Jerome Gambit: Questions

The Jerome Gambit gives rise to many questions. A few are examined in the following game.

Wall, Bill - Guest4660121
PlayChess.com, 2018

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Nf6 

Black has so many ways to return some of the sacrificed material. This cold-blooded focus on development has been looked at before, as it is quite playable, and White needs to keep his wits about himself.

What a great way to surprise the attacker (except, in this case, White has been there, seen that.)

7.dxe5 Bxf2+ 

What Jerome Gambit player hasn't been the recipient of one of the many return Bishop sacrifices? Sometimes the gift is chosen after analysis of the position, sometimes it is chosen after psycho-analysis of the player.

Instead of stretching for a surprise, however, the defender might simply work on playing a strong move. Indeed, 7...Qe8 or 7...Qe7 should be looked at, according to Stockfish. Neither can be found in The Database. (Hmmm... Are those moves included in the "Jerome Gambit Secrets" series?)

The thoughtful 7...Nxe4 was seen, for example, in Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016}(1-0, 16) and Wall, B - TenAndOnly10, lichess.org, 2016 (1-0, 21).

8.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 9.Kg1 

Instead, 9.Ke1 Qh4+!? was seen in Wall,B - Guest371494, PlayChess.com, 2018, (1-0, 21) ("Interesting, but it doesn't work" says Bill.)

9...d5 

Or 9...Rf8 as in Wall,B - Guest902091, PlayChess.com, 2017 (1-0, 17) and Wall,B -Guest7889049, PlayChess.com, 2018 (1-0, 12) 

10.Qf3+ Ke8 

The alternative, 10...Kg6, is about equally strong, although Black's King can hardly feel safe there, and there's always the lesson of Wall,B - Szachowski, playok.com, 2017 (1-0, 20)

11.Nc3 Nxc3 12.Qxc3 Be6

An "objective" analysis of the position would suggest an even game, but it is essential to remember the old Jerome Gambit warning: whenever White has equalized, he has the advantage. There are many practical reasons why this is so.

13.Be3 b6 

Here is one: Black relaxes too soon.
He might have tried 13...c6, although that didn't turn out too well in Wall,B - MyDrunkAccount, lichess.org, 2016' (1-0, 20).

Perhaps: 13...Qd7. 

14.Qc6+ Ke7

And here is another kind of reaction to Jerome Gambit equality: any old move will do. (Probably 14...Bd7, instead, was best.) 

15.Bg5+ Black resigned