Jerome Gambit: Things Happen in Bullet Chess

 

I asked the artistic side of ChatGPT to help me illustrate the following Jerome Gambit game, to show my best explanation for Black's 12th move (a pawn should have moved to d6).

Things happen in bullet chess.

NN - NN

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 Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qf3 Nf6 

11.d3 Kc6 

As Cliff Hardy once noted, "Very rare for someone to find this risky-looking, but pugnacious, move - and in bullet too!"

12.Nc3 Kd6 

I don't think that this was the intended move.

13.Bf4 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Unfamiliar Positions Can Turn Dangerous

The following game shows that even a "generous" amount of time on the clock for a blitz or rapid game (compared to bullet) may not be enough, if the defender gets lost in unfamiliar positions in an unfamiliar opening.

I mean, who ever studies how to defend against the Jerome Gambit? 

Francochan - soorajtc

10 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 

The Semi-Italian opening

4.Bxf7+ 

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ 

6...Ke6 

This move still leaves Black with an advantage, but it is much more adventurous for his King than 6...Ng6 or 6...g6.

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.d4 

A typical Jerome Gambit position - Black has two pieces for two pawns, and Stockfish 16.1 smiles upon him (11/2 pawns better, 32 ply) - but, oh, that King!

8...Ne7 

Black defends and counter-attacks, but this is insufficient.

He needed to try 8...Qe8 9.Bf4 Kc6 (9...c6 10.Bxe5+ Ke7) 10.d5+ Kb5 11.a4+ Ka6 12.Qxe5 Qxe5 13.Bxe5 b6 when, by returning a piece, his King will find safety on b7. 

A reminder that in club play, it is often easier to attack than defend; and that being in unfamiliar positions can turn dangerous.

9.Qxe5+ Kc6 10.Qc5 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Grokipedia

 

Grokipedia

I am not familiar with Grokipedia, ("Grokipedia is an AI-generated online encyclopedia operated by xAI, the artificial intelligence company founded by Elon Musk, launched on October 27, 2025, as a rival to Wikipedia. Unlike crowdsourced platforms, it relies on the Grok AI model to produce dynamic content, positioning itself as an alternative focused on truthful information dissemination") but its posting on the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is a very good introduction to the opening.

Check it out.

Chessgames.com: Yury V. Bukayev

 

Valentina Gunina vs Yury Bukayev
"Bullet Control with No Control Bullet" (game of the day Jan-17-2026)
Simul, 14b (2025) (exhibition), Moscow RUS, Aug-16
Italian Game: Classical Variation. Giuoco Pianissimo (C53)  ·  1-0

chessgames.com's Game of the Day features play by chessfriend 

Yury V. Bukayev, as first reported on this blog - 

see "My Simultaneous Exhibition Game Against  the Two-time World Blitz Champion   GM Valentina Gunina (Parts 1 and 2)"

Jerome Gambit: Google Gemini, Again

 

It's time to check in with an artificial intelligence (AI) entity - this time, Google's Gemini - and see what it has learned about the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) since we last visited it (see"Jerome Gambit: Gemini's Turn")

Tell me about the Jerome Gambit chess opening and show me a game with it

The Jerome Gambit is a highly aggressive and controversial chess opening for White, usually arising from the Italian Game (Giuoco Piano). It is widely considered "unsound" at high levels of play because White sacrifices two minor pieces for a king-side attack, but it is a favorite for blitz games or "fun" sessions due to the immediate chaos it creates.

The Opening Moves

The gambit begins with the following moves:

1. e4 e5

2. Nf3 Nc6

3. Bc4 Bc5 (The standard Italian Game)

4. Bxf7+!? (The Jerome Gambit begins)

White sacrifices the Bishop on f7 to force the Black King out of safety. After 4... Kxf7, White follows up with 5. Nxe5+, sacrificing a Knight as well. If Black accepts with 5... Nxe5, White plays 6. Qh5+ [01:28], forking the King and the Knight (or Bishop).

Key Concepts

• Psychological Pressure: You are betting that your opponent will panic while trying to defend their exposed King in the center of the board.

• Targeting the King: White's goal is to keep the Black King dancing. Common continuations for Black like 6... Kf6 or 6... Ke7 often lead to immediate trouble after 7. Qf5+ [01:50].

• Risk: If Black knows the theory or defends calmly (often by returning some material to stabilize), White will simply be down a massive amount of material with no compensation.

---

A Sample Miniature Game

The following is a classic example of how quickly the Jerome Gambit can lead to a checkmate if Black isn't careful (often seen in variations against the "Blackburne Shilling" trap) [14:13]:

Move	White	Black	Notes
1	e4	e5
2	Nf3	Nc6
3	Bc4	Nd4?	Black tries the Blackburne Shilling Trap.
4	Bxf7+!	Kxf7	White ignores the trap and enters Jerome-style play [14:33].
5	Nxe5+	Ke6	Black brings the King forward to protect the Knight.
6	Qh5	g6?	Black tries to kick the Queen, but it's a blunder [15:10].
7	Nxg6	Nf6
8	Qe5+	Kf7
9	Nxh8+	Kg8
10	Qxd4	...	White has recovered material and left the Black King stranded.

Summary of the Gambit:

• Best for: Blitz, bullet, and casual "coffee house" chess.

• Weakness: Objectively losing against accurate defense [00:39].

• Goal: Checkmate before the material deficit matters.

For a full breakdown of the lines and how to handle different Black responses, you can watch the detailed guide here:

Chess Openings - Jerome Gambit

This is an improvement.

(I especially liked the comment about Psychological Pressure, "You are betting that your opponent will panic" - reminds me of an earlier post, "Jerome Gambit: Fun": The first to panic loses the game)

Jerome Gambit: An Early Inspiration?

I received an email from chessfriend Yury V. Bukayev, pointing me toward the chessgames.com site, and its "Game of the Day", Samuel Rosenthal vs Count Isourard, 1871: 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.O-O gxf3 6.Qxf3 Qf6 7.e5 Qxe5 8.Bxf7 +Kxf7 9.d4 Qf6 10.Bxf4 Bg7 11.Qh5+ Qg6 12.Bd6+ Ke8 13.Qe5+ Qe6 14.Qxg7 Qxd6 15.Rae1+ Qe7 16.Qf8# 

It certainly got me thinking.

In earlier posts to my blog, I have looked at games or analysis that may have inspired Alonzo Wheeler Jerome to produce "his" opening. As today's chessgames.com "Game of the Day" has Samuel Rosenthal as White, I looked at some of his games.

Interesting is Rosenthal - Robert, simultaneous exhibition, Paris, 1874: 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bc5 4.Nxe5 Bxf2+ 5.Kxf2 Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4+ 7.g3 Qf6+ 8.Kg2 Ng6 9.Bc4 Qd8 10.Rf1 f6 11.e5 b5 12.Nxb5 Bb7+ 13.Kg1 d6 14.exd6 cxd6 15.Qh5 Qe7 16.Bf4 O-O-O 17.Rae1 Qf8 18.Be6+ Kb8 and White announced mate in three moves (19.Qc5, etc.) 1-0

There is also Rosenthal - Dermenon, simultaneous exhibition, Paris, 1874: 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bc5 4.Nxe5 Bxf2+ 5.Kxf2 Nxe5 6.d4 Ng6 7.Bc4 d6 8.Rf1 N8e7 9.Kg1 O-O 10.Qh5 c6 11.Bg5 b5 12.Bb3 a5 13.a3 Ra7 14.d5 Qb6+ 15.Kh1 c5 16.a4 c4 17.Ba2 f6 18.Bd2 bxa4 19.Bxc4 Ne5 20.Be2 Bd7 21.Nxa4 Qd4 22.Bc3 Qxe4 23.Bf3 Nxf3 24.Qxf3 Qxc2 25.Nb6 Bb5 26.Rf2 Qg6 27.Re1 Nc8 28.Nxc8 Rxc8 29.Qe3 Qf7 30.Qb6 Ba6 31.Qxd6 a4 32.Rf3 Bb5 33.Re6 Bd7 34.Rexf6 gxf6 35.Rg3+ Kh8 36.Qxf6+1-0

Both Rosenthal games were played at the same simultaneous exhibition. Club players playing Black and sacrificing against the master? What was going on?

Well, earlier, in 1870 there was the following game, the earliest example that I have found, yet, of Black's Bishop sacrifice on f2: Louis Paulsen vs Anderssen, Baden Baden 1870: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Bc5 4.Nxe5 Bxf2+ 5.Kxf2 Nxe5 6.d4 Qf6+ 7.Kg1 Ng4 8.Qd2 Ne7 9.h3 Nh6 10.Qf2 Qg6 11.Nb 5O-O 12.Nxc7 Rb8 13.Nb5 f5 14.e5 d5 15.exd6 Nd5 16.Bc4 Be6 17.Nc7 Nxc7 18.dxc7 Rbc8 19.Bxe6+ Qxe6 20.Bf4 Nf7 21.Kh2 Qb6 22.Rhe1 g5 23.Be5 Nxe5 24.Rxe5 Qxc7 25.c3 g4 26.hxg4 fxg4 27.Qh4 Kh8 28.Kg1 Qb6 29.Rae1 Qxb2 30.Re7 Qc2 31.R1e4 Qc1+ 32.Kh2 h6 33.Re3 Rc6 34.Qxg4 Rg8 35.Re8 1-0

It turns out that, later, Capablanca faced the Bishop sacrifice three times, winning twice and drawing once. Alekhine faced it at least twice, in different simuls, winning both. (Amusingly enough, I faced the move, too, 40 years ago - first my opponent checked my rating, and, having learned it, decided to sacrifice the Bishop. He lost in 44 moves: "Jerome Gambit: More at the Table" https://jeromegambit.blogspot.com/search?q=Chesbrough )

There is also 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Bc5 3.Nxe5 Bxf2+ that first appeared (as far as I have found) in Cooke, W. - Charlick, H., Adelaide Chess Club, 1884: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Bc5 3.Nxe5 Bxf2+ 4.Kxf2 Qh4+ 5.g3 Qxe4 6.Nf3 Nf6 7.Qe2 d5 8.Qxe4+ dxe4 9.Nd4 O-O 10.Bg2 Ng4+ 11.Ke2 f5 12.h3 Ne5 13.d3 c5 14.Nb5 Nbc6 15.dxe4 a6 16.Nc7 Nd4+ 17.Kd2 Ra7 18.Na3 b5 19.c3 Ndc6 20.Nd5 fxe4 21.Ke3 b4 22.Nc2 Nc4+ 23.Kxe4 Rb7 24.Nce3 0-1

And 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Bc5 3.Na4 Bxf2+, from Hamppe - Meitner Vienna Club, 1872 - see "Godfather of the Jerome Gambit? (Part I)" and later Steinitz,W - Steinkuehler,G, simultaneous exhibition, Great Britain, 1874  "Godfather of the Jerome Gambit?(Part II)"

In responding to Yury, I just created today's blog post...

Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit: Surprise, Surprise

When playing the Jerome Gambit, or any of its relatives, as White, it is not only helpful to be aware of the tactical tricks and traps at your disposal - it is necessary to be aware of similar surprises placed in front of you by your opponent.

EDOrel31 - shns12

15 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2026

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. This sometimes comes as a surprise for White.

4.Bxf7+

The Blackburne Shilling Jeorme Gambit. This often comes as a surprise for Black.

EDOrel31 has played it in 31 games, scoring 63%. Still, it is necessary to be careful.

4...Ke7 

Capturing the piece leads to an advantage (declining it leads to a disadvantage), but Black's psychology is If you want me to take the Bishop - I won't.

5.Nxe5 

He has also played 5.Bxg8 Rxg8 6.Nxe5 Ke8 7.Qh5+ Black resigned, EDOrel31 - BeauneCrusher, 15 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2023; and 

5.Nxd4 exd4 6.Bxg8 Rxg8 7.O-O Ke8 8.Qh5+ g6 9.Qxh7 Rg7 10.Qh3 d5 11.Qf3 Rf7 12.Qd3 dxe4 13.Qxe4+ Be7 14.Qxg6 Bf5 15.Qg8+ Rf8 16.Qc4 Qd7 17.d3? (17.Re1) 17...Be6 18.Bh6 Rg8 19.Na3 Bxc4 20.Nxc4 Qh3 21.Bg5 Rxg5 22.g3 Rh5 White resigned, EDOrel31 - StankoM2021, 15 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2024. 

5...d6 6.Bxg8 dxe5 7.Bd5 c6 8.Bb3 

White is ahead two pawns, with a safer King.

8...g6 

Black has a nefarious trick in mind.

9.O-O 

This move is fine, but White needs to watch out.

9...Bh6 10.d3

The trick is not deep, but the first player misses it. Better is 10.Re1. 

10...Bxc1 11.Qxc1 Ne2+ 

Ouch!

12.Kh1 Nxc1 

Now the game plays out.

13.Rxc1 Be6 14.Bxe6 Kxe6 15.Nc3 Qb6 16.Na4 Qxf2 17.Nc5+ 

A final slip.

17...Qxc5 White resigns