Received Wisdom?

While it is interesting to look over the Jerome Gambit lines selected by the ChessBase "Opening Report" (the last three posts) based upon the games in The Database, it is important to remember that the collected "wisdom" presented is drawn from mostly amateur play - what is popular may not be what is "best".

History can be misleading.

For example, the main line of play, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 has always seemed to me to be easier for White to play (if subjectively less scary for Black to endure) than the lines after 6...Ke6.

Furthermore, do not be impressed by the "100%" score for White that shows up for the line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.f4. After 6...Qh4+ 7.g3 Qg4 8.Qxg4 Nxg4 White will have a hard time whipping up any kind of attack with Queens off of the board and only two pawns in return for his two sacrificed pieces.

Finally, the recommendation for Black after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.0-0 - 6...Nc6 - Allows 7.Qh5+, winning the defender's dark-squared Bishop. Better is 6...Qf6, as 7.d4 is no threat, easily answered by 7...Bxd4! since 8.Qxd4 would lose to 8...Nf3+.