Jerome Gambit: What Did Both Black and White Miss?

Familiarity with tactical ideas in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) can lead to advantage - or victory.

Next time, the players will see the threat.

vagel - Hamdankhan29

5 3 blitz, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 Qf6 

This is more of a trick than a trap. Or, it should be.

My warning came a couple dozen years ago, in "Something to Watch Out For".

8.O-O 

Uh oh. What did White miss?

8...d6 

Uh oh. What did Black miss?

9.f4 c5 

Uh oh. What did both White and Black miss?

Black could have won White's Queen after 8...Nf3+ or 9...Nf3+.

10.Qd5+ Be6 11.Qxb7+ Nd7 Black resigned

White is up the exchange and a couple of pawns. Time does not seem to have been an issue.

Checking With Chat GPT

 

Computers are in the news, again, so I thought I would check with our friend Chat GPT, which has held forth previously (at my request) on the Jerome Gambit (see "Jerome Gambit: Chat GPT").

This time I asked Chat GPT for some Jerome Gambit [1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+] Games.

First, it gave me the game N.N. vs. Blackburne, London, 1884.

Then, it gave me the last 5 moves of Louis Morin vs. Justin Piché, Montreal, 2008.

Thirdly, it mentioned "Online Blitz Games (2021)"

In modern online play, the Jerome Gambit has been used in high-speed formats. For instance, in a 3+0 blitz game on Lichess, White played the Jerome Gambit against a higher-rated opponent. Despite the material sacrifice, White's aggressive play led to a surprising resignation by Black. The game concluded with:?

The players were not named, and the game is curious. I added diagrams.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Ng5+ 

The computer gives White's move without comment.

The is the Face Palm Variation, which I first warned against in "Public Service Announcement" over a dozen years ago.

lichess.org has 37,189 (!) game examples with this position with White scoring 31% ?! (Black only captured the Knight in 61% of the games. Ouch.)

5...Kf8 

Of course, capturing the Knight with 5...Qxg5 is perfectly playable.

6.Qh5 g6 7.Nxh7+ 

The Database actually has 2 games with this position - a win for Black and a win for White.

7...Kf7

Convenient for White.

With 7...Kg7 Black can look forward to capturing the unfortunate Knight with a winning advantage. 

The text allows the piece to escape with check.

8.Ng5+ Kf6 

It is important to remind Readers that this is a game that Chat GPT gathered from the internet, not a game it played itself.

9.Qxh8+ Kxg5 10.d4+ Kg4 11.f3 checkmate

Nice checkmate.

I looked the game up on lichess.org. It was a 3-minute game between a 2770+ rated player playing White (Chat GPT was in error on this) and an almost 2300 rated player playing Black.

As Mr. Spock said in "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country", 

Logic is the beginning of wisdom... Not the end.

 

Blackburne Shilling Gambit: Counter-Surprise

Although we do not have any game examples, it is said that Joseph Henry Blackburne played his Shilling Gambit to quickly win wagers placed upon his casual games.

When Black plays the Shilling Gambit, hoping to surprise his opponent, he is often not ready for a counter-surprise, if the opening becomes Jeromed.

feritTurkey - SviRep

5 0 blitz, lichess.org

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 

Black does best now to give up the exchange with 7...hxg6 8.Qxh8, still with the advantage after 8...Nxc2+.

Instead, 7...Nxc2+ 8.Kd1 hxg6 allows White to play 9.Qxg6+ and draw by repetition, if he wants. Instead, 9.Qxh8 Nxa1 10.Qxg8 Qg5 favors Black.

This whole line is worth looking at before playing it, for either Black or White.

7...Nf6 8.Qe5+ Ne6 9.Nxh8 

9...Bd6 

The Bishop is placed with the hope that it will be part of an attack on White's King, once it castles.

Also seen was 9...Bg7 10.d3 Ng4 11.Qh5+ Kf8 12.Qf7 checkmate, feritTurkey - TurkoLoco, lichess.org, 2023 and 9...Ng4 10.Qh5+ Ke7 11.Qxg4 Bg7 12.Qh4+ Bf6 13.Qxh7+ Kd6 14.Nf7+ Black resiged, feritTurkey - queenwin_1492, lichess.org, 2024.

Now the White Queen goes on a deadly road trip.

10.Qc3 Nxe4 

Or 10...Ke7 11.O-O Qxh8 12.Na3 b6 13.Nc4 Ba6 14.Nxd6 Bxf1 15.Kxf1 cxd6 16.Qa3 Nxe4 17.d3 N4c5 White resigned, feritTurkey - Tomek_Kowalski, lichess.org, 2022. 

11.Qf3 N4g5 12.Qh5+ Ke7 

13.d3 Bb4+ 14.c3 Bd6 

Time to wrap things up.

15.Bxg5+ Nxg5 16.Qxg5+ Ke8 17.Qg8+ Ke7 18.Qf7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: No Thank You; Thank You; Quickly

In the early years of this blog, in "Lightning Strikes", I noted

As science fiction stories developed, I noticed that the top speed that a rocket could travel went from "the speed of light" to "the speed of thought" – the latter being much, much faster, I guess.

Bullet chess travels at the speed of thought. The following game packs a lot into fewer than 10 moves - pieces offered, pieces declined, advantages exchanged.

QangaliTakugakkit - Simiam_Laika

1 3 bullet, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kf8 

Declining the Bishop is not as strong as accepting it - but, in a blitz game, surprises can take time to adjust to, and that might have been Black's intention.

Checking The Database, the two players have split 10 Jerome Gambit games.

5.Bxg8 

Simple.

White has also tried the more complicated 5.Nxe5 in QangaliTakugakkit - lexx777, lichess.org, 2024 (0-1, 9); QangaliTakugakkit - MirayaHRMSPB, lichess.org, 2024 (0-1, 24); QangaliTakugakkit - Simiam_Laika, lichess.org, 2024 (1-0, 19); and QangaliTakugakkit - Simiam_Laika, lichess.org, 2024 (0-1, 23). 

Of course, he could have withdrawb the Bishop -  

5.Bc4  as in QangaliTakugakkit - Simiam_Laika, lichess.org, 2024 (0-1, 33);  QangaliTakugakkit - Simiam_Laika, lichess.org, 2024 (1-0, 16); or

5.Bd5 as in QangaliTakugakkit - Simiam_Laika, lichess.org, 2024 (1-0, 15). 

5...Rxg8 

Capturing with the King 5... Kxg8 was a bit stronger, as in QangaliTakugakkit - Simiam_Laika, lichess.org, 2024 (1-0, 23). 

Disturbing was 5...Bxf2+ 6.Kxf2 Rxg8 in QangaliTakugakkit - lemehd, lichess.org, 2024 (1-0, 9). 

6.Nxe5 

(6. Nc3 Qf6 7. O-O Qg6 8. Nd5 Bb6 9. Nxb6 axb6 10. Re1 d6 11. Nh4 Qg5 12.Qf3+ Qf4 13. Re3 Nd4 14. Qxf4+ exf4 15. Rc3 Ne2+ 16. Kf1 Nxc3 17. dxc3 Be6 18.Bxf4 Bxa2 19. e5 Bc4+ {0-1 QangaliTakugakkit-Simiam_Laika/https://lichess.org/Dbqi7Ye7 2024}) 

6...Bxf2+ 

Black returns the favor - and the Bishop.

Is the move a good one? The Database has 10 games with this position, with White winning 8 of them. Stockfish 16.1 evaluates White as 2 1/2 pawns better.

But: Tick, Tick, Tick...

7.Kf1 

Wary. Still, he should have taken the Bishop. The game is now about even.

7..Nxe5 8.d4 

See the above comment. Now 8...Qh4 would have given Black the advantage.

8...Bxd4 

Okay. After this Black had an edge.

9.c3 

Had to have been the clock. Instead, he had 9.Qxd4 Qf6+ 10.Qf2.

9...Qf6+ White resigned

Jerome Gambit: Ooops

In the following game, the players march down the main line of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) until White allows the exchange of his Rook for a Bishop - permitting Black to deliver a draw by repetion.

Ooops.

Blitz. It happens.

joker0909 - maxiprole76

3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

7.Qxe5 d6 

Blackburne's defense. Whistler's Defense would be 7...Qe7.

8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.d4 

He has also played 9.O-O Bg4 (9...Nf6 10.Qd8 Bh3 11.Qxc7+ Kf8 12.Qxb7 Bxg2 13.Kxg2 Qg4+ 14.Kh1 Qf3+ 15.Kg1 Qg4+ +/=) 10.Qc3 Be2 11.g3 (11.d4 Bxf1 12.dxc5 Bxg2 13.Kxg2 Qxe4+ 14.Qf3+) 11...Qxe4 12.d3 Qf3 13.Nd2 Bxf2+ 14.Rxf2 Black resigned, joker0909 - PempGMate, lichess.org, 2024. 

9...Qxe4+ 

Less accurate was 9...Bxd4 10.Qxd4 Bf5 11.Qc4+ d5 12.Qxc7+ Qe7 13.Qg3 Bxe4 14.O-O Bxc2 15.Bg5 Qb4 16.Qc7+ Kf8 17.Qxc2 d4 18.a3 Qb5 19.Nd2 d3 20.Qc7 Qxg5 21.Rfe1 Nf6 22.Qe7+ Kg8 23.Re5 Qxd2 24.Qxf6 Qxb2 25.Re8+ Rxe8 26.Qxb2 a5 27.g3 b5 28.Qxb5 d2 29.Qxe8+ Kg7 30.Qe2 d1=Q+ 31.Qxd1 a4 32.Rc1 h5 33.Rc6 Kh6 34.Qd6 Kg7 35.Qxg6+ Kf8 36.Rf6+ Ke7 37.Qf7+ Kd8 38.Rd6+ Kc8 39.Qd7+ Kb8 40.Rb6+ Ka8 41.Qc8+ Ka7 42.Qb7 checkmate, joker0909 - desuisback, lichess.org, 2024 

Best was 9...Nf6 10.Nd2 Bxd4 11.0–0 Qxh2+ 12.Kxh2 Ng4+ 13.Kg1 Bxh8.

10.Be3 Qxg2 

joker0909 has also faced:

10...Bxd4 11.Qxh7+ Kf8 12.Nd2 Qxc2 13.Bxd4 Bf5 14.Qg7+ Ke8 15.Qxg8+ Kd7 16.Qxa8 Qd3 17.Qxa7 Be4 18.Qa4+ c6 19.O-O-O Bxg2 20.Nc4 Qe4 21.Nxd6 Kxd6 22.Qb4+ Kc7 23.Qb6+ Kb8 24.Qa7+ Kc8 25.Qa8+ Kd7 26.Qxb7+ Kd6 27.Be3+ Ke5 28.Qe7+ Kf5 29.Qxe4+ Bxe4 30.Rd6 Bxh1 31.Rxc6 Bxc6 32.Kd2 Ke4 33.h4 Bd7 34.a4 Bxa4 35.b4 Be8 36.f3+ Kxf3 37.Kd3 Kg4 38.Kc4 Kxh4 39.b5 g5 White resigned, joker0909 - VDT_gnom, lichess.org, 2024 ; and

10...Qxc2 11.Qxh7+ Kf8 12.O-O Nf6 13.Bh6+ Ke8 14.Qxg6+ Qxg6 15.Re1+ Kf7 16.dxc5 Qxh6 17.Nc3 Ng4 18.h3 Nf6 19.cxd6 cxd6 20.Rad1 Bxh3 21.Rxd6 Bxg2 22.Kxg2 Qg5+ 23.Kf1 Re8 24.Ne2 Qh5 25.Rc1 Qxe2+ 26.Kg1 Rg8+ 27.Kh2 Qh5 checkmate, joker0909 - rf998, lichess.org, 2024 

11.Qxh7+ Kf8 12.dxc5

A slip that lets Black escape. Instead, 12.Rf1 Bb4+ 13.c3 Bf5 14.cxb4 Bd3 15.Nd2 Re8 16.Qh4 Kg7 17.Qf4 Nf6 18.d5 Qxd5 19.Rc1 c6 was the way forward. 

12...Qxh1+ 13.Kd2 Qd5+ 14.Ke1 Qh1+ 15.Kd2 Qd5+ 16.Kc1 Qh1+ 17.Kd2 Draw

Jerome Gambit, Still Faster

Okay, set up your chessboard (2D or 3D) and play through the following bullet game.

It might help if you realize that the players used, on average, less than a second per move.

Race through it, to get a sense of the play, as it happened.

It will probably take more than a minute to do that.

angelcamina - Crypt_Ari

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2025

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

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4 Nc6 9.Qc4+ Ke8 10.O-O Qe7 11.f4 Na5 12.Qd3 d6 13.b3 Nc6 14.Ba3 Bd7 15.e5 dxe5 16.Bxe7 Kxe7 

Now it's just a matter of Beat the Clock - which is more difficult than it sounds.

17.fxe5 Nxe5 18.Rae1 Nfg4 19.Rxe5+ Nxe5 20.Re1 Kf6 21.Qd4 Rhe8 22.Qf4+ Ke6 23.Qxe5+ Kf7 24.Qf4+ Kg8 25.Rxe8+ Rxe8 26.h3 Re1+ 27.Kh2 Re8 28.Qc4+ Kh8 29.Qxc7 Bc6 30.a4 Rf8 31.Qe7 Rg8 32.Ne4 Bxe4 33.Qxe4 Rc8 34.Qxb7 Rg8 35.Qxa7 h6 36.Qf7 Kh7 37.Qxg8+ Kxg8 38.Kg3 Kf7 39.Kf4 Ke7 40.c4 Kd6 41.b4 Kc6 42.Kf5 Kd6 43.Kg6 h5 44.Kxh5 g6+ 45.Kxg6 Ke6 46.a5 Kd6 47.a6 Kc7 48.a7 Kb7 49.b5 Kxa7 50.h4 Kb6 51.h5 Kc5 52.h6 Kxc4 53.h7 Kc5 54.h8=Q Kd6 55.Qf8+ Ke5 56.g4 Ke6 57.Kh6 Ke5 58.g5 Ke6 59.g6 Ke5 60.g7 Kd5 61.g8=Q+ Kd4 62.Qf4+ Kd3 63.Qgg3+ Kc2 64.Qff2+ Kc1 65.Qgg1 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: As Fast (And As Deadly) As A Speeding Bullet

For a very quick look at why some players enjoy the Jerome Gambit, especially at bullet time controls, check out the following video showcasing a fun game.

"Giuoco Piano, Jerome Gambit #3 | Bullet Game | Chess Opening Trap | ft. Vijay Joshi"

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb4+ 7.c3 Bd6  

8.dxe5 Bxe5 9.Qd5+ Kf6 10.f4 Qe7 

11.fxe5+ Qxe5 12.O-O+ Kg6 13.Qf7 checkmate

Ouch.