Saturday, September 6, 2025

Jerome Gambit: Having Said A...

The following online Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game caught my eye for a number of reasons.

First, the time control: 30 minutes plus 20 seconds increment per move. That's a lot different than a bullet game.

Second, Blacks' 7th move is interesting, aggressive and unusual.

Third, White's 9th move, while awkward, is best - there is only one game with a (poor) alternative move in The Database.

Fourth, Black's game then falls apart in an unusual way.

Fifth, I get to quote Bertold Brecht for the first and only time in over 4,850 blog posts.

Finally, to be fair, it must be pointed out that White was giving "Jerome Gambit odds", as he was rated, at 2100+, about 450 points above his opponent.


PANORMOS - dvkocharyan

1800 20, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qxc5 Qh4 

There are only 12 games in The Database (over 114,000 games) with this move. In those games, White scores 8 - 3 - 1.

Stockfish 16.1 evaluates the position as about a pawn better for Black

8.d3 Qg4 9.Rg1 

The text is better than 9.O-O, although the game continuation after that move, 9...d6 (better 9...Nh4 with advantage) was well-met by 10.Qxc7+ in Trage2000 - Alexprochazka, 30 20 classical, lichess.org, 2023 (1-0, 47). 

9...Nh4

Thinking of capturing the g-pawn? Not a good idea.

Instead, there was 9...c6 and then, maybe, 10.h3 b6 11.hxg4 Bxc5 12.Nc3 d5 and Black would maintain his advantage. 

10.f3 Nxf3+  

Imagining that the White g-pawn is pinned? But - look along the a7-g1 diagonal.

After the alternative, 10...Qe6 11.Qxc7 Nf6 12.Nc3 Ng6 White would have an edge. 

11.gxf3 Qxf3 

Did Bertolt BrechtGerman playwright and poet, play chess? 

Indeed, he did

As he might have commented (after time-travelling) upon seeing the current position, about Black, Having said "A", he now says "B".

12.Rf1 Black resigned


The Black Queen is lost.


Friday, September 5, 2025

Jerome Gambit: Play On One More Move


Black's short-sightedness (in a blitz game, it has to be said) led quickly to a lost position, but he probably should have played one more move, just to see what would happen.


joker0909 - mrjek

3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 Nf6 

Hoping to chase away the enemy Queen, but actually inviting her in.

8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 Nxe4 10.Qd5+ 

Black resigned

While White is up a pawn, Stockfish 16.1 evaluates the position as being about 4 pawns better for him - no doubt due to greater King safety and an active Queen.

If I had been playing Black, however, I would have played on a bit longer - say, 10...Kf6, just to see if White would err and take the attacked Knight.

Of course, 11.Qxe4 would be met with 11...Re8, winning the Queen and turning the advantage over to Black.. After the correct 11.O-O, I would resign. 


Thursday, September 4, 2025

Jerome Gambit: Not Safe Enough

In the following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, Black learns that even a small slip can separate safety from a lost game. Eternal vigilance is the price of a win.


anilone - arisaljabrik3

10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Bd4 

Similar play, a move earlier, i.e. 7.f4 Bd4, has been looked at in "Computer Ideas in the Jerome Gambit (Part 1)", "Jerome Gambit: A Machine Idea", "Deadly Duel in Denmark", "R2R Nails It" and "Ionman vs the Bots"

The earliest examples of 8.f4 Bd4 in The Database are from five Fisher-Kirshner games versus an early version of Fritz, known as KnightStalker. They continued 9.fxe5+ Kd6 10.b4

9.c3 

First seen in two games between ionman and Fleurybot. See "Ionman vs the Bots".

9...Nd3+ 10.Kd1 

Or 10.Ke2, as in anilone - anthonyguinto123, lichess.org, 2024, 10...Nxc1+ 11.Rxc1 Qf6 12.Qd5+ Ke7 13.g3 Bb6 14.d4 c6 15.Qb3 Qe6 16.Nd2 Qxb3 17.axb3 d5 18.e5 Bg4+ 19.Ke3 h5 20.c4 h4 21.c5 Bc7 22.Rg1 hxg3 23.Rxg3 Rh4 24.Rag1 Nh6 25.Nf3 Nf5+ 26.Kf2 Bxf3 27.Rxf3 Rxh2+ 28.Ke1 Rah8 29.Rf2 Rxf2 30.Kxf2 Rh2+ 31.Ke1 Kf7 32.Rg5 g6 33.e6+ Kf6 34.b4 Bxf4 35.Rg1 Be3 36.Rf1 Kxe6 37.Rf3 Bxd4 38.Rf4 Ke5 39.Rg4 Kf6 40.Rf4 Kg5 41.Rf3 Ne3 42.b5 Kg4 43.Rf7 Bxb2 44.Rf2 Bc3+45.Ke2 Black resigned 

10...c6 

Preparing shelter for his King.

He also had the retreat 10...Ke7, or furthering his attack with 10...Nf2+, as in anilone - iskaako5050, lichess.org, 2024 11.Kc2 Nxh1 12.Qd5+ Ke7 13.Qxd4 Qf8 14.d3 d6 15.Qg1 Ng3 16.hxg3 Bg4 17.Be3 Nh6 18.Qh1 c5 19.f5 Qf6 20.Nd2 Rab8 21.Nc4 b5 22.Na5 Kd7 23.Re1 Nf7 24.Qf1 a6 25.Qf4 h5 26.Nb3 Rhc8 27.d4 c4 28.Na5 d5 29.Rf1 dxe4 30.Qxe4 Nd6 31.Qd5 Bxf5+ 32.Kc1 g6 33.Rf4 Qe6 34.Qf3 Bg4 35.d5 Qe5 36.Rf7+ Nxf7 37.Qxf7+ Qe7 38.Qxe7+ Kxe7 39.Nc6+ Rxc6 40.dxc6 Rc8 White resigned,  

11.e5+ Kc7 12.Qxd3 


Black's King has found safety. Now it's his Bishop's turn.

12...Bb6 13.Qd6 checkmate.


Ouch. Not safe enough.

A different retreat for the Bishop was called for - 12...Bc5 13.f5 Be7 and Black would maintain his advantage.




Wednesday, September 3, 2025

Jerome Gambit: The Ghost of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome Says Thank You


The Jerome Gambit offers many ways for the defender to err and lose. The following game illustrates one of them.


Tracy824 - Azrail72

5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 Qf6 8.Rf1 Bd6


Over-protecting the Knight, but a slip. It happens in blitz.

The ghost of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome says Thank you.

9.fxe5 Qxe5 

Black's "best" was 9...Qg6, but after 10.Qh3+ Ke7 11.exd6+ cxd6 12.Nc3 Nf6 13.d3 his predicament would be worse than a simple pawn minus might indicate.

10.Qf7 checkmate

The games Petasluk - krasic, 5 0 blitz, FICS 2017 and Tracy824 - imad87, 5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2024 tread the same path, earlier.


Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Jerome Gambit: The Deadly f-File, Once Again



When Black'sKing captures the Bishop on f7, in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), it needs to be careful if White castles Kingside, putting his Rook on the same file; and, doubly so, if the White Queen lines up with the Rook.

MrFiore - nyanisi

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Qf6 

MrFiore has also faced 9...Nf6, 9...Qe7, 9...Be6 and 9...N8e7.

10.d3 Ne5 11.Nc3 Ng4 

It is tempting to harass the Queen.

12.Qe2 a6 13.h3 Ne5 14.O-O Ne7 15.f4 N5c6 


Nothing exciting has happened yet, but White's Rook on the same file as Black's Queen and King could turn out to mean something.

16.f5 Nd4 17.Qf2 Ndc6 18.g4 Qd4 19.Be3 Qb4 20.f6 Black resigned


It is going to cost Black material - starting with 20...Nf5 - to try to slow down White's attack, and he is not likely to be able to develop his remaining pieces in time to provide safety for his King.


Monday, September 1, 2025

Jerome Gambit: Queens Offside


The following game is a curious one: White's Queen goes offside, and Black's Queen does likewise. Only one suffers from the move.


Redtheone - giulianoprs74

3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Nf7 


It is not clear if this is a creative way to return material, which is inescapable, or simply a slip.

9.Qd5+ 

According to The Database, the alternative, 9.Qxf7 has scored 5 - 1 - 0.

9...Ke7 10.Qxc5+ d6 

Later, he faced 10...Nd6 in Redtheone - SebRia, lichess.org, 2025 (1-0, 48).

11.Qc4 

Or 11.Qd5 as in Redtheone - ANIwarrior007, lichess.org, 2024 (1-0, 65).

11...Be6 12.Qb4 

Or 12.Qe2 Qd7 13.f5 Black resigned, Redtheone - arcade129, lichess.org, 2024.

12...Rb8 


White's Queen has been doing a lot of work.

13.O-O c5 14.Qa3 Nf6 15.d3 


White cuts off his Queen from the Kingside, instead of centralizing the piece with 15.Qe3. Fortunately for him, Black now decentralized his Queen.  

15...Qb6 16.Kh1 

The King wants to escape any disclosed check from the Queen. He also had 16.c4

16...Nd8 17.f5 Bd7 18.Nc3 Nc6 19.Bg5 


With a simple threat. Do you see it? Apparently, the defender does not. Remember, this is a 3-minute game.

19...Rbf8 20.Bxf6+ gxf6 21.Nd5+ Black resigned




Sunday, August 31, 2025

Jerome Gambit: An Unfortunate Pawn-Grab



In the following Jerome Gambit game, Black defends well, until he is distracted by a pawn, and, unfortunately, grabs it.


CassomaD4 - jdkybej

2 1 bullet, lichess.org, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 

The Two Knights Defense

4.O-O Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

The game has transposed to a "modern" (not Nxe5+) Jerome Gambit line, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.Bxf7+ - for the moment.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 

Transposing to an odd variation of the main, "classical," Jerome line, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Nf6 7.0–0, although there are 84 examples in The Database (White score 50%).

7...Ng6 8.dxc5 Nxe4 

An unfortunate pawn-grab, the kind of thing that can happen in a bullet game. 

9.Qd5+ Black resigned


White is ahead a pawn. In a slower time control, he could grind his opponent down. In this game, perhaps he has the skills to do so, quickly. Possibly, Black suspected that his opponent could do that, or was upset at dropping the Knight.