Jerome Gambit History: The Board Game Xpert

The Board Game Xpert has a new video out on our favorite opening: "What is the History of the Jerome Gambit?"

The site has many other interesting videos - but, start with this one.

Jerome Gambit: Fingerfehler?

I have said many times on this blog that the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is a refuted chess opening.

Nonetheless, it creates enough chaos on the board that a prepared and observant first player can often emerge victorious.

The lichess.org player angelcamina does very well with the Jerome, even with a time control of 1 minute per game.

About the following game we can only say, as Horace wrote in his Ars Poetica, that Even Homer sometimes nods

angelcamina - AChessAccount123

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f3 

White's rare last move is a bit of a head-scratcher.

Looking at The Database, there are 2,757 games with the alternative 7.Qf5+, and 2,822 games with the alternative 7.f4.

There are only 15 games with 7.f3.

The Database shows that angelcamina has played 7.Qf5+ 40 times, and 7.f4 54 times.

He has played 7.f3 3 times.

So, maybe the move in the game was intentional, perhaps experimental; maybe it was a finger slip.

7...Nf6 

Or 7...Qf6 8.c3 Bb6 9.d4 Nd3+ 10.Ke2 Nxc1+ 11.Rxc1 Ne7 12.Nd2 g6 13.d5+ Kf7 14.Qh6 d6 15.Rf1 Bd7 16.Rae1 Ng8 Black resigned, angelcamina - robinlourme, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020. 

A clue to the position and game: it should be noted that White can not capture on e5 on move 9, which would have been possible after 7.f4.

8.Qf5+ Kf7 

Or 8...Kd6 9.f4 (9.b4 Bxb4 10.c3 Ba5 11.d4 Nc6 12.Ba3+ Nb4 13.cxb4 Ke7 14.bxa5+ d6 15.e5 Bxf5 16.exf6+ Kxf6 17.Nd2 Re8+ 18.Kf2 Bd3 19.Rae1 Qd7 20.Ne4+ Bxe4 21.Rxe4 Rxe4 22.fxe4 Qa4 23.Bc1 Qc2+ 24.Kg3 Qxe4 25.Rf1+ Kg6 26.Rf4 Qd3+ 27.Rf3 Qxd4 28.h4 h5 29.Be3 Qg4+ 30.Kf2 Qxh4+ 31.Rg3+ Kh7 32.Bg5 Rf8+ 33.Kg1 Qxg3 34.Be7 Rf2 White resigned, DutchLiLi - cchiluba, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024) 9...Neg4 10.e5+ Kc6 11.exf6 Re8+ 12.Kd1 Nxf6 13.Nc3 d6 14.d4 Bxf5 15.d5+ Nxd5 White resigned, angelcamina - Charona, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019 

9.Qxe5 d6 10.Qg3 Nh5 White resigned

The White Queen s attacked and can not escape.

Jerome Gambit: Was the Clock A Factor?

The following Jerome Gambit game raises the question - was the clock a factor in the defender's errors? 

The answer, usually, is yes.

feritTurkey - amrmostafa150

2 1 bullet, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.O-O 

Having dragged Black's King into danger, White takes a moment to safeguard his own King.

There are 126 games in The Database with 8.O-O. White scores 45%.

By comparison, there are 1,623 games in The Database with the alternative, 8.f4. White scores 60%.

8...Ne7 9.Qf4 Rf8 10.Qg3 

10...g6 

Black's g-pawn is no longer at risk. 

He should have considered getting his King to safety, starting with 10...Ke6.  

11.c3 Bb6 12.d4 

This is an interesting position: Black has two extra pieces, White has two extra pawns; Black's King is in danger, White's King is safely tucked away.

Stockfish 17.1 assesses the position to be about a pawn better for White.

12...c6 

Safety is paramount: the King needed to go to c6, not the pawn - 12...Kc6

Was the clock a factor?

13.Qxe5 checkmate

Wherefore Art Thou, O Jerome?

readeroftomes (Jason Fikes) has created, at Chess.com, a brilliant exposition on the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), titled Wherefore, Art Thou, O Jerome?

It is well worth checking out.

Right away.

Jerome Gambit: Slow and Static (Part 2)

                                                  

[continued from previous post]

perrypawnpusher - diegorocha82

Italian opning rapid players, Chess.com, 2025

After the game, Stockfish 16.1 (37 ply) assessed the position as equal.

16...Qe8 

Keeping White's Queen off of h5.

A calm alternative was 16...Kf7 17.Be3 Rf8 18.Bxd4 cxd4 19.Qxd4 Kg8, maintaining equality.

17.Be3 

I wish I had found 17.Nc3 Nef5 18.b4 cxb4 19.exf5 bxc3 20.Qxd4 Bxf5 21.Qxc3. 

It is a bit embarassing, as a Jerome Gambit "expert", to not see deep enough.

17...b6 18.Bxd4 cxd4 19.Qxd4 Kg8 

The position is similar to the one discussed in the notes to Black's 16th move - although, notably, here the second player's King locks in his Rook.

20.Nc3 

It was possible to play 20.e5 right away, but I worried about the response, 20...Nf5, and so added more development.

20...Bg4 

I am not sure what this move is about. Surely the Bishop would be safer on d7.

In turn, White now has (again) f5-f6, but instead opts for slow.

21.h3 Bh5 22.g4 Bf7 23.e5 

According to plan. The "Jerome pawns" control the field and give White the advantage.

The idea h7-h4, activating the Rook and attacking White's pawn structure, should be coming to mind for the defender.

23...dxe5 24.fxe5 Bg6 25.Nb5 

Threatening the fork at Nc7, planning to land on d6.

Still, the consistent 25.d6 was more to the point.

25...Qc8 26.d6 Nc6 

Forcing the exchange of Queens, while returning some material, can lead to some amusing play, 26...Qc5 27.dxe7 Qxd4+ (27...Qxe7 28.Qd5+ Bf7 28.Qxa8+) 28.Nxd4 Re8 29.Ne6 h6 30.Rf8+ Kh7 31.Rxe8 Rxe8 32.Nf8+ Kg8 33.Nxg6 Kf7 34.Nf4 Kxe7 and White's material is winning. 

27.Qd5+ Bf7 28.Qxf7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Slow and Static (Part 1)

What to do with a time control of 14 days per move?

While "more time to think" often leads to "better chess play", there is a limit to the amount of time most players use before moving.

That explains, in part, the following game, where White - that's me - at times, moved too quickly.

perrypawnpusher - diegorocha82

Italian opning rapid players, Chess.com, 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 Nc6 9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ Ke8

White has two pawns for his sacrificed piece. It is significant that Black's King is stuck in the center, and at risk.

The Database shows this position scoring 8 - 7 - 1 for White.

Stockfish 16.1 assesses Black as being about one pawn better.

Instead, 10...d6 was seen in perrypawnpusher - DeadlostBot, Chess.com 2023 (1-0, 67) - "Jerome Gambit: Deadlost (Parts 1, 2 & 3)"

11.O-O Nge7 

This is a solid move, although 11...d5 was stronger.

12.d4 

Building a pawn center. Stockfish 16.1 prefers development with 12.Nc3.

12...d6 

Again, 12...d5 was stronger, but attacking the Queen is tempting.

13.Qh5+ Kf8 

I had expected 13...g6, and was going to return my Queen home with 14.Qd1. I wound up doing so, anyhow.

14.d5 

Kicking the Knight.

After the game, Stockfish 16.1 suggested the wild 14.f5 Ng8 15.f6 Nxf6 16.Bg5 Nxd4 17.Nc3 h6 18.Nd5 Bg4 19.Qh4 Nf3+ 20.gxf3 Be6 21.Nxc7 Qxc7 22.Bxf6 when White would be better. Wow.

14...Nd4 

Black's move will pull White's Queen back.

I had no idea at the time that I could have ignored Black's threat and  played 15.f5 - 15...Nxc2 16.f6 Nxf6 17.Bg5.

That's better chess than I usually play.

15.Qd1 c5 16.c4 

Slow and static. My plan was to work toward e4-e5. 

I never got around to playing f4-f5.

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Not Quite Defending Well Enough

The following Jerome Gambit game shows the defender's defense not quite defending well enough. Certainly the time control was a factor.

angelcamina - eugenl

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 

The Semi-Italian opening.

The goal is to safeguard the Black King by keeping a piece off of g5. 

4.O-O Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.Bxf7+ 

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

There are 21 games in The Database with angelcamina playing this position. He scores 76%.

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Bxd4 9.Qxd4 d6 

10.f4 Nc6 11.Qc4+ Be6 12.Qb5 Qc8 

Instead of the text, Black could afford to give up the b-pawn with 12...Re8 13.Qxb7 Qd7 with good play.

13.b3

Going ahead with 13.e5 was possible. 

13...Bd7 14.Qc4+ Be6 15.Qe2 Bg4 16.Qc4+ Qe6 17.Qb5 Qd7 

Enough cat and mouse. Black has used up almost half of his clock time.

18.Bb2 Rhb8 

Putting a Rook on either e8 or f8 looks better.

White's fianchettoed Bishop aims at the Kingside.

19.Rae1 a6 20. Qc4+ Be6 21.Nd5 Nxd5 

5 seconds left on Black's clock?

22.exd5 Bf5 

Allows checkmate. 

23.dxc6+ Qe6 

Interposing the Bishop was a bit better, but the defender's game is collapsing.

24.Rxe6 Bxe6 25.Qd4 Kg8 26.Qxg7 checkmate