Jerome Gambit: No Need to Harass the Queen

Black is doing well in the following game, until he begins to underestimate his opponent, and overestimate the enemy Queen.

Too much attention is given to the wrong places.

Wall, Bill - Sisus

SparkChess, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 

Black has a number of possible responses here. He can play the bold 6...Qh4!? (if he knows what he is doing), he can play the thematic 6...d5!? (ditto), he can play the subtle 6...Bb4+ 7.c3 Be7, he can play the logical 6...Bxd4 - or he can play something else.

6...Bd6 

Something else: Two pieces are threatened, so, save the Bishop, then capture the pawn that captures the Knight.

7.dxe5 Bxe5 

According to plan, but 7...Bb4+ 8.c3 Be7 (or the simple 7...Be7) was the way to go.

When you draw an incorrect conclusion about the Jerome Gambit - it is a "refuted" opening, so it has no dangers - you can become sloppy in choosing moves.

8.Qd5+ Kf8 9.Qxe5 Nf6 

Black sigh a sigh of relief: he has a quite position and is only a pawn behind.

Alas, even that assessment is misleading.

10.Nc3 d6 11.Qa5 b6 

Swatting at the annoying Queen.

12.Qb5 Bd7 

Again.

13.Qc4 b5 

One too many.

14.Nxb5 d5 15.Qc5+ 

Side-stepping.

15...Kf7 16.Nxc7 Nxe4 

It is easy to find bad moves in a bad position.

17.Qxd5+ Kf6 18.Nxa8 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Cast A Giant Shadow

In the following game, Bill Wall keeps playing moves, Stockfish 16.1 (after the fact) keeps recommending other moves, the opponent keeps playing his own moves... Until White checkmates.

It is not clear if Black is more intimidated by Bill's moves, or by the Jerome Gambit.

Wall, Bill - Serbia

SparkChess.com, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 

The early choice of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, although later he preferred 6.Qh5+.

6...Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 8.f4 

There are about 220 examples of this move in The Database, but it appears that this is the first time that Bill has played it. He has played 8.Nc3, 8.O-O, and  8.Qd5+.

8...Nc6 

Certainly playable, but so was the aggressive 8...Qh4+. 

9.Qd3 Bg4 

Again, Black is still OK after this unclear move, but there was still 9...Qh4+ to consider.

10.O-O Nge7 

Avoiding the stronger 10...Nf6, possibly because he was not interested in seeing the reply 11.e5. 

11.f5 

With nefarious designs on the Bishop at g4.

11...Ne5 

Aha! An aggressive move.

12.Qb3+ Kf6 

Oh, no! From careful to careless.

13.Qe6 checkmate

One of the criticisms of the Jerome Gambit is that its games feature too many Queen moves.

This is not one of them.

Jerome Gambit: Stranger Danger

From childhood we have been warned to beware of strangers.

However, in the following game, Bill Wall, armed with the Jerome Gambit, dispatches a stranger quite skillfully.

Wall, Bill - Stranger

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.Qa5 Nf6 10.Nc3 

Instead, 10.O-O was seen in Wall,B - Guest1151077, Naples, 2013 (1-0, 27) and Wall,B - Guest6808573, PlayChess.com, 2019 (1-0, 26).

10...Kf7 11.O-O Re8 12.d3 Nd7 

Black interrupts his castling-by-hand.

13.Bg5 Ne7 

Black's contorted position counter-balances his piece-for-two-pawns material advantage; and the game is about even.

14.Nd5 Nf6 

The defender counters the pressure on his e7 Knight, but overlooks the threat to c7.

15.Nxc7 Bd7 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Qh5+ 

White takes a moment away from winning the exchange to harass the enemy King.

17...Ng6 

Instead, the King needed to move to protect the h-pawn.

18.Qxh7+ Kf8 19.Nxa8 Ne5 

Even if he manages to grab the Knight on a8, Black will remain down materially, with two pieces versus White's Rook and four pawns.

20.f4 Nc6 21.Rae1 Qa5 

Leaving the Bishop unprotected, and hoping, somehow, to prevent the advance of White's e-pawn.

22.e5 Qc5+ 23.Kh1 dxe5 24.fxe5 f5 

White now breaks through.

25.Rxf5+ Bxf5 26.Qxf5+ Ke7 27.Qh7+ Ke6 28.Nc7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Giddyap! (Part 2)

 

[continued from the previous post]

I have gotten involved in some weekly, casual, chess play at the local library, and, fortunately, was able to play a Jerome Gambit.

8.Kxf2 Qf6+ 

According to The Database, in this position this is the choice of all of the human players rated 2200+.

Stockfish, Rybka, Komodo and Fritz, however, prefer 8...Nf6.

9.Nf4+ Kd8 10.d3 Nd4 

The early game Hultgren - Harrow, SVE cup, Campbell, CA, 1960 (and its twin, Blackstone - Dommeyer, skittles, Campbell, CA 1960 ) continued, instead, 10...d6 11.Rf1 Qd4+ 12.Be3 Qf6 13.c3 Black resigned.

Most recently, there was 10...Qd4+ 11.Be3 Qxb2 12.Nd5 Nge7 13.Bg5 Qxa1 14.Bf6 Black resigned, joker0909 - Papi_Chulo111, lichess.org, 2025 

11.Na3 Ne6 

His Knight returns, to pick on my Knight.

12.Rf1 

Simpler, and stronger, is 12.Qf3.

Now Black can simply take the Knight with 12...Nxf4, as my planned Rook pin with 13.Kg1 would fail to 13...Qd4+. Still, 12...Nxf4 13.Bxf4 Qxf4+ 14.Kg1 would have led to an even game and was for choice.

12...b6 

I am not sure what this move is about.

Perhaps my opponent saw the Kingside as stable enough to work on the Queenside, or maybe he was hoping to add a fianchettoed Bishop to the mix.

Possibily he misjudged the possible position after 13.Kg1 Nxf4 14.Bxf4 Qxb2, as then White would have the brutal 15.Bg5+, winning the Queen or checkmating.

In any event, I was happy to castle-by-hand.

13.Kg1 Qd4+ 14.Kh1 Nf6 

If Black is going to have a defense, the Knight has to go to e7. This is his last slip.

15.Nxe6+ dxe6 16.Rxf6 

Trying to be "flashy", but 16.Bg5 Rf8 17.Rxf6 Rxf6 18.Qf7 instead, is just as strong, and a bit humorous. 

16...Qxf6 

Might as well go along with it...

17.Bg5 Qxg5 18.Qxg5+ Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Giddyap! (Part 1)

 

As I mentioned earlier (see "The Jerome Gambit Rides Again?!"), I have gotten involved in "new, weekly, weekend, casual play at the local library".

Today, I was back again, and this time I was able to play a Jerome Gambit.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

I have played well over 500 Jerome Gambits online, but this was the first time that I played an over-the-board game with a human.

My opponent was already looking at me with wariness.

I told him that back in the '40s, the opening was known as the Ashcan Opening. Someone pointed out that I probably wasn't playing chess in the '40s. I agreed, with a smile: I started playing in the '50s - which is actually the decade when the Ashcan (aka the Headless Chicken) Opening was played. How soon we forget!

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 

Played with a face full of suspicion, figuring that he had already "fallen into it".

He probably would not have felt any better if the game had gone, instead, 5...Ke6 6.Qg4+!? Kxe5 7.d4+!? Bxd4 8.Bf4+ Kf6 9.Bg5+, etc. See Wall, Bill - Guest4105968, PlayChess.com, 2018, (1/2-1/2, 50).

6.Qh5+ 

Ah, yes, How soon we forget.

Correct was 6.Nxc6, as in perrypawnpusher - rodrigojalpa, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 25); and perrypawnpusher - zsilber, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1/2-1/2, 42).  

After the game, Stockfish 16.1 agreed. Of course, in the earlier games I was getting post-game advice from the Rybka engine. 

As I ruminated over a dozen years ago in "Don't Drive Like My Brother" 

At the time that I played this move, I knew that the "right" choice was 6.Nxc6, 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). 

Black also has the untried counter-attackingb) 6...Qh4, (which I mentioned about 3 years ago in this blog) may be better than ex 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.

I think that White may have a tiny edge after 11.Nd5, and he may have better chances with his Kingside pawn majority as opposed to Black's Queenside pawn majority; but, in reality, Black's two Bishops probably balance all that out.

6...Kf8

In light of my two 6th move recommendations for Black, I have to say that this was the move that got Black into hot water, not 5...Ke8.

After the recommended 6...g6, White has the thematic 7.Nxg6, but, again, things are far from rosy for him – unless he is faced with 7...hxg6, when White plays 8.Qxh8 with advantage, as in Petasluk - Trasimene, FICS, 2007 (1-0, 18).

Black takes a step forward by interjecting 7...Nf6, so that after 6...g6 7.Nxg6 Nf6 8.Qxc5 he can then grab the Knight at g6 with 8...hxg6. White has three pawns for his sacrificed piece, but Fritz 8 is pretty stubborn about giving Black a slight edge.

The biggest challenge to White's 7th move Knight sac at g6, however, is 7...Bxf2+ – followed, in due course, by ...Nf6 and then the capture of the White Knight, e.g. 8.Kxf2 Nf6 (much better than the 8...Qf6+ of  Hultgren,R - Harrow, Campbell, CA 1960 and Blackstone - Dommeyer, skittles game, California, USA 1960 [1-0, 13] ) 9.Qh4 Rg8. White's Knight cannot retreat and will be lost (10.Nf4 Nxe4+). 

It may be that White should refrain from sacrificing his Knight, and meet 6...g6 with 7.Nxc6 (anyhow), although after 7...gxh5 8.Nxd8 Kxd8 he has to hope that he can gather in one (or both) of the h-pawns in order to reach equality.

Which is a long way of saying that while 6.Nxc6 leads to "only" an even game, that's still  a better outcome than can be expected after 6.Qh5+.

6...g6 

A long time ago, a couple of opponents folded easily

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 (computer), 2 12 blitz, 2008. 

7.Nxg6 Bxf2+ 

Wow! If only I had read my own blog (see above, "The biggest challenge..."), then this wouldn't have come as a surprise...

I have faced 7...Qf6, in perrypawnpusher - schachix, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 10) and perrypawnpusher - m2mkiss, Giuoco Piano Game, Chess.com, 2023 (1-0, 18).

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Dubious

 ?!

Chess.com has a small educational piece on "Beat The Jerome Gambit", as part of their Ten Dubious Gambits And How to Refute Them series.

It is worth checking out, to see what your opponents might be learning about the Jerome.

Jerome Gambit: Accept The Sacrifice

When White offers material in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) it can be tempting for Black to decide not to "play along" and go into accepted lines.

This psychological ploy on the defender's part is countered by the fact that declined lines are not as strong or as successful as accepted lines.

QangaliTakugakkit - caba454

3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Ke7 

From a human vantage point, Black hopes to derail White's plans, by declining the Bishop.

From a computer vantage point, Black has turned down the chance for advantage, to arrive at a worse game.

From the vantage point of The Database, accepting the Bishop leads to White scoring 52%, while the text leads to White scoring 67%. (Against 4...Kf8, White scores 61%)

5.Ng5 

White complicates the play. Instead, he could have exchanged or retreated the Bishop.

5...h6 6.Bxg8 Rxg8 7.Nf3 d6 

The position does not look much like a Jerome. Black is better developed. White has an extra pawn.

8.Nc3 Bg4 9.O-O 

White should have first played 9.h3, as becomes immediately apparent.

9...Nd4 10.Nd5+ Ke8 

The pin on the Knight at f3 is a problem for White.

11.Ne3 

The move appears sensible, given the limits of a 3-minute game, but better was 11.c3 Nxf3+ 12.gxf3 Bh5 13.d4 Rf8 and Black is still for choice. 

11...Nxf3+ 12.gxf3 Bh3 13.Ng2 Qg5 White resigned

It is checkmate next move.