Jerome Gambit: Positional Oddity & Sharp Tactics

The following Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+) game has both a positional oddity and sharp tactics to bring the pawn home.

angelcamina - Mauricio26

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024

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

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bb4

Black's pieces own the field - for now.

8.dxe5 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Ne8 

How quickly things change.

Black has an edge. White has the initiative.

10.Qd5+ Kf8 11.Ba3+ d6 12.exd6 cxd6 13.O-O-O 

13...Nf6 

Attacking the enemy Queen, but overlooking something.

Stockfish 16.1 suggests 13..Qe7, but then 14.Rhe1 would keep the pressure on. 

14.Bxd6+ Ke8 15.Qe5+ Kf7 

16.Qg3 

A bit more accurate was 16.Qf4. 

16...Qe8 

Escaping the file with the enemy Rook. He could have held on with 16...Re8, e.g. 17.e5 Ng4 18.h3 Nh6 19.Bb4 Qb6 and an equal game. 

17.e5 Ne4 18.Qf3+ Nf6 19.exf6 g6 20.Rhe1 Qc6 

Looking at White's development and the placement of Black's King, it is not hard to see that there is now a forced checkmate.

21.Re7+ Kg8 

If, instead, Black plays 21...Kf8, then White exchanges Queens  22.Qxc6 bxc6, and then has 23.Rxa7+ Ke8 24.f7+ Kd8 25.Be7 checkmate. Nice. 

22.f7+ Kg7 23. Be5+ Kh6 24. Bxh8 Qxf3 25.gxf3 

Ramarkable. White has 7 isolated pawns: two singles plus doubled pawns plus tripled pawns.

And the forced checkmate is still on.

25...Bf5 26.Re8 Rd8 27.f8=Q+ Kg5 28.Bf6+ Kf4 29.Rdxd8 Kxf3 30.Bd4 h5 31.Rd5 Kg4 32.Rxf5 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Taking Care of Business

In the following game, once White survived his risky 8th move, the game became a matter of taking care of business for him.

Calm play, despite the ticking clock of a 1-minute game, led to the win.

angelcamina - tommmmy

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2025

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

As I cautioned a few years ago in Jerome Gambit: What About the Rook?

Even for the off-beat and unusual Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) there is a certain amount of "theory" that is good to know, to guide your way through the complications. Especially Black would benefit from an understanding about what he is getting himself into when he plays 6...g6 in response to White's Queen sally 5.Qh5+; like it or not, it is a tacit offer of a Rook, and he has to be aware of that and deal with it.

7.Qxe5 Qe7 

Whistler's defense, named after Lt. G. N. Whistler, secretary of the Lexington, Kentucky Chess Club, based on the game Jerome - Whistler, correspondence, 1877 (0-1, 15).

8.Qxh8 

White goes into a complicated line, one that can be difficult for both players, although it is "objectively" bad for the first player. This position appears in 369 games in The Database. White scores 51%.

8...Qf6 

Only about 1/2 the time in his games has angelcamina's opponents found the correct punishment for the grab of the Rook, 8...Qxe4+. That move appears in 278 games in The Database, with White scoring 44%.

Given that Stockfish 16.1 evaluates the position after 8...Qxe4+ as being 4 1/2 pawns better for Black, this is the kind of variation that probably should only be chosen if you are a skilled bullet player - which angelcamina is.

9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 

White was happy to exchange Queens, as his material advantage of the exhange and two pawns was still enough to work with.

10.Nc3 Bd4 

Planning on undermining the piece protection of the e-pawn

11.d3 d6 12.O-O Bd7 13.Be3 Be5 14.f4 Bxc3 15.bxc3 Kg7 

White does not need any flashy play, he just needs to take care of business - and beat the clock.

16.Rab1 b6 17.h3 h5 18.Bd4 c5 19.Bxf6+ Kxf6 20.f5 g5 21.g4 h4

If Black can lock up the position and stifle White's Rooks, then maybe, just maybe... No, not going to happen.

22.d4 Bc6 23.Rfe1 Re8 24.e5+ dxe5 25.dxe5+ Rxe5 26.Rxe5 Kxe5

It cost White a pawn to exchange Rooks, but his game is even simpler now.

27.Kf2 Kf4 28.Re1 Be4 29.f6 

The pawn will cost Black 

29...Bg6 30.Re7 Bxc2 

Hopeless.

31.f7 Bg6 32.f8=Q+ White won on time

Was H.Nakamura Right? Is JG ‘Unbreakable’, Is EG ‘Legendary’ For Beginners’ Games? (Part 6)

 

Was H.Nakamura Right? Is JG ‘Unbreakable’, Is EG ‘Legendary’

For Beginners’ Games? (Part 6)

by Yury V. Bukayev

Again and again, if an expert’s appraisal is based on something without real proofs, he can be right or “almost right” here sometimes. That is so, even in the case where he realizes that his appraisal is hasty, or non-serious, or bold, or emotional. Sometimes he is right here for a large per cent (for example, 55, 75 or 95) of cases which he appraises.

We remember Rick Kennedy’s post ‘Jerome Gambit: Which Tier? Unbreakable?’ (September 23, 2020) where the notable dialogue about the standard system of the Jerome gambit (JG) between Top GM Hikaru Nakamura and IM Levy Rozman was shown as the part of their popular video and as its approximate text. Thus, they have discussed there what chess opening tier for beginners’ practice is right for it. The end of this text contains several phrases by Mr. Nakamura where he places the standard system of JG near the top of ‘Unbreakable’. Mr. Nakamura’s words contain no proofs of this very high appraisal. In my opinion, the tier’s name ‘Unbreakable’ is very arguable, because we discuss an opening practice, not an opening theory: each opening can be broken in a game as a result of practical mistakes of a player. But this name plays no role for us, just this very high appraisal of 4.Bxf7+ for beginners’ practice is important for our consideration.

Before writing of my Part 1 of this analytical research (please, look at it: it’s a blog post of October 16, 2022) it was enough difficult for me to prove this Hikaru Nakamura’s appraisal, for a large per cent of cases. It was necessary to choose a certain control of time for beginners’ games, and I have chosen an unlimited one. And in the Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 of this research I have made some clear proofs of this Mr. Nakamura’s appraisal and some “not absolutely clear proofs” of it. We shouldn’t forget that the word ‘unbreakable’ includes a draw, not only a win.

And here are my new invented traps - no.9 and no.10 - which are based on a similar ‘natural’ reaction of a beginner.

Traps 9 and 10. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 (Black defends his pieces, it is a typical response for an unlimited game.) 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6 9.fxe5 Qxe5 10.Qf3 Nf6 11.b4! Qxa1!? (It’s a typical reaction for beginners and not only for them. Moreover, 11…Qxa1 isn’t a bad move here, so it is a true opening variation, in fact.) 12.bxc5+! Ke7 13.0-0! Qxb1?! (It’s also a typical reaction for beginners and not only for them, so 13.0-0 is my trap no.9.) 14.e5! Ne8? (It’s again a typical reaction, so 14.e5 is my trap no.10.) 15.Qf7+! (White has a large advantage, although it is not easy to see yet.) 15...Kd8 16.d4 h6 17.Bg5+ hxg5 18.Rxb1. White wins. Black can play 16...Nf6 instead, but it doesn't save too. The whole variation 11.b4 contains my traps no.7-10, and all of these four White's moves are strong.

That is why White will get here also an extremely large per cent of identical successful results against beginners. And against much more strong players!

It maybe, the invention of my traps 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and my approaches (Part 1, Part 2) will cause Mr. Nakamura’s and Mr. Rozman’s wish to replace the standard system of JG into their top tier ‘Legendary’ (on ‘GMHikaru’ YouTube channel).

Contact the author: istinayubukayev@yandex.ru

© 2025 Yury V. Bukayev (Copyright © Bukayev Yury Vyacheslavovich 2025). All rights reserved.

[A legal using of this investigation with a reference to it is permitted and doesn't require author's consent.]

Jerome Gambit: Worry Begats Distraction?

If I were to guess about the following game, I would say that Black was surprised that a move that he had prepared against, was, nonetheless played against him; and this had an adverse effect on his following move, and, thus, the game.

Bill Wall shows himself to be a bit of a practical psychologist with his play.

Wall, Bill - Bose

SparkChess, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 

There are almost 4,400 games with this position in The Database, going back to Jerome - Norton, correspondence, 1876 (unfinished).

6...d6 

By contrast, this practical way of dealing with the pawn attack on two pieces - let White decide which one he wants, Black will save the other - appears in only 108 games in The Database, with the earliest being in 2003.

7.dxc5 Bg4

More frequently seen is 7...Nf6, which Bill has scored 6 - 1 - 1 against. 

The idea behind the text can be seen if White reacts by blocking the Bishop with 8.f3, because 8...Qh4+ would then displace the King, leaving it unable to castle.

However, Bill has something other in mind.

8.Qd5+ 

This Queen check raises the same question that we have seen when Black's light-squared Bishop is at home - Is the response ...Be6, giving up the b-pawn, a good idea? Should the developed Bishop be called back?

8...Ke7 

Instead, 8...Be6 9.Qxb7 was seen in Wall,B - Guest8860423, PlayChess.com 2019 (1-0, 46). Stockfish 16.1 prefers the block by the Bishop. 

Bill has also faced 8...Ke8 in Wall,B - MLVD, internet, 2021 (1-0, 14).

9.Qxb7 Nf6 10.Nc3 dxc5 

This is an interesting position. White has two pawns for his sacrificed piece. His Queen risks being out of play. Black's King is not safe.

The computer sees the position as equal. I suspect that most Jerome Gambit players would prefer playing White.

11.Bg5 Rf8

Reinforcing the Knight.

I think Black would have been happy with his piece play after 11...Rb8 12.Qxa7 Qd6 13.f3 Be6 14.Rd1 Qc6.

12.Nd5+ 

Anyway.

12...Ke8

Black decides to let his Queen protect the Knight, and retires his King (to an unfortunate square). Instead, he could have held on to his slight advantage with 12...Kf7.

The text move drops a Rook.

13.Nxc7+ Kf7 14.Nxa8+ Bd7 

White's 14th move comes with check, thanks to where Black's King placement.

15.Nc7 

15...h6 16.Bxf6 Qxf6 17.Qd5+ Kg6 18.O-O-O 

White is the exchange and three pawns ahead.

Black's compensation is minimal.

18...Rc8 19.Qxc5 Be6 20.Rd6 Nd7 21.Qa5 Black resigned

Black's Bishop is at risk, and exchanging it off - with 21...Qf4+ 22.Qd2 Qxd2+ 23.Kxd2 Rxc7 22.Rxe6+ - or protecting it - with 21...Nf8 22.Nxe6 Nxe6 23.Qd5 Kf7 - leaves his game with poor prospects.

How to Get an Advantage or to Win with JG (4.Bxf7+) against Maestri: the Collection of Practice (Part 3)

 

                      How to Get an Advantage or to Win with 

                             JG (4.Bxf7+) against Maestri: 

                           the Collection of Practice (Part 3)

                                                by Yury V. Bukayev

Dear readers, let me remind you that these my new posts about White's advantage and wins in such chess games are dedicated to the 150th anniversary of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's publications with 4.Bxf7+ in Giuoco Piano. Now the world chess history knows a lot of cases, where White got an advantage or won here against grandmasters and other extremely strong defenders!

We should start this new part from the game

Kevin Sheldrick - GM Martin Kraemer 

("Cliff Hardy" - DrawDenied_Twitch, 10 min tempo, lichess.org, 2023, https://jeromegambit.blogspot.com/2023/02/jerome-gambit-return-of-cliff-hardy_0627317739.html ),

where for 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qf3 Nf6 11.d3 Ke7 12.Nc3 d6 13.Bf4 Qh5 Black spent too much time for these known opening moves. White has commented here: "The GM spent 2 minutes and 37 seconds on that move. With the remaining clock times now down to 5:39 (me) and 1:38 (him), I clearly had a big time advantage". I thank Mr. Sheldrick. It maybe, Mr. Kraemer calculated my invented way here so long time: 14.Nd5+ Kd8 15.Qxh5 Nxh5 16.Bg5+ Kd7 17.g4 h6 18.Bd2 Nf6 19.Nxf6+ (or 19.Bc3 Nxg4!? 20.Rf1!, that is stronger than 20.Bxg7 Rh7 21.Nf6+) 19...gxf6 20.Bc3 Ke7 21.Rf1 Rf8 22.d4 Bb6 23.Rf4, but 10 min time control punishes you, when you play so slowly. And I think, White also could play quicker before 13.Bf4, so his time advantage could be bigger. Further, first of all, I agree, that after

14.Nd5+ Kd8 15.Qxh5 Nxh5 16.Bg5+ Kd7 17.g4 h6 18.Bh4 g5 19.gxh5 gxh4 20.c3 c6 21.Nf4 Be3 22.Ng6 Re8 23.Ke2 Bg5 24.Raf1 Kc7 25.Rf7+ Kb6 

White should play 26.Rg1!, and White could win on time here with a solid position. After 26.Rhf1? Bg4+ we have a pure endgame, where Black's task has become much easier. Nevertheless, the extreme lack of time caused Black's Bishop blunder (35...Kb5), and White could get the drawn position by 36.Rf5+ Kb6 37.Rxh5 and win on time easily.

Further, we'll remind the game 

 NN - Top GM Hikaru Nakamura (GM_xAhmedx - GMHikaruOnTwitch, 3 min blitz, Chess.com, 2021), 

where after  4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+Nxe5 6.O-O Be7 7.d4 Ng6 8.Qf3+ Ke8 9.Nc3 d6 10.Re1 Nf6 11.e5 dxe5 12.dxe5 Ng4 13.Rd1 N4xe5 14.Rxd8+ White got a serious advantage. White's mistake 6.0-0? was met by enough passive response 6...Be7. Black's play was not active, after some moves Black blundered, as we see here. It maybe, Mr. Nakamura was tired during this his Jerome Gambit Arena, but we can see an interesting fact: after 6.0-0? Black started to play not attentively: he solved that White must lose in any case! And it is a typical psychological trap for Black in Jerome gambit games after 4.Bxf7+.

 

(to be continued)

Was H.Nakamura Right? Is JG ‘Unbreakable’, Is EG ‘Legendary’ For Beginners’ Games? (Part 5)

 

Was H.Nakamura Right? Is JG ‘Unbreakable’, Is EG ‘Legendary’

For Beginners’ Games? (Part 5)

(by Yury V. Bukayev)

Once again, if an expert’s appraisal is based on something without real proofs, he can be right or “almost right” here sometimes. That is so, even in the case where he realizes that his appraisal is hasty, or non-serious, or bold, or emotional. Sometimes he is right here for a large per cent (for example, 55, 75 or 95) of cases which he appraises.

We remember Rick Kennedy’s post ‘Jerome Gambit: Which Tier? Unbreakable?’ (September 23, 2020) where the notable dialogue about the standard system of the Jerome gambit (JG) between Top GM Hikaru Nakamura and IM Levy Rozman was shown as the part of their popular video and as its approximate text. Thus, they have discussed there what chess opening tier for beginners’ practice is right for it. The end of this text contains several phrases by Mr. Nakamura where he places the standard system of JG near the top of ‘Unbreakable’. Mr. Nakamura’s words contain no proofs of this very high appraisal. In my opinion, the tier’s name ‘Unbreakable’ is very arguable, because we discuss an opening practice, not an opening theory: each opening can be broken in a game as a result of practical mistakes of a player. But this name plays no role for us, just this very high appraisal of 4.Bxf7+ for beginners’ practice is important for our consideration.

Before writing of my Part 1 of this analytical research (please, look at it: it’s a blog post of October 16, 2022) it was enough difficult for me to prove this Hikaru Nakamura’s appraisal, for a large per cent of cases. It was necessary to choose a certain control of time for beginners’ games, and I have chosen an unlimited one. And in the Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 of this research I have made some clear proofs of this Mr. Nakamura’s appraisal and some “not absolutely clear proofs” of it. We shouldn’t forget that the word ‘unbreakable’ includes a draw, not only a win.

And here are my new invented traps - no.7 and no.8 - which are based on a similar ‘natural’ reaction of a beginner.

Traps 7 and 8. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 (Black defends his pieces, it is a typical response for an unlimited game.) 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6 9.fxe5 Qxe5 10.Qf3 Nf6 11.b4! AN (The analogous idea after 8…Qh4+ 9.g3 Qf6 10.fxe5 Qxe5 11.Qf3 Nf6 is 12.b4 AN with a similar play, but we have no opportunity to consider it now.) 11…Qxa1!? (It’s a typical reaction for beginners and not only for them. Moreover, 11…Qxa1 isn’t a bad move here, so it is a whole opening variation, in fact. Nevertheless, 11.b4 is my trap no.7, because after another “natural” response-mistake 11…Nxe4? 12.bxc5+ Nxc5+ 13.Kd1!! Qxa1!? 14.Nc3 the position is unclear.) 12.bxc5+! Kxc5? (It’s also a typical reaction for beginners and not only for them. This “natural” move is a blunder, in fact. So, 12.bxc5+ is my trap no.8. This is a rare case in Jerome gambit: both traps on the same opening line are strong moves.) 13.d4+!!, and White has a large advantage.

That is why White will get here also a very large per cent of identical successful results against beginners. And against much more strong players!

It maybe, the invention of my traps 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and my approaches (Part 1, Part 2) will cause Mr. Nakamura’s and Mr. Rozman’s wish to replace the standard system of JG into their top tier ‘Legendary’ (on ‘GMHikaru’ YouTube channel).

Contact the author: istinayubukayev@yandex.ru

© 2025 Yury V. Bukayev (Copyright © Bukayev Yury Vyacheslavovich 2025). All rights reserved.

[A legal using of this investigation with a reference to it is permitted and doesn't require author's consent.]

Jerome Gambit: Is A Draw Good Enough?

One timeless question when it comes to the Jerome Gambit has been whether a draw is a good enough result for White, after his wild sacrifices.

In the following game, Bill Wall declines an offer to split the point, and receives his opponent's resignation a couple of moves later.

Wall, Bill - Braveheart

SparkChess, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Kf8 

Black's King simply steps away from the action. 

The Database has 10 games with this position. White scores 60%.

7.dxc5 Nf6 8.O-O d6 9.Nc3 Be6 10.f4 

Black has the piece development, White has the center pawns.

10...Nc6 11.Be3 Qe7 12.cxd6 Qxd6 

Capturing with the pawn was probably better.

13.Qf3 Nd4 14.Qd1 Nc6 15.Qe2 

Declining to go for the draw with 15.Qf3 Nd4 16.Qd1 etc. 

The game is now about balanced.

15...a6 

This may have been intended to keep a Knight off of b5.

More aggressive was 15...Qb4, which could lead to the win of the exchange, 16.e5 Bc4 17.Qf3 Bxf1 18.Rxf1 Nd7, although after 19.Nd5 Stockfish 16.1 continues 19...Qc4 20.b3 Qxc2 21.Nxc7 Re8 22.Qd5 Re7 23.Ne6+ Ke8 24.Nc7+ Kd8 25.Nb5 Qe2 26.Bc5 Rhe8 27.a4 Rxe5 28.fxe5 Qxe5 29.Qxe5 Rxe5 30.Bd6 Re2 31.Bg3 Nde5 32.Rd1+ with an equal game.

16.e5 Qb4 

This is a move too late.

17.exf6 Bc4 

Again, too late.

18.Qh5 Bxf1 19.Bc5+ Black resigned

Black will lose his Queen.