Jerome Gambit: read-23

 

Wow!

Over at Chess.com, read-23 has produced a great presentation on 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+.

 A sample of his work

Wherefore, Art Thou, O Jerome?

The fair-looking, foolhardy Jerome Gambit has seduced many an amateur chess player, offering two stunning sacrifices in the opening in search of a thrilling scalp. With any common sense, this ridiculous opening can be dispatched. But in Blitz or even friendly games, Black players struggle to make good choices, leading to embarrassing losses. 

Please, Readers, give it a look. Or two. Or three.

The Jerome Gambit remains my favorite chess opening, as this blog - approaching 5,000 posts - will attest. 

I have played it in 780 games, scoring 82%.

This is greatly overshadowed by Bill Wall, who had played it in 1,387 games, scoring 94%.

Rest assured, we both (and many others) understand that the Jerome Gambit is "stunning" and "thrilling".

 

Jerome Gambit: It's Complicated

One answer to the question "Why do people play the Jerome Gambit?" is simply "It's complicated".

For example, the following game.

N7PRO - dim62

3 2 blitz, Lichess Bundesliga Team, 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. 

8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.O-O

As we recently saw in GeNer4tion_KiLL - mahan9191, 3 2 blitz, Streamer Arena August '25, lichess.org, 2025, 9.d4 was a strong alternative.

See, also, see the post "Updating the Blackburne Defense (Part 1)" 

9...Nf6 10.Qd8 Bh3 

Quoting from the post "Updating the Blackburne Defense (Part 2)" 

The most exciting move in the position is Chandler's 10...Bh3!?, when White has to temporarily forego the Rook at a8 and focus on checking Black: 11.Qxc7+ (11.g3? Qxe4 12.Qxc7+ Kf8 White resigned, Siggus - toe, FICS, 2007; 11.Qxa8? Qg4 12.Qe8+ Nxe8 13.g3 Qf3 14.Re1 Qg2#) 11...Kf8! (11...Kg8 lost in Chandler,G - Dimitrov, T/5 minute special game 2004; in Hiarcs 8 - RevvedUp, blitz 2 12, 2006 [1-0, 17]; and AsceticKingK9 - blackburne, ChessWorld JG6, 2011 [1-0, 22] ) and analysis by Geoff Chandler and, later, Dennis Monokroussos (see the two posts on his blog) show that the outcome is a draw, as it is too dangerous for either player to look for more.

11.Qxc7+ Kg8 

A slip - remember, this is a 3-minute game. As Chandler noted

In my Game v Todd he played the natural 11...Kg8 which allows a check on b3 12.Qxb7 Qg4 13.Qb3+ Kg7 14.Qxh3

12.Qxb7 Re8 

Seen in Hiarcs 8 - RevvedUp, blitz 2 12, 2006 (1-0, 17).

Black's powerful development does not balance his deficit of the exchange and four pawns.

13.gxh3

This capture is tempting, and avoids the arguably stronger, simplifying, long line of play: 13.Qb3+ Be6 14.Qg3 Qxg3 15.hxg3 Nxe4 16.d3 Nxf2 17.Rxf2 Rf8 18.Bf4 g5 19.Nd2 gxf4 20.gxf4 Rxf4 21.Nf3 Bxf2+ 22.Kxf2 leaves White a couple of pawns up.

13...Qxh3

There is a complicated alternative that would force White to give up his Queen - 13...Qg5+ 14.Kh1 Nxe4 15.Qxe4 Rxe4 16.d3 Rf4 17.Nc3 Qh4 18.Bxf4 Qxf4 19.Rae1 Qf3+ 20.Kh1 Qxh3 - when White has two Rooks and two pawns for the Queen.

14.Qb3+ 

Forcing the exchange of Queens, when Black has no compensation for his Rook and three pawn deficit.

14...Qxb3 15.axb3 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Experience Counts

Here we have another Jerome Gambit game (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) where White's attack finishes off the enemy King in a little over a dozen moves.

This is not surprising, given that the first player is very experienced in playing the opening, with 485 games in The Database.

Dumbledoorsarmy - TaoufikCHESS

3 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 Nd3+ 

I have always liked this move, for some reason.

It appears in 78 games in The Database, where Black scores only 39%. Still, it is Stockfish 16.1's second choice, ranking only behind 7...d6, which appears in 617 games in The Database, scoring 56% for the second player.

8.cxd3 Bb6

Stronger was 8...d5

Later, White faced a different opponent. I have added brief notes: 8...Bd6?! 9.O-O (9.Qf5+!?) Nf6 10.Qf5+ (10.Qf3!?) Kf7 11.e5 (11.d4!?) g6?! (11...Bc5+!?) 12.Qh3 (12.Qxf5+!?) Bc5+ 13.Kh1 Nh5 (13...d6!?) 14.f5 d6 15.fxg6+ (15.d4!?) Kxg6 16.Qf3 d5 (16...Qh4!?) 17.d4 Be7? (17...Rf8!?) 18.Qf7+ Kh6 19.d3+ (19.Rf6+!?) Bg5 20.Nc3 c6? (20...Bg4!?) 21.h4? (21.Rf6!?) Bxc1 22.Rf6+ Nxf6 23.exf6 Rg8 24.Rxc1 Rg6 25.Ne2?! (25.Rf1!?) Qxf6 (25...Rxf6!?) 26.Qc7 Qxh4+ 27.Kg1 Bh3 28.Nf4 Qg4 29.Rf1 (29.Rc2!?) Now Black has a checkmate in 9 29...Rf8 30.Rf2 Rxf4?! 31.Qxf4+ Qxf4 32.Rxf4 Rxg2+ 33.Kh1 Rg4 34.Rf6+ Kg7 35.Rf3 (35.Rd6!?) Bg2+ 36.Kh2 Bxf3 37.b4 Rg6 38.b5 cxb5 39.a3 a6 40.Kh3 Be2 41.Kh4 Bxd3 42.Kh5 Be4 43.Kh4 Bd3 44.Kh5 Bc2 45.Kh4 Bd3 draw by three-fold repetition of position, Dumbledoorsarmy - sagardua257, lichess.org, 2025 

9.Nc3 Qf6 

The Knight should have gone to the f6 square - 9...Nf6. 

Now White grabs the initiative.

10.f5+ Kd6 11.Nb5+ Kc6 12.d4 

An offer of material that should be ignored and met by the thematic 12...d5.

12...Kxb5 

In blitz, when in doubt, grab material.

13.a4+ 

Okay, this is a 3-minute game, and this "smite" is effective, but the computer fusses that, instead, 13.Qe2+ Kc6 14.Qc4+ Kd6 15.e5+ wins the Queen.

13...Ka6 14.Qe2+ Ka5 15.Qb5 checkmate

Winning the King.

Jerome Gambit: What A Difference A Move Makes

In the following game, Black finds defensive moves, but starts them a move too late - this happens in blitz. The result is as expected.

Dumbledoorsarmy - snomty

3 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 

According to The Database, Dumbledoorsarmy played this in 67 of his games, scoring 60%. 

6...Qf6 8.Nc3 Nf7 

An interesting, if timid, move.

The capture 8...Qxf4 is playable. The Database shows a score of 7 - 7 - 1. I suspect that snomty was being cautious about grabbing further material.

Also possible is 8...Bf2+, as the piece is at risk, anyway: 9.Kxf2 Qxf4+ 10.Kg1 Nf6 11.Qe2 and Black's extra piece and development outweigh White's extra pawn.

Finally, 8...Ne7 is also liked by the computer, When 9.Rf1 is well met by 9...d5. 

The text surrenders the Bishop, and moves the complications in White's favor.

9.Qxc5 Qxf4 

In a 3-minute game, fortunes can change quickly. This capture is no longer playable. 

Unfortunately, "best" is 9...Nd6, when 10.e5 will eventually win a piece even after a Queen adventure, i.e. 10...Qh4+ 11.g3 Qh3 12.dxc3 Qg2 leads to little after 13.Rg1, as 14.Qe5+ is coming

10.Rf1 

The alternative, preferred by the computer, reminds me of the phrase "nibbled to death by ducks": 10.Qc4+ d5 11.Qxd5+ Ke7 12.Rf1 Nf6 13.Rxf4 Nxd5 14.Nxd5+ Kf8 15.Nxc7 Rb8 and White is up 3 pawns.

10...Qh4+ 

If 10...Qe5, White retreats his Queen with 11.Qf2 and 11...Nf6 12.d4 is equally uncomfortable.

Now the wave crashes over the defender.

11.g3 Qg5 12.Rf5 Qg6 13.Ne2 Ne7 14.Nf4 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Passing Through Some History

In the following game, GeNer4tion_KiLL finishes off his opponent in 11 moves, in a 3-minute blitz game. In the process, he passes through some Jerome Gambit history.

GeNer4tion_KiLL - mahan9191

3 2 blitz, Streamer Arena August '25, lichess.org, 2025

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.

As given in "It's A Small World After All (Part 2)"

Blackburne's "generous" offer of a Rook.

Those slightly familiar with Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1885, will remember the game ending in a crush of White.

Those a bit more familiar will recall that later analysis suggested that White was winning.

Regular Readers will know, however, that the move actually leads to a complicated draw. (See "Flaws" Part 1 and Part 2.) 

There is also "Updating the Blackburne Defense (Part 1 and 2)".

8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.d4 

This is White's strongest line, something he he can rely on after grabbing the Rook at h8. See "A Closer Look (Part V)".

9...Qxe4+ 10.Be3

Recall "The Jerome Gambit Article (Part 6)"

It is not clear exactly when the idea 9.d4 Qxe4+ 10.Be3, which may reverse the assessment of the Blackburne game and give White chances, was discovered - Fletcher’s Gambit’s Accepted (1954) is an early source – but 9.d4 by itself was a suggestion of Munoz and Munoz, in 1885 (BCC 8/1885). Hindemburg Melao, in a recent internet article (not currently available), where he identified the player of the white pieces against Blackburne as “Millner,” gave 9.d4 Nf6 10.Nd2 Bxd4 11.O-O as good for White. (It should be noted that Bruce Pandolfini, in his 1989 Chess Openings: Traps & Zaps gives the line 9.d4 Nf6 10.dc, and after the further moves 10...Qxe4+ 11.Be3 Qxg2 12.Rf1 reflects: “Don't be misled by White's extra Rook. It's a meaningless ornament. White is in serious trouble. His King is exposed and his cornered Queen is in danger of being trapped. The cruncher is …12...Bh3 which wins White's Queen by discovery from the a8-Rook. If White tries to save the Queen by capturing the Rook, 13.Qxa8 then 13...Qxf1+ 14.Kd2 Ne4#” Of course 10…Qxe4+ deserves a “?”)

10...Bb6 

According to The Database, first seen in MrJoker -carrotop, Internet Chess Club, 2011 (1-0, 22).

Instead, 10...Qxg2 looks scary, but 11.Rf1 Bh3 12.Nd2 Bb6 13.0–0–0 takes White's King out of danger and keeps White better.

From "It's A Small World After All (Part 2)"

Houdini recommends 10...Qxg2 11.Qxh7+ Kf8 12.Rf1 Bb6 13.Nc3 Bf5 14.0-0-0 Qh3 15.Qxh3 Bxh3 16.Rfe1 Bf5 17.f3 Ba5 18.Bd2 Nf6 when White is better.

11.Qxh7+ 

Here Black resigned 

White is up two pawns and the exchange. After 11...Kf8 12.0-0, White's King is safer, as well.

Prevent A Move That Is Not Threatened

I stumbled over the following game while wandering through The Database.

Those who hope to play the Abrahams Jerome Gambit - see "The Abrahams Jerome Gambit (Part 1)" - but then switch their aspirations to the Jerome Gambit, proper, might want to keep the play of this game in mind, should their opponent strive to prevent an early Knight's move that is not threatened.

Herrings  - Janssen

HMC, 1983

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Bc5 

The Busch-Gass Gambit.

3.Bc4 

Now, the Bishop's Opening.

3...h6 

I suppose that Black's 3rd move might just as well have been played if the game had started 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Nf3 (thinking about 3...Nc6 and then 4.Bxf7+, the Jerome Gambit?) when 3...h6 could be an attempt to keep White's Knight off of g5. 

4.Bxf7+

I was surprised to find only 56 games in The Database with this position, although I was pleased to see White score 84%, as he is already better.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.d4 d6 

White already has a forced checkmate.

Black holds on with 6...Nf6 7.Nc3 d6 8.Nb6 Bb6 9.Nxh8 Qxh8 (no games in The Database) when he has two pieces for a Rook and two pawns, but his King is far less safe than White's.

7.Qg4+ Kf6 8.Qg6+ Ke7 9.Qf7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Hurry, Hurry

Bullet chess games pass quickly. Deep analysis is limited, intuition plays its part, and with seconds available for each move, players can move quickly - and, occsionally, erroniously.

Take a brief look at the following game.

Dumbledoorsarmy - kap

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 

The Semi-Italian opening, according to Max Euwe.

4.Bxf7+

An accelerated Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit, as mentioned in "Accelerated Instant Victory".

The Database has 3,629 games with this line. White scores 43%/ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7

Declining the piece, to his disadvantage.

6.d4 

Possibly played too quickly, as he had the alternative, the 6.Ng6+ fork.

6...d6 

Bullet chess often requires split-second choices. Here, Black plays a move often helpful in similar positions - but not here. Instead: 6...Nxe5. 

7.Ng6+ 

With a few more seconds to think, White finds the move. 

7...Kf7 8.Qh5

Tricky and trappy, the kind of idea that wins quick games.

Still, since Black finds a good response, better was the mundane 8.Nxh8+ Ke7 9.Ng6+ Kf7 10.Nxf8 Kxf8 with the advantage of the exchange and a couple of pawns.

8...Nf6 

This should hold the game.

9.Nxh8+ 

A discovered double check is tempting, but the Knight needed to go elsewhere, with 9.Ne5+ Kg8 (9...Ke6 10.Qf7#; 9...Ke7 10.Qf7#)10.Qf7+ Kh7 11.Qg6+ Kg8 12.Qf7+ and a draw. 

Yes, a draw can be a disappointment for a Jerome Gambiteer, but this is where the game arrived - almost.

9...Ke6 10.Qf7 checkmate