Critical Line: 5...Kf8 (3)

In "Stats (1)" – where I began to take a look with ChessBase's "Opening Report" at the games in my Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) database – I mentioned that a
Critical Line for White came after 4...Kxf7 when he scored only 29% with 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 6.Nxc6 dxc6. In "Critical Line: 5...Kf8 (1)" and "(2)" this variation has been explored further.

I've faced 5...Kf8 three times, and twice my opponent recaptured with the other pawn, 6...bxc6:
perrypawnpusher - hdig, blitz 7 4, FICS, 2007 and perrypawnpusher - mika76, GameKnot.com, 2008 .

By the way, there's the odd game tonik - mika76, GameKnot.com, 2008, where Black recaptured with neither pawn, but instead started his own counter-attack: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 6.Nxc6 Bxf2+ 7.Kxf2 dxc6 8.Rf1 Qd4+ White resigned. Giving up the game was premature, as after 9.Ke1+ the first player had time to protect his e-pawn with 10.d3, and maintain a small advantage.

Still, in the diagram above, while it is possible to see Black's typical advantage in the Jerome Gambit (piece for two pawns), it is smaller than usual; and it is hard to see why White can't go about his standard plan of castling, developing pieces, and advancing his Kingside pawns with the usual play. My one game with the line, perrypawnpusher - Ykcir, blitz 14 0, FICS, 2009, ended in a quick draw, and things did not appear nearly as dire as to attract the label "Critical Variation."