1/2, 29), the safest place for Black's King to retreat to is f8, not e8.

6.Qh5+ 

Here is a whole lot from "A Second Chance to Decline" 

It's possible that 6.Nxc6 is stronger, but who can resist checking the King?
On the other hand, White's Knight capture is tricky, as 6...bxc6? is not the correct response - see perrypawnpusher - rodrigojalpa, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 25); perrypawnpusher - zsilber, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1/2-1/2, 42); Wall,B - Qwerty, Chess.com 2010 (1-0, 9); and Wall,B - LFTN, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 20).
Neither is 6...dxc6? the right move - see Wall,B - Gebba, Chess.com 2010 (1-0, 11).
Although I have suggested the untried 6...Bf2+ in "Don't Drive Like My Brother", the best response for Black, still untried as far as The Database is concerned is 6...Qh4!?, as after 7.d4 Qxe4+ 8.Qe2 Qxe2+ 9.Kxe2 Bb6 10.Nb4 Bxd4 11.Nd5 Kd8 Black has an equal game. (Of course, he turned down a second piece to get there.)
6...g6
Silly alternatives: 6...Kf8 7.Qf7 checkmate,  perrypawnpusher - platel, blitz, FICS, 2011  and 6...Ke7 7.Qf7+ Kd6 8.Qd5+ Ke7 9.Nxc6+ Kf6 10.Qf5 checkmate, Kennedy - WeakDelphi, 2 12 blitz, 2008.
7.Nxg6 Bxf2+
Instead, 7...Qf6 was no solution in perrypawnpusher - schachix, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 10).
8.Kxf2 Qf6+

Black goes astray: 8...Nf6  was the way to keep an edge.

9.Nf4+ Kd8 10.d3 Nge7
Or 10...d6 11.Rf1 Qd4+ 12.Be3 Qf6 13.c3 Black resigned, Hultgren,R - Harrow, Campbell, CA 1960. 

Whew.

6...g6 7.Nxg6 Bxf2+ 

Black figures that he should get something for his at-risk Bishop.

8.Kxf2 Qf6+ 

Only one game in The Database has the correct follow-up, 8...Nf6, with advantage to Black.

9.Nf4+

Pretty. 

9...Kd8 10.d3 Qd4+ 

Reversing roles: It is White's turn to decide if he should offer the b-pawn, with Be3.

11.Be3 Qxb2 12.Nd5 Nge7 

Black decides not to take two Rooks, with 12...Qxa1 13.Nbc3 Qxh1, since with 14.Qf7, White would have a mate-in-six.

13.Bg5 Qxa1 14.Bf6 

This Bishop fork was enough to cause Black to resign.

Possibly the clock was at play here, as Black now has the pin 14...Rf8, after which White's best followup might well be 15.Qh6 (or 15.Qg5), when 15...Rxf6 16.Nxf6 Ng6 17.Nxh7 Qd4+ 18.Ke1 would lead to a dynamically equal position.

Jerome Gambit: Zoinks!

Facing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) can be an upsetting experience. 

For every defender who assesses Great! I have a win in 4 moves! there is one who responds Zoinks! What now?

In the following game, Black defends, until something, suddenly, goes wrong. 

joker0909 - peglaczavjese

3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

7.Qxe5 Bb6 

The Database has this retreat in 19 games, with White scoring 74%.

More reliable were 7...d6, Blackburne's move, and 7...Qe7, Whistler's move. 

8.Qxh8 Qf6 

Black does not appear familiar with the Jerome, and he tries to shore up the defense of his King. More consistent would have been 8...Qh4. 

9.Qxh7+ Kf8 10.d4 Qxf2+ 

Zoinks! The specter of blitz chess - or is it the Jerome Gambit? - strikes. Black's best chance was 10...Bxd4 11.O-O Bxb2 12.Bxb2 Qxb2 13.Nd2, although he would be down the exchange and a pawn. 

11.Kxf2 Bxd4+ 12.Ke2 c6 13.Qxg6 

Threatening mate; although, at this point, there was already 13.Rf1+ Nf6 14.Rxf6+ Bxf6 15.Bh6+ Ke8 16.Qg8+ Ke7 17.Bf8+ Kd8 18.Bd6#.

13...d5 14.exd5 

Foreshadowing: 14.Rf1+ Nf6 15.Rxf6+ Bxf6 16.Qxf6+ Ke8 17.Bg5 Bg4+ 18.Kd2 Kd7 19.Qe7+ Kc8 20.Qd8#. 

14...cxd5 15.Rf1+ 

Here it comes.

15...Nf6 16.Rxf6+ Bxf6 17.Qxf6+ Ke8 18.Bg5 Bd7 19.Qe7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Faster Than A Speeding Neuron

 

Chess played at bullet speed can yield a very quick win - or a very quick loss, with the pieces moving faster (or so it would appear) than a speeding neuron...

The following game illustrates.

angelcamina - Amirali_Shafinia

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qf4+ Qf6 9.Qxc7 

This is a risky pawn-grab. Was it played because angelcamina had gotten away with it before, or was he just feeling lucky?

The Database shows a score for this position of 3 1/2 - 6 1/2,  35%.

Stockfish 16.1 (28 ply) suggeststs, instead, 9.d3, with Black up the equivalent of 2 1/2 pawns. According to The Database, that move has scored 54 % for White in 14 games.

9...Qxf2+ 10.Kd1 d6 

Previously: 10...Qxg2 11.Qxc5+ Ne7 (11...d6 was the way to go, as after 12.Qxd6+ Black defends with 12...Kf7) 12.Re1 (inaccurate, the best chance of holding on was 12.Rg1) 12...Qf3+ (going for the draw, most likely because of the clock, because 12...d6 would cause unanswerable problems for White) 13.Re2 Qf1+ 14.Re1 Qf3+ 15.Re2 Qf1+ 16.Re1 Qf3+ 1/2-1/2 angelcamina - nillyx, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2018.

Black's two threats of ...Qxg2 and ...Bg4+ signal White's end.

11.Qd8+ Kf7 12.Nc3 Bg4+ 13. Ne2 Qxe2 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: The End Comes Quickly

There are problems for the second player if the defender makes less-than-best responses to the Jerome Gambit.

The following game - quick, already, as it is a 1-minute game - gives another speedy example.

angelcamina - V1rtuoso

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bb4 

Black pins White's Knight, to neutralize the protection of the e-pawn.

Simpler and stronger is 7...Bxd4, returning one of two "extra" pieces.

The Database has 124 with this position. White scores 70%.

8.dxe5 Nxe4 

As planned, but missing something.

9.Qd5+ Ke7

angelcamina also faced 9...Kf8, e.g. 10.Qxe4 Qe7 (10...Qe8 11.Qxb4+ 1-0 angelcamina - ngx11, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020) 11.O-O Bxc3 12.bxc3 d6 13.Ba3 (13.f4 Bd7 14.Ba3 Bc6 15.Qe3 Re8 16.Rad1 g6 17.Qg3 Kg7 18.c4 Rhf8 19.Bb2 Kg8 20.f5 Black resigned, angelcamina - CATCHESS11, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024) 13...Kg8 14.Qf3 Qxe5 15.Rae1 Qf5 16.Qxf5 Bxf5 17.Re7 h6 18.Rxc7 Bxc2 19.Rxb7 Kh7 20.Re1 Rhf8 21.Ree7 Rf6 22.Rxg7+ Kh8 23.f3 Bd3 24.c4 Bxc4 25.Bb2 Rff8 26.Rh7+ Kg8 27.Rbg7 checkmate, angelcamina - likinfride, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019) 

Also 9...Kg6 10.Qxe4+ Kf7 11.Qxb4 Qe7 12.O-O Qxb4 White resigned, angelcamina - abhinavatul, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020.

And 9... Ke8 10.Qxe4 Bxc3+ (10...a5 11.O-O g5 12.Nd5 Bc5 13.Nf6+ Ke7 14.Bxg5 h6 15.Nd5+ Black resigned, angelcamina - The_KGD, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019) 11. bxc3 Kf8 12.Ba3+ d6 13. Qf3+ Ke8 14. O-O-O Qg5+ 15. Kb1 Rf8 16. Qe2 Bg4 17. f3 Be6 18. exd6 Kf7 19. dxc7 Rac8 20. Bxf8 Rxf8 21. Rhe1 Rc8 22. Qxe6+ 1-0 angelcamina - Parsel_1, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020.

10.Qxe4 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 d6 

Another slip.

Previously:

11...Rf8 12.Bg5+ Rf6 13.exf6+ Kf7 14.Qd5+ Kf8 15.fxg7+ Kxg7 16.Bxd8 Black resigned. angelcamina - Davide313, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023; and

11...Qf8 12.Bg5+ Ke8 13.O-O Qf7 14.f4 c6 15.f5 Qd5 16.Qe2 b6 17.Rad1 Qc5+ 18.Be3 Qxc3 19.f6 Rf8 20.fxg7 Rxf1+ 21. Rxf1 Black resigned, angelcamina - LoFi_Lxgend, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024.

12.Bg5+ Kd7 13.Bxd8 Rxd8 

Or 13...Kxd8 as in angelcamina - adriannez, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org. 2019 (1-0, 44). 

14.exd6

1-minute chess games can go back and forth. Here, White swaps pawns - and gets away with it. Better was 14.O-O-O Re8 15.Rhe1 h6 16.e6+ Ke7 17.Qh4+ g5 18.Qxh6 Bxe6 19.Qxe6+ Kf8.

14...cxd6

Missing a chance to win the enemy Queen with 14...Re8.

It is time for White to wrap thing up.

15.O-O-O Kc7 16.Qc4+ Kb8 17.Rhe1 b6 18. Re7 a5 19.Qc7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Positional Oddity & Sharp Tactics

The following Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+) game has both a positional oddity and sharp tactics to bring the pawn home.

angelcamina - Mauricio26

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bb4

Black's pieces own the field - for now.

8.dxe5 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Ne8 

How quickly things change.

Black has an edge. White has the initiative.

10.Qd5+ Kf8 11.Ba3+ d6 12.exd6 cxd6 13.O-O-O 

13...Nf6 

Attacking the enemy Queen, but overlooking something.

Stockfish 16.1 suggests 13..Qe7, but then 14.Rhe1 would keep the pressure on. 

14.Bxd6+ Ke8 15.Qe5+ Kf7 

16.Qg3 

A bit more accurate was 16.Qf4. 

16...Qe8 

Escaping the file with the enemy Rook. He could have held on with 16...Re8, e.g. 17.e5 Ng4 18.h3 Nh6 19.Bb4 Qb6 and an equal game. 

17.e5 Ne4 18.Qf3+ Nf6 19.exf6 g6 20.Rhe1 Qc6 

Looking at White's development and the placement of Black's King, it is not hard to see that there is now a forced checkmate.

21.Re7+ Kg8 

If, instead, Black plays 21...Kf8, then White exchanges Queens  22.Qxc6 bxc6, and then has 23.Rxa7+ Ke8 24.f7+ Kd8 25.Be7 checkmate. Nice. 

22.f7+ Kg7 23. Be5+ Kh6 24. Bxh8 Qxf3 25.gxf3 

Ramarkable. White has 7 isolated pawns: two singles plus doubled pawns plus tripled pawns.

And the forced checkmate is still on.

25...Bf5 26.Re8 Rd8 27.f8=Q+ Kg5 28.Bf6+ Kf4 29.Rdxd8 Kxf3 30.Bd4 h5 31.Rd5 Kg4 32.Rxf5 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Taking Care of Business

In the following game, once White survived his risky 8th move, the game became a matter of taking care of business for him.

Calm play, despite the ticking clock of a 1-minute game, led to the win.

angelcamina - tommmmy

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2025

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

As I cautioned a few years ago in Jerome Gambit: What About the Rook?

Even for the off-beat and unusual Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) there is a certain amount of "theory" that is good to know, to guide your way through the complications. Especially Black would benefit from an understanding about what he is getting himself into when he plays 6...g6 in response to White's Queen sally 5.Qh5+; like it or not, it is a tacit offer of a Rook, and he has to be aware of that and deal with it.

7.Qxe5 Qe7 

Whistler's defense, named after Lt. G. N. Whistler, secretary of the Lexington, Kentucky Chess Club, based on the game Jerome - Whistler, correspondence, 1877 (0-1, 15).

8.Qxh8 

White goes into a complicated line, one that can be difficult for both players, although it is "objectively" bad for the first player. This position appears in 369 games in The Database. White scores 51%.

8...Qf6 

Only about 1/2 the time in his games has angelcamina's opponents found the correct punishment for the grab of the Rook, 8...Qxe4+. That move appears in 278 games in The Database, with White scoring 44%.

Given that Stockfish 16.1 evaluates the position after 8...Qxe4+ as being 4 1/2 pawns better for Black, this is the kind of variation that probably should only be chosen if you are a skilled bullet player - which angelcamina is.

9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 

White was happy to exchange Queens, as his material advantage of the exhange and two pawns was still enough to work with.

10.Nc3 Bd4 

Planning on undermining the piece protection of the e-pawn

11.d3 d6 12.O-O Bd7 13.Be3 Be5 14.f4 Bxc3 15.bxc3 Kg7 

White does not need any flashy play, he just needs to take care of business - and beat the clock.

16.Rab1 b6 17.h3 h5 18.Bd4 c5 19.Bxf6+ Kxf6 20.f5 g5 21.g4 h4

If Black can lock up the position and stifle White's Rooks, then maybe, just maybe... No, not going to happen.

22.d4 Bc6 23.Rfe1 Re8 24.e5+ dxe5 25.dxe5+ Rxe5 26.Rxe5 Kxe5

It cost White a pawn to exchange Rooks, but his game is even simpler now.

27.Kf2 Kf4 28.Re1 Be4 29.f6 

The pawn will cost Black 

29...Bg6 30.Re7 Bxc2 

Hopeless.

31.f7 Bg6 32.f8=Q+ White won on time