Not Funny

One reason to play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is that you might cause your opponent to break out laughing. Who doesn't need a good laugh these days?

In the following game, though, Black is probably not even over his giggles before he realizes that he has a worse – not winning – game.

Not funny!

jfhumphrey - sniktawiii
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4

A line that we have seen that jfhumphrey likes (see "Danger? He laughs at danger!").

6...Bd6

A more active alternative touched upon recently was 6...Bb4+; and of course there were always the straight-forward 6...Bxd4 and the scary 6...Qh4.

Black, rated about a couple hundred points higher than his opponent, covers his surprise at facing the Jerome Gambit by borrowing the Bishop move from the "fork trick".

7.dxe5 Bxe5

Not the best response, but who would think up Rybka 3's suggestion of 7...Bb4+ 8.c3 Bf8 and a roughly even game? 

8.Qd5+

Best.

At this point Black resigned in jfhumphrey - stefanomnn, blitz, FICS, 2010.

White has had experience with the alternative 8.Qh5+ as well, in jfhumphrey - jrhicksdotnet, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 14) and jfhumphrey - biryuk, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 65).

8...Kf6 9.f4 d6 10.fxe5+ Black resigned

Black is only down a pawn, but the fun seems to have gone out of the game.