On the Other Hand...

Bill Wall has championed the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) as well as many other unorthodox openings, but in the ongoing "Play the Jerome Gambit Quad" at Chess.com each player has to defend against the Jerome as well as play it. So, with perhaps a bit of reluctance...


bfcace (1437) - billwall (2489)
Play The Jerome Gambit Quad
Chess.com, 2012

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

7.f4 Qf6 8.Nc3 Qxf4

Black declined the f-pawn with 8...g6 in bfcace -DeDrijver, Play the Jerome Gambit Quad, Chess.com, 2012 (1-0, 18).

9.d4 Nf6 10.Qh3+

Instead, White exchanged Queens with 10.Bxf4 Nxh5 11.Bxe5 Bb6 in the silicon slugfest,  Fritz 5.32 - Deep Sjeng 1.5, The Jeroen Experience, 2003: 12.a4 Ba5 13.0-0 Bxc3 14.bxc3 d6 15.Rf5 Nf6 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Raf1 Rf8 18.Kf2 Bd7 19.a5 Ba4 20.Ke3 Rae8 21.R1f2 Bd7 22.c4 b6 23.axb6 cxb6 24.c3 Ra8 25.g4 Ke7 26.Rh5 Bxg4 27.Rxh7+ Rf7 28.Rh6 Be6 29.d5 Bd7 30.h4 a5 31.Ra2 f5 32.exf5 Bxf5 33.Rb2 Ra6 34.Re2 Kd7 35.Kd2 Kc7 36.Rf2 Ra8 37.Kc1 Raf8 38.Rf3 Kd7 39.Kb2 Be4 40.Rg3 Rf3 41.Rg7+ R8f7 42.Rg8 Rf1 43.Kb3 Rb1+ 44.Ka3 Ra1+ 45.Kb2 Rh1 46.Kb3 b5 47.Rhh8 Rb1+ 48.Ka3 bxc4 49.Rd8+ Kc7 50.Rc8+ Kb6 51.Rxc4 Bxd5 52.Rb8+ Rb7 53.Rxb7+ Kxb7 54.Rd4 Kc6 55.c4 Be6 56.Re4 Bd7 57.Rd4 Ra1+ 58.Kb2 Rh1 59.Kc3 Rh3+ 60.Kb2 Kc5 61.Rd5+ Kxc4 62.Rxd6 Bb5 63.Rh6 a4 64.Ka2 Kd4 65.Rd6+ Kc5 66.Rd1 Bc4+ 67.Kb1 a3 68.Rc1 Rxh4 69.Kc2 Rh2+ 70.Kc3 Rh3+ 71.Kc2 Kb4 72.Kb1 Rh2 73.Ka1 Kb3 74.Rb1+ Rb2 75.Rd1 Ra2+ 76.Kb1 Rc2 77.Ka1 Be2 78.Rb1+ Rb2 79.Rd1 Ra2+ 0-1

10...Qg4 11.Qxg4+ Nexg4 12.dxc5 c6

Black has a piece for a pawn, and, with the Queens off of the board he does not have to worry about immediate danger to his King.

For curiosity's sake, I can mention that two computer-vs-computer games saw Black defend differently:
12...Ne8 13.0-0 b6 14.cxb6 axb6 15.Nd5 Ba6 16.Rf5 d6 17.b3 Bb7 18.c4 Ngf6 19.Rf4 Nd7 20.Bd2 c6 21.Nc3 Nef6 22.Be3 Rhe8 23.Rd1 Ra3 24.h3 Re7 25.Rf2 Rf7 26.Rfd2 Ne8 27.Ne2 Re7 28.Bf4 Ndf6 29.Nc3 Kf7 30.Re1 Re6 31.Be3 Nd7 32.g4 h6 33.g5 hxg5 34.Bxg5 Kg8 35.Rg2 Bc8 36.h4 Nef6 37.Rd1 Ne5 38.Rf1 Kh7 39.Kh1 Nfd7 40.Bc1 Ra6 41.Bg5 Nc5 42.Rf8 Bd7 43.Be3 Ng6 44.Rd8 Nxe4 45.Bd4 c5 46.Rxd7 cxd4 47.Nxe4 Rxe4 48.h5 Ne7 49.h6 Kxh6 50.Rxd6+ Kh5 51.c5 Nf5 52.Rxb6 Ra5 53.Rb8 Rxc5 54.Rh8+ Nh6 55.Rd2 Kg4 56.Rf8 Rh5+ 57.Kg2 Nf5 58.a4 Re3 59.Rxf5 Rg3+ 0-1, Hiarcs 8 - Fritz 7, Utrecht, Engine Tournament, 2002; and
12...d6 13.Nb5 Kd7 14.cxd6 Re8 15.0-0 cxd6 16.h3 Ne5 17.Bh6 Nxe4 18.Bxg7 b6 19.Bxe5 Rxe5 20.Rf7+ Ke6 21.Rxa7 Rxa7 22.Nxa7 Bb7 23.a4 Rd5 24.Nb5 Rd2 25.Re1 Ke5 26.Na3 Kd4 27.Rf1 Nc5 28.Rf4+ Be4 29.Rg4 d5 30.b3 Rd1+ 31.Kf2 Kc3 32.Rg3+ Kb4 33.Ke2 Ra1 34.Nb5 Bxc2 35.Nd4 Bxb3 36.Nxb3 Nxb3 37.Rg7 Ra2+ 38.Kf1 d4 39.Rd7 Kc3 40.Rc7+ Nc5 41.a5 Rxa5 0-1 Zappa 1.1 - Pro Deo 1.1, Blitz:5, 2006.

13.0-0 Ne5 14.Bg5 h6 15.Bh4 b6 16.b4 Ba6 17.Rf2 Rhf8 18.a4 bxc5 19.b5 Bb7 20.a5 cxb5 21.Nxb5 Rab8

White's actions on the Queenside have stirred things up, and this emboldens him to take direct action against Black's King, but the idea rebounds.

22.Rd1 Bxe4 23.Rd6+ Ke7 24.Bxf6+ gxf6 25.Nc3 Kxd6 26.Nxe4+ Kc6

A Rook is a Rook.

27.h4 Ng4 28.Rf1 d5 29.Nd2 Ne3 30.Rc1 Rb2 White resigned