Jerome Gambit: Somnambulism

Sometimes the impact of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) on the defender is very interesting - it is as if Black is sleepwalking...

Sahuaripa - toshi8

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 Qf6 8.fxe5 

Usually White refrains from taking the Knight, because of the reply 8...Qf2. 

8...Qxe5 

Black is doing fine, even if he is playing passively.

This is a blitz game, however, and White now throws in a surprise to destabilize things.

9.Qe8+ Kf6 

It turns out that Black can afford to block the check with 9...Ne7, because White risks too much if he captures the Rook - 10.Qxh8 - Black has the Whistler-like 10...Qxe4+ with a crushing attack. 

In all fairness, The Database has no game examples of 9...Ne7.

10.Rf1+ Black resigned

Wow. The Rook chases the enemy King away from protecting the Queen. Checkmate is also coming, for example 10...Bf2+ (blocking the check for a moment) 11.Rxf2+ Kg5 12.Qxe5+ (there goes the Queen) Kg6 13.Qg3+ Kh5 14.Rf5+ Kh6 15.Qg5#