With all of the excitment that can explode on the chessboard as a result of playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), it can sometimes be forgotten that the game can end in a draw.
Here are a few recent examples.
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| udithemperor - a1mustafa_1, lichess.org, 2025 |
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| Tracy824 - Ay63scachi, lichess.org, 2025 |
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| Dagummmmmm11111 - WordedTruths, lichess.org, 2025 |
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| MrFiore - gospod_losos, lichess.org, 2025 |
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| RichardThomas - Shalow_Blue, lichess.org, 2025 |
With 1,038 games in The Database angelcamina has scored 62% playing Jeromes at that time control.
Impressive.
angelcamina - eastern_routine
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2025
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ g6
Or 6...Ke7 7.Qf7+ Kd6 8.Nc4 checkmate, angelcamina - SammmDBest, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021
7.Nxg6 Qf6
Often in the Jerome Gambit, Black's Queen goes to f6 to help with the defense and even prepare for a counter-attack. In this case, however, Her Majesty is misplaced.
Insufficient is 7...hxg6, e.g. 8.Qxh8 Kf8 9.O-O d6 10.c3 Be6 11.d4 Bb6 12.d5 Bf7 13.dxc6 bxc6 14.Bh6+ Ke7 15.Bg5+ Nf6 16.Bxf6+ Ke6 17.Bxd8 Rxd8 18.Qxd8 Bxf2+ 19.Rxf2 d5 20.exd5+ cxd5 21.Rf6+ Ke5 22.Nd2 c5 23.Qe7+ Be6 24.Qxe6 checkmate, angelcamina - MegaBanem,1 0 bullet lichess.org, 2019;
While 7...Nf6 is a better choice, but not always successful 8.Qh4 Nxe4 9.Qxe4+ Ne7 10.Nxh8 d6 11.Qxh7 Be6 12.O-O Qd7 13.Ng6 Nxg6 14.Qxg6+ Bf7 15.Re1+ Kf8 16.Qh6+ Kg8 17.c3 Qf5 18.d4 Bb6 19.Bg5 d5 20.Bf6 Qh7 21.Qg5+ Qg6 22.Qh4 Qh7 23.Qg3+ Qg6 24.Qxg6+ Bxg6 25.Nd2 c6 26.Re7 Bc7 27.Rae1 Bd6 28.Rd7 Bf8 29.Nf3 Rb8 30.Be7 b5 31.Bxf8 Kxf8 32.Ree7 Be8 33.Rxa7 White won on time, angelcamina - stockfishdanirealno1, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021)
angelcamina faced the strongest counter, 7...Bxf2+ (going back to Hultgren,R - Harrow, Campbell, CA 1960 and Blackstone - Dommeyer, skittles game, California, USA 1960 ) in angelcamina - boarnara, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023 (1-0, 10); angelcamina - Fabior-rj, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023 (1-0, 19); and angelcamina - PinkPandaPresident, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023 (0-1, 45)
8.Nxh8+ Kd8
Also 8...Ke7 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qe3 Qxh8 11.O-O Be6 12.c3 Rf8 13.d4 Kd8 14.d5 Bxd5 15.exd5 Re8 16.Qg5+ Nge7 17.dxc6 bxc6 18.Na3 Rg8 19.Qh4 Qg7 20.g3 Kd7 21.Qh3+ Kd8 22.Bh6 Qg6 23.Rae1 Nd5 24.Qh4+ Nf6 25.Re6 Qd3 26.Rxf6 Kc8 27.Rf8+ Rxf8 28.Bxf8 Kb7 29.Bxd6 cxd6 30.Qb4+ Kc7 31.Qc4 Qg6 32.Re1 Qg7 33.Qa6 Kd7 34.Qb7+ Kd8 35.Qxg7 Kc8 36.Re7 Black resigned, angelcamina - Hajile07, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020; and
8...Kf8 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qc3 Nd4 11.O-O Qxh8 12.d3 Qg7 13.f4 Ne2+ 14.Kh1 Nxc3 15.Nxc3 h5 16.f5 h4 17.Rf3 Bd7 18.g3 Qh7 19.Bg5 hxg3 20.Rxg3 Nh6 21.Rag1 Nf7 22.Be3 Ke7 23.Rg7 Qh3 24.Nd5+ Kf8 25.Rg8 checkmate, angelcamina - karimov1, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2022.
9.d4
You know that things are going well for you when you can also play 9.O-O and still win quickly 9...Qxh8 10.Qxc5 Qf6 11.d4 d6 12.Qh5 Nxd4 13.Bg5 Ne2+ 14.Kh1 Nf4 15.Bxf6+ Kd7 Black resigned, angelcamina - KC3000, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019;
and, even better 9.Qxc5 Qxh8 10.Qf8 checkmate, angelcamina - DenBlood, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2022.
9...Bxd4
Instead, 9...Be7 would save his Queen, but not the game.
10.Bg5 Bxb2 11.Bxf6+ Nxf6 12.e5
The kind of thing that sometimes happens in a bullet game - and the kind of oversight I seldom see angelcamina make.
12...Bxe5
Likewise.
13.Nf7+ Ke8 14.Nxe5+
Again. Twice in a game? Unprecedented.
14...Ke7
The speed of the game propels both players.
15.Nxc6+ dxc6 16.O-O Black resigned
දිනන ගේම් වල මේ වැරදි කරන්න එපා | Italian Game – Jerome Gambit | Sinhala Chess Lesson | චෙස් පාඩම්
presented by C.S. Kumarawadu, National Instructor (FIDE), of the Golden Kings Chess Coaching Academy.
The Golden Kings Chess Coaching Academy site has videos on chess openings, middlegames, and endgames, all well presented.
My knowledge of language is limited to my native English; I speak French like a Spanish cow; and I fumble through American Sign Language. Still, although I could make out maybe one fourth of Mr. Kumarawadu's commentary, I enjoyed the Jerome Gambit video for its visual aspects.
As an aside, when I first began watching Jerome Gambit videos, it seemed that everyone wanted to illustrate the opening with the game Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1885 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.O-O Nf6 10.c3 Ng4 11.h3 Bxf2+ 12.Kh1 Bf5 13.Qxa8 Qxh3+ 14.gxh3 Bxe4#
Lately, however, I have begun to see (as in this video) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Nc6 8.Qxc5 Qe7 9.Qd5+ Kf6 10.Qf5# - a game that The Database identifies as blackburne - karmmark, Jerome Gambit thematic tournament, ChessWorld.net, 2007.
No, the game was not played by the gost of The Black Death, it was played by chessfriend Pete Banks, who used the handle "blackburne" for his online contributions, including to this site.
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".
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
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).
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
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
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
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
