Jerome Gambit: Back At Me (Part 2)

 

[continued from the previous post]

rffuse - perrypawnpusher

Chess.com, 2026

Playing against "my" opening...

21.Ra3 Qd5 22.Raf3 Re8 23.Qg5 

White's pieces are gathered on the Kingside, but have not yet put together an attack

23...Qe4 24.h4 Rd8 25.h5 Qa4 26.Ra3 Qe4 27.g4

White is not amused by Black's Queen's dancing; he has work to do. 

Things look scary for the second player, but I was shocked - after the game - to see that Stockfish 17.1 (33 ply) - rated the position as 7 1/3 pawns better for Black!

Indeed, fear has big eyes.

27...Qe2 28.Raf3 Rd2 

Even stronger was 28...Rc7 29.Qf5 (29.Kb1 Qxc2+ mates; 29.R3f2 Rxc2+ mates; 29...Ne4 mates) 29...Ne4 mates. 

Still, my move will do.

29.R3f2 

29...Rxc2+ 30.Kb1 Rxb2+ 31.Ka1 Qxf2

Taking the lazy way out, instead of 31...Ra2+ 32.Kb1 Qc4 33.Qe5 (33.Rb2 Rd7 mates; 33.Rxa2 Qxf1+ 34.Kb2 Rc7 and mates) 33...Qb3+ 34.Rb2 Rxb2+ 35.Qxb2 Qd3+ 36.Ka2 Qxf1 White wins.

Exchanging a Queen for two Rooks is still a good deal.

32.Rxf2 Rxf2 33.Qe5 Rd7 34.Qe6+ Kf8 35.Qe1 Rdd2 White resigned

There was no need to play out 36.Qc1 Ra2+ 37.Kb1 Rfb2+ 38.Qxb2 Rxb2+ 39.Kxb2 Nxg4 returning the two Rooks for the Queen and ending up with two connected, passed pawn (plus the extra piece)

Jerome Gambit: Back At Me (Part 1)

I received a challenge from rffuse at Chess.com. He wanted to play the Jerome Gambit against me.

That felt odd.

Here is how it went.

rffuse - perrypawnpusher

Chess.com, 2026

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

According to The Database, I have defended against the Jerome Gambit in 52 games, scoring 87%.

Compare that to the 500 Jerome Gambits I have played with White, scoring 82%.

Hmmmm..... 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 

Okay, I am 4 - 0 against this move. (Against 6.Qh5+ I am 11 - 3 - 1)

6...Bxd4 

I usually play 6...Qh4, based on earlier Jerome Gambit games going back (at least) to Sorensen - X, Denmark, 1888 (1-0, 27).

 I am not sure why I played this move.

7.Qxd4 d6 8.Bf4 Qe7 9.Nc3 Nf6

Black is better, with a piece for a pawn; but that never stopped me from playing White! 

10.O-O-O 

Nice. Alonzo Wheeler Jerome castled Queenside in at least 11 of his games.

10...Rf8 11.Bxe5 dxe5 12.Qc4+ 

To check the enemy King and prevent it from castling

12...Be6 

Okay, missed that.

13.Nd5 Bxd5 14.exd5 Qd6

Blockading the Queen pawn, and preventing any discovered checks. The same could be accomplished with a lesser piece, i.e. 14....Ne8 and 15...Nd6 

I need not have worried: 14...Kg8 15.d6+ Qf7 16.Qxf7+ Rxf7 17.Rhe1 cxd6 18.Rxd6 and Black is fine.

15.Rd3 Nd7

I am not sure what this move is all about, and the Knight is soon recalled

16.Rg3 Kg8 17.Rf1 Nf6 18.f4 Qxd5 

The alteranative, 18...exf4 19.Rxf4, is fine for Black.

19.Qxc7 Rf7 20.Qxe5 Qxa2 

Both Queens are getting their exercise.

I was pleased to be playing a Jerome Gambit where I had the extra piece, for a change.

[to be continued]

Jerome's Gambit Snacks!?

Wandering the internet I found... Jerome's Gambit snacks?

Wow!

This deserves further investigation.

jeromesgambitsnacks

Jerome’s Gambit™

Luxury chess snacks for thinkers, winners & players.

Checkmate-worthy chocolate creations.

Coming soon.

... 

more

• 0

What Am I Doing Here? (Part 3)

[continued from the previous post]

Continuing my latest adventure with the Noa Gambit, or the Monck Gambit.

perrypawnpusher - Zingowahnsinn

"Italian Game" tournament, Chess.com, 2026

 29.Ke3 Ke6 30.c4 Re5+ 31.Kd2 Nd6 32.Kc3 g6 33.b4 

The King probably should have gone to b4, and, maybe, the Rook to d2, before that.

33...Ne4+ 

Simplifying further, but sending the Rook behind enemy lines with 33...Re1 was to be considered.

34.Nxe4 Rxe4 35.Rd4 Re2

See the previous note.

36.Rd2 Re3+ 37.Kd4 Ra3 38.Kc5 Re3 39.Kxc6 Black resigned

White's King will help his Queenside pawns advance, while Black's King is cut off from the action.

I am going to have to take chessfriend Yury V. Bukayev's advice, and stop playing this sketchy opening.

What Am I Doing Here (Part 2)

 

[continued from the previous post]

perrypawnpusher - Zingowahnsinn

"Italian Game" tournament, Chess.com, 2026

The most significant item in the game at this point is Black's advanced, isolated pawn, which becomes the focus of play.

14...Nf7 14.Nc3 e3 

Liquidating the pawn.

15.Bxe3 Bxe3 16.fxe3 Rxe3 17.Nd5 

This tempo grab (by attacking the Rook) assists in the pawn (at c7) grab, but, in itself only promises me an edge, given the position.

17...Re5 18.Nxc7 Rb8 19.Rfe1 Rxe1+ 20.Rxe1 Bd7 

If you play the Jerome Gambit, you still have to know how to play the endgame. I plan on out-playing my opponent in this pawn-up position; this is where our 200 rating points difference might show up.

By the way, looking back at "Jerome Gambit for Dummies (5)" there is this relevant insight

Charting each win and loss against a range of strength differences between the players – White is 0-100 points higher (or lower) than Black, White is 101-200 points higher (or lower) than Black, White is 201-300 points higher (or lower) than Black, etc. shows that in this Jerome Gambit Tournament, White needed to be rated only 200 points higher than his opponent to overcome the handicap of “giving Jerome Gambit odds” and have strong winning chances.

21.Nd5 Bc6 22.Ne7+ Kf8 23.Nxc6 bxc6 

Accumulating small advantages, one by one.

24.b3 Nd6 25.Re6 Rd8 26.Kf2 

His Majesty must help on the Queenside.

26...Kf7 27.Re3 Nb5 28.Rd3 Rd5 

Black passes up the chance to create an isolated pawn for White at d3 (by exchanging Rooks) and, so, gives White a chance to give Black an isolated pawn at d5.

Ah, but I have better things to do.

[to be continued]

What Am I Doing Here (Part 1)

The world of gambits - especially the Jerome - can be fun, with smashing and crashing attacks on the enemy; but it also can lead to odd positions where it has to be asked What Am I Doing Here?

The following game is yet another example.

perrypawnpusher - Zingowahnsinn

"Italian Game" tournament, Chess.com, 2026

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 

The Two Knights Defense.

Maybe we can visit a relative of the Jerome Gambit?

4.Nc3

Now, 4...Bc5 5.Bxf7+ would be the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit. 

4...Nxe4 

Oh, well...

5.Bxf7+ 

The Noa Gambit, otherwise known as the Monck Gambit.

As I wrote in "Jerome Gambit: Powerful Chess"

[M] y choice here is to sacrifice the Bishop, as in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) - both lines are objectively bad for White, although the computer sees the Noa as a pawn less worse than the Jerome.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe4 d5 

For creativity sake I can mention 6...b5, played in perrypawnpusher - Chidobe Awuzie bot, Chess.com, 2023 that ended quickly 7.Nfg5+ Kg8 8.Qf3 h5 9.Qf7 checkmate

7.Ng3 e4 

Or the more restrained 7...Bc5, as in, perrypawnpusher - Anthony bot, Chess.com 2024 (1-0, 43).

8.Ng1 Bc5  

It is interesting to find in The Database that the two earliest examples of this position come from two games played by Emanuel Lasker (as Black, with opponents in consulation) in 1891 and 1900 - both wins for the World Champion.

By the way, 8...h5 is also challenging, as in perrypawnpusher - BoysRule6969, "Not Only The Italians Play the Italian" tournament, Chess.com, 2025 (0-1, 20).

And there is the Jerome-nemesis move, 8...Qf6, showing up in perrypawnpusher - vityas81, "Play The Italian Game III" tournament, Chess.com, 2023 (0-1, 22).

I am reminded of the song by the Moody Blues, "What Am I Doing Here?"

In all fairness, I did okay against 8...g6 - with some effort - in perrypawnpusher - RemoveKubab1, Italian Game Battlegrounds tournament, Chess.com, 2019 (1-0, 30). 

 9.d3 Re8 

Black also had 9...exd3 and 9...Qf6 to consider 

10.dxe4 Kg8 

Black safeguards his King.

I was amazed to see, after the game, that - despite Black's lead in development and greater King safety - Stockfish 17.1 evaluates the position (32 ply) as even.

11.N1e2 dxe4 12.Qxd8 Nxd8 13.0–0 

Things are looking not quite as dreadful for me, as they were a few moves ago, in this Queenless middlegame. I have castled and my piece development is on par with my opponent's. 

What next?

[to be continued]

 

Collecting Small Advantages

Yury V. Bukayev shared this recent game, played on lichess.org against Women's International Master Ruchess27, with a time control of 10 10. 

The game is a good example of collecting small advantages, until they turn into a large advantage.

Ruchess27 - Yury_V_Bukayev

WIM Ruchess27 10-board simul, 10 10, lichess.org, 2026, April 18

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.cxd5 cxd5 

The Slav Defense, exchange variation. Perhaps it is Ruchess27's favorite? Or, maybe it is to achieve a calm, steady position where the opponent can simply be out-played.

4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Bf4 e6 6.e3 Bd6 

I am reminded of an interview of a grandmaster, many years ago, where the question was posed 

How do you prepare for unorthodox or unusual openings and play by your opponent? 

The response was 

I don't bother to prepare, I just make strong moves, and, eventually, that will be enough.

Yury does not play irrationally, or throw caution to the wind, but his opponent follows that strategy: Make strong moves, and, eventually that will be enough.

This time, though, that will not be enough.

7.Bg5 Qb6 8.Bd3 Qxb2 

What conclusion about Yury does Ruchess27 make from this pawn capture? That he is a club level pawn grabber?

Probably not, as the move is still theory. Play on, but perhaps, be cautious.

9.Nge2 Nbd7 10.O-O a6 11.Qa4

Certainly, she was not just pinning one Knight, threatening to capture the other and break up Black's Kingside?

Maybe, an IM can afford such "nothing" moves in a simul, but, in this case, 11.a4 was best.

11...Qa3 12.Qc2 

Exchanging Queens was not a good idea, so the Queen retreats.

12...h6 13.Bh4 O-O 

Comparing Bishops, White seems to be better, here, but Stockfish 17.1 already gives Black an edge.

14.f4

With thoughts of attack. Maybe that would be successful against a lesser opponent, but not Yury.

14...b5 15.f5

Consistent, but the action should be taking place on the Queenside.

15...e5

Yes.

16.dxe5 Bxe5 

Capturing with the correct piece.

17.Nd4 Bb7 

18.Rfb1 Rfc8 19.Rb3 Qd6 20.Rab1 

Given enough time, White will increase the Queenside pressure with a2-14.

There is not enough time.

20...Bxh2+ 21.Kh1 Bg3 22.Bxg3 Qxg3 23.a4 

Too late.

23...Ng4 24.Nf3 Nde5 White resigned

Seeing that 25.Qd2 Nxf3 26.gxf3 Nf2 will cost White her Queen.