That Strange Move Again

Playing through a new (to me) Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, I encountered an unusual line, with a strange improvement/recommendation that I'd seen sometime before...

UNPREDICTABLE - Sanomis

blitz FICS, 2009

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8

This is not one of the usual Jerome Gambit refutations, and a pretty rare choice of move, although it's been touched upon in "You, too, can add to Jerome Gambit theory!" and "Ooops..."

6.Nxc6

Of course, this is White's best move.

Black has a strange response here that is both thematic and counter-intuitive (you gotta love the Jerome Gambit!): 6...Qh4!?

analysis diagram

Best play now seems to be 7.d4 Qxe4+ 8.Qe2 Qxe2+ 9.Kxe2 when, after a dance of the pieces, 9...Bb6 10.Nb4 Bxd4 11.Nd5 Kd8 the position is equal.

analysis diagram

This is not the thunder-and-lightning play of Whistler's Defense, which is clearly better for Black, but it's probably not the kind of position that White was hoping for when he sacrificed his Bishop.

Instead, Black simply captures the Knight on c6, and then realizes that he will be two pawns down with an uncastled King and no counterplay.

6...dxc6 7.Qh5+ Black resigned