Jerome Gambit: Cool! A 19-Move Something-or-Other

The intricacies of the following bullet game can better be appreciated if we slow time down - with annotations.

I continue to be impressed by players who need only a minute or two to succeed with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). 

Redtheone - arashtash1976

2 1 bullet, 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 Ne7

There are 65 games in The Database with this position. White scores 72%. 

Best for Black, here, is 8...Kc6!? first seen, according to The Database, in Philidor1792 - NN, 2012 (0-1, 17). 

9.Qxe5+ Kc6 10.d4 

White's move is sharp, but not as effective as 10.Qc3. See Jerome Gambit Secrets #5

10...Bd6 

Redtheone has faced the stronger 10...d6, but not necessarily successfully: 11.Qxg7 (11.d5+?! Kb6 [11...Kd7 12.Qg5 Qf8 13.g3 c6 14.dxc6+ Nxc6 15.Qd5 Qe7 16.b3 Re8 17.e5 Kc7 18.Ba3 Bxa3 19.Nxa3 dxe5 20.Nb5+ Kb8 21.O-O-O exf4 22.gxf4 a6 23.Nd6 Qe3+ 24.Kb1 Rd8 25.Qf7 Ka7 26.Nxc8+ Raxc8 27.Rxd8 Rxd8 28.Qxg7 Qxf4 White resigned, Redtheone - mohammadhosseynchess, lichess.org, 2024] 12.Qc3 Nxd5 13.exd5 Qh4+ 14.g3 Re8+ 15.Kf1 Bh3 checkmate, Redtheone - Gnel_Danielyanm lichess.org, 2024) 11...Bb6 12.c3 Rg8 13.Qxh7 Rxg2 14.Nd2 Bg4 15.Nc4 Re2+ 16.Kf1 Nc8 17.h3 Bf3 18.Rg1 Bxe4 19.Nxb6? Bxh7 20.Nxa8 (Black now has a forced checkmate, and he eventually gets there) Bd3 21.Rg2 Rxg2+ 22.Kxg2 Ne7 23.Nxc7 Kxc7 24.Be3 Qg8+ 25.Kf2 Nf5 26.Rg1 Qxg1+ 27.Kxg1 Nxe3 28.Kf2 Nc4 29.b3 Nb6 30.h4 Nd7 31.Kg3 Nf6 32.Kf3 Bb1 33.a3 Bc2 34.b4 Bf5 35.Ke3 b5 36.Kf3 a6 37.Ke3 Kc6 38.Kd2 Kd5 39.Ke3 Kc4 40.Kd2 Kb3 41.a4 Kxa4 42.Ke3 Kb3 43.Kd2 Kc4 44.h5 Nxh5 45.Ke3 Kxc3 46.d5 Kc4 47.Kd2 Kxb4 48.Ke3 Kc4 49.Kd2 Nxf4 50.Ke3 Nxd5+ 51.Kf3 Nc3 52.Kf4 Be6 53.Ke3 Bd5 54.Kd2 a5 55.Kc2 a4 56.Kb2 a3+ 57.Kxa3 b4+ 58.Kb2 Bc6 59.Kc2 d5 60.Kd2 d4 61.Kc2 d3+ 62.Kd2 b3 63.Kc1 Bd5 64.Kb2 d2 65.Ka1 d1=Q+ 66.Kb2 Qc2+ 67.Ka3 Qa2 checkmate, Redtheone - jaisnana, lichess.org, 2025

11.d5+ Kb6 

Black's King looks for safety, far from home.

The tables have turned, and White is better.

12.Qd4+

Redtheone has also tried 12.Be3+ c5? 13.Qxd6+ Ka5 14.Qxc5+ (14.Bd2+ Kb5 15.a4+ Kc4 16.Na3+ Kd4 17.Qe5 checkmate) b5 15.b4+ (15.Qa3 checkmate) Ka6 16.a4 Qb6 17.axb5+ Kb7 18.Qxb6+ axb6 19.Rxa8 Kxa8 20.Bxb6 Ng6 21.g3 d6 22.Bc7 Bg4 23.Bxd6 Re8 24.e5 Bf3 25.O-O Bxd5 26.Rc1 Bc4 27.b6 Kb7 28.Bc5 Ne7 29.c3 Nd5 30.Na3 Bd3 31.c4 Nxb6 32.Bxb6 Kxb6 33.c5+ Kc6 34.b5+ Kb7 35.c6+ Kb6 36.c7 Rc8 37.Rc3 Bxb5 38.Nxb5 Kxb5 39.Kf2 Kb6 40.Ke3 Rxc7 41.Rxc7 Kxc7 42.Ke4 Kd7 43.f5 Ke7 44.g4 Kf7 45.h4 Ke7 46.Kf4 Kf7 47.g5 Ke7 48.f6+ gxf6 49.gxf6+ Kf7 50.h5 h6 51.Kf5 Kg8 52.Kg6 Kf8 53.Kxh6 Kf7 54.Kg5 Ke6 55.h6 Kxe5 56.f7 Black resigned, Redtheone - wejaq, lichess.org, 2024 

Untested is 12.Qc3!?

12...Bc5 13.Qxg7 Ng6 14.Nc3 

14...a6 

Seeking shelter for his King. He might have tried, instead, putting his King on a6, or looking to exchange Queens with 14...Qe7.

15.Na4+ Kb5 16.Nxc5 Kxc5 17.Qc3+ Kb6 18.Be3+ Kb5 19.a4 checkmate

A quick glance at this game might allow a viewer to think Cool! A 19-move Jerome Gambit checkmate! but checking out the individual moves, and the notes, above, would change that perception to Cool! A 19-move Jerome Gambit escape - and then checkmate!

Jerome Gambit: While Pondering

While I continue to ponder the game Salov,V - Vancouver, Friedel 1991 (1-0, 22) in The Database, I thought I would share a game that recently appeared online, with the same opening moves. 

thecheckmatelogic - Sermichar

5 0 blitz, ChessFriends.com, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Bxf7+ 

The earliest example of this opening idea that I have found is in the aforementioned game. (See "Jerome-Knightmare" for some thoughs on the line.)

Questions.

Was "V. Salov" top grandmaster Valery Salov?

Was his opponent actually a player named "Vancouver", or was the grandmaster, perhaps, playing a demonstration game (or games) in Vancouver, Canada?

Was "Friedel" the location where the game was played, or does it refer to Frederick Friedel, co-founder of the chess database company, ChessBase? Looking at my somewhat out-of-date Big Database (2016), I can not find a Salov game with those opening moves.

3...Kxf7 4.Nf3 

4.d4 led to Salov,V - Vancouver, Friedel, 1991.

4...d6 5. d3 h6 6. O-O Bg4 7. h3 Bxf3 8. Qxf3 Kg8 

Both Kings have been tucked into safety.

Black has a piece for a pawn, and is better - but this is a 5-minute game, and things can change.

9.Qg3 Nc6 10.c3 b6 11.Nd2 a5 12.Nf3 Qd7 

The focus is on g7, which is, for now, well-defended.

13.Nh4 Rh7 14.Nf5 d5 

Black strikes back in the center.

15.Be3 d4 16.cxd4 exd4 17.Bf4 Re8 18.Rac1 

White also focuses on c7 - and then, on to g7.

18...Nb4 

There was a lot to consider. The defender had 18...g5, when 19.Rxc6!? or 19.Bxg5!? would have complicated things - but Black still would have been better.

19.Rxc7 Qb5 

Black counter-attacks with pressure on White's d3 pawn.

Stockfish 16.1 suggests, instead, that he hold on with 19...Qd8, for example 20.Nxh6+ Rxh6 21.Bxh6 Nh5!? 22.Qg6 Qxc7 23.Qxe8 Nf6 24.Qe6+ Qf7 25.Qxf7+ Kxf7 26.Bg5 Nd7 27.Rd1 Nxa2 28.Kf1 Be7 29.Bf4 Nc5 30.Bc7 Nb3 31.Bxb6 a4 32.g3 Nc3!? 33.Re1 Na2 34.f4 Bb4 35.Re2 Nac1 36.Rc2 Nxd3 37.Ke2 Ndc1+ 38.Kd1 Nd3 39.Ke2 Nbc1+ 40.Kd1 Nb3 41.Ke2 Nbc1+ and will draw by repetition of position.

Perhaps Bobby Fischer did say "Long analysis, wrong analysis", but it is worth playing through Stockfish's line. 

20.Bxh6 Nxd3 

Again, the computer explicates: 20...Qe5 21.Bf4 Qe6 22.Nxd4 Nh5 23.Nxe6 Nxg3 24.fxg3 Rxe6 25.Rc8 g5 26.Bxg5 Rf7 27.d4 Rxf1+ 28.Kxf1 Kf7 29.e5 Nxa2 30.Kf2 when White has 4 pawns for a piece and is better.

Egads.

21.Bxg7 

White breaks through.

21...Bxg7 22.Rxg7+ Kh8 23.Rxh7+ Nxh7 24.Qg7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Proceed Carefully

 

Almost 400 games in The Database have the features illustrated in the following position.

It is Black's move, and he should do what? (Assume his King is not in check.)

This is a situation White should never find himself in. 

(Hint: the Queen is unprotected.)

Recall from "Jerome Gambit: What Did Both Black and White Miss?"

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

Of course, if it is White to move, he should relocate his Queen.

The earliest example that I have of this arrangement of pieces is in Jerome - Norton, correspondence, 1876 (unfinished), where it was White to move, and Alonzo Wheeler Jerome retreated his Queen.  

Looking at The Database, there are 11 games with this arrangement, and White moved or protected his Queen only 3 times.

On the other hand, in those 11 games, Black played ...Nf3+ only twice.

What can I say? Jerome Gambit.

Jerome Gambit: Creativity

 

What do you do, when your Jerome Gambit has been successful, and you reach an overwhelming endgame - and your opponent still will not resign?

The following diagram - checkmate - comes from the game GamerCat2015 - GavinTheFilmer10, Chess.com, 2025, at move 112.

Jerome Gambit: Just Win

It can be enjoyable to win a game by executing a long, forced, checkmate - so long as it doesn't take up too much time or energy.

Sometimes, as in the following game, a King hunt allows White to just win. 

Tracy824 - ellnegro

5 0 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 Nc6 8.Qd5+ Ke7 

Tracy824 has also faced 8...Kf6, i.e. 9.Qg5+ (9.Qf5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ d6 11.Qe3 transposing to familiar setups) 9...Ke6 10.Qxc5 d6 11.Qf2 Qf6 12.O-O Nge7 13.c3 Kf7 14.d4 Re8 15.Qe2 d5 16.e5 Qe6 17.Be3 Kg8 18.Nd2 Rf8 19.Nf3 h6 20.h3 b6 21.g4 Nd8 22.f5 Qf7 23.Nh4 g5 24.fxg6 Qg7 25.Rxf8+ Qxf8 26.Nf5 Nxf5 27.gxf5 Bxf5 28.Rf1 Qf6 29.Rf2 Qxg6+ 30.Rg2 Qxg2+ 31.Qxg2+ Kf7 32.Bxh6 Ne6 33.Qf2 Rg8+ 34.Kh2 Rh8 35.Qxf5+ Ke7 36.Qf6+ Kd7 37.Qxh8 Black resigned, Tracy824 - DEATH_MARC, lichess.org, 2024 

9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qg5+

White plays something more aggressive than the usual retreat to e3.

The Database gas 45 games with this position White scores 69%.

10...Nf6 

Develop a piece and block the check? Tempting, but it is an error.

Tracy824 has also faced 10...Ke8 11.Qxg7 Nf6? 12.Qxh8+ Black resigned, Tracy824 - tahlo, 5 0 blitz, lichess, 2024.

Probably best for Black is 10...Kf7. The Database has 15 games with that position, although White still scores 60%. For club players, defending is more difficult than attacking.

11.e5 

Instead, White could win a Rook after 11.Qxg7+ Ke8  12.Qxh8+ Kf7 13.Qxd8 Nxd8 14.d3.

White might have chosen the text, to win a piece, because he did not see that Black's other line would have led to checkmate in 14! -  11.Qxg7+ Ke6 12.f5+ Ke5 13.Qg3+ Kxe4 14.O-O Kd5 15.c4+ Kxc4 16.Na3+ Kc5 17.Qc3+ Kd5 18.Qb3+ Ke5 19.Nc4+ Kd5 20.Nb6+ Kc5 21.d4+ Nxd4 22.Be3 d5 23.Bxd4+ Kd6 24.Qb4+ c5 25.Qxc5#.

Who could blame him? 

11...dxe5 12.fxe5 h6

When your opponent attacks one of your pieces, look to find one of his - possibly more important - to attack.

This sage piece of advice does not work for Black here. He should have surrendered the Knight with 12...Kf7 13.exf6  and had an equal game after 13...Re8+ 14.Kd1 Qxf6 15.Qxf6+ gxf6 16.h3.

13.exf6+ gxf6 14.Qg7+ Kd6 

Escaping to e6 might have been better, as further play shows.

15.O-O f5 

Hoping to save the pawn.

16.Qg6+ Kc5 

Seeking shelter from the storm.

17.c3 Ne5 

At b6 the Black King might not be checkmated, but the second player would be behind in material and King safety. 

18.d4+ 

Black may escape checkmate, but not the loss of the game.

18...Kb5 19.dxe5 c6 20.Na3+ Kb6 21.Nc4+ Kc7 22.Qd6+ Qxd6 23.exd6+ Black resigned

White is up a piece, a pawn, and a safer King.

If you found checkmates earlier in the game - in 12 moves, in 11 moves, in 10 moves - be careful: in a 5-minute game, you do not need to spend time on such long calculations, if something simpler, if less forceful, presents itself.

Jerome Gambit Book (Part 6)

 

The following game - and 13 others in the Jerome Gambit book - all have the same introduction

C50: Hungarian Defence and Giuoco Pianissimo Melbourne Leader, 1881; GA MacDonnell; Lane: 'Main notes are from Melbourne paper but GA MacDonnell also published it in ISDN for 3 Sept 1881 - he has got it from Adelaide Observer. 'A very interesting game played by correspondence a short time ago between Messrs H. Charlick and J. Mann.'' Melbourne Leader, 1881; GA MacDonnell; Lane: 'The variations preceded by "RR" were given by Gary Lane in an internet article on the Jerome Gambit at www.chesscafe.com in 2008.'

Indeed, reference to Charlick - Mann, correspondence, Australia, 1881 (1-0, 72) appears in the notes of 13 of the games, including the following

Mantau, Jan - Witt, Monika

corr RSRANDOM-225, 20116

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.Qc4

White prevents ...Be6. The Database has 138 games with this position, with White scoring 66%. 

An active response would be 9...Qg5 10. Rg1 Nh4. 

9...c5 

To dissuade White from playing d2-d4.

10.Nc3 Ne5 

Attacking the enemy Queen is always attractive. In this case, it chases the Queen to a more effective position.

More dynamic is 10...Qg5.

11.Qe2 Nf6 12.h3 

Keeping the Knights and a Bishop off of g4.

12...c4

Again, encouraging White to avoid playing d2-d4 - but an oversight.

13.f4 Nc6 14.Qxc4 d5 

Just so.

15.exd5 Qe7+

This check appears attractive, and now 16.Qe2 Qxd2+ 17.Nxe2 Nxd5 would favor Black, but there is risk in placing the Queen on the same file as the King, as White demonstrates.

The routine 15...Ne7 would have given Black an edge. 

16.Kd1 Qb4 17.Qe2+ 

Stockfish 16.1 evaluates as stronger a Rook check: 17.Re1+ Kd8 18.b3 Qxc4 19.bxc4 Ne7 20.d3 and White, with four pawns for a piece, is better. 

17...Ne7 18.a3 

White can attack his opponent's Queen, too. Here, he gives his opponent an opportunity to be distracted.

18...Qxf4

White has so many pawns lying around, so, why not?

Black's proper response was annoyingly retreat-like: 18...Qb6 19.Re1 Qd8 20.Qc4 Kf8 21.Re5, when White can afford to respond to 21...Ng6 with 22.d3, as 22...Nxe5 23.fxe5 gives the first player 4 "Jerome pawns" and an attack for his opponent's extra Rook.

analysis diagram

Suggested lines of play (30 ply) which favor White include:

23...Nd7 24.e6 Nf6 25.Be3 Kg8 26.Kd2 h6 27.Rf1 Rh7 28.Bd4;

23...Ne8 24.Qf4+ Kg8 25.Be3 Qg6 (25...Qxb2 26.Bd4) 26.Kd2 h6 (26...Qxg2 27.Rf1) 27.g4; 

23...Ng8 24.Qf4+ Nf6 25.Ne4 Rg8 26.Be3 Qxd5 27.Bc5+ Kf7 28.Nxf6 g5 29.Qf2 Qxe5 30.Nxg8+ Qf4 (30...Kxg8 31.Qf8#) 31.Qxf4 gxf4 32.Ne7

Back to the game.

19.Re1 Ne4 

Giving back material. Instead, 19...Nfg8, but 20.d3 Qd6 21.Bg5 would still show White's pressure.

White's attack builds and builds.

20.Nxe4 Bf5 

21.Nf6+ Kd8 22.Qxe7+ Kc8 23.d3 Qc7 24.Qxc7+ Kxc7 

Exchanging Queens does not slow down White's attack.

25.Re7+ Kd6 26.Rxg7 Raf8 27.Bf4+ Kc5 28.Be5 

28...h6 29.Rxb7 Rd8 30.b4 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Quickly Slip...to Loss

The following game shows that with the Jerome Gambit, Black can quickly slip from advantage to equality to disadvantage to loss.

Wunder, Stefan - Langschmidt, Dirk

corr RSRANDOM-225, 2016

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4 

This strong move goes back to Sorensen,S - X, Denmark, 1888 (1-0, 27).

7.O-O Ng4 8.h3 

Black has a decisive advantage, according to Kitty Kat, in the Jerome Gambit book.

8...Bd6 9.e5 

9...Nxe5

Or 9...Bxe5 10.dxe5 Nxe5 11.Qd5+ Kf6 12.f4 Ng6 13.Nc3 d6 14.Be3 Ke7 15.Rae1 Kd8 16.Nb5 Nf6 17.Qc4 Ne8 18.Bf2 Qf6 19.Bd4 Qh4 20.Rxe8+ Kxe8 21.Nxc7+ Kf8 22.f5 Ne5 23.f6 gxf6 24.Qd5 Kg7 25.Qxd6 Rg8 26.Rxf6 Qxf6 27.Bxe5 and won, Sorensen,S - X, Denmark, 1888.

10.dxe5

Although the computer assesses the position as equal, according to The Database, White has scored 14 - 5 from this position.

Of note, Bill Wall has scored 8 - 0.

10...Bxe5 11.Qd5+ Kf6 12.Nd2 

The difference in King safety is significant, and tilts the game toward White.

12...d6 

Loses the game, according to Kitty Kat, in the Jerome Gambit book. It suggests that with 12...Qd4, Black "stays ahead" but the computer assesses the position after that suggested move, instead, as  +/-. 

13.f4  Ke7 14.fxe5 Be6 15.exd6+ Kd7 16.Qb5+ 

16...Kxd6 17.Nf3 Bd5 

A slip that finishes the game.

18.Nxh4 Black resigned

[This is blog post 4,900]