Jerome Gambit: Target King

The following game shows a quick and brutal checkmate of the enemy King. 

The attacker had a plan and executed it. It was so powerful, there were multiple ways to win the full point.

Which one would you have chosen?

GeorgeCool - RealHuman

3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.d4 Bxd4 5.Bxf7+ 

5...Kxf7 

Transposing to 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d4 Bxd4.

White has invested an extra pawn to open the c1-h6 diagonal, especially making g5 available for his Knight.

6.Ng5+ Kg6 7.Qf3 

This is a blitz game. White goes for checkmate. Will Black find the proper defense?

7...Nf6

Reasonable developmant - and wrong.

He needed to confront the White Queen directly with 7...Qf6, and all would be well.

Now checkmate is coming.

8.h4 

This works. So does 8.Qf5+ Kh5 9.Nf3+ g5 10.Qxg5 checkmate. 

8...h6 

Stockfish 15 shows Black's best to still end up in checkmate: 8...Bxf2+ 9.Kd1 Kh6 10.Qf5 g6 11.Ne6+ Be3 12.Bxe3+ g5 13.Qxg5 checkmate 

9.h5+ 

White has a plan. An alternative: 9.Qf5+ Kh5 10.Nf3+ g5 11.hxg5 checkmate 

9...Nxh5 10.Qxh5+ 

Or 10.Qf5 checkmate, or 10.Qf7 checkmate 

10...Kf6 11.Qf7 checkmate