Jerome Gambit: Hounded by the Clock?

Blitz games can be fun to play over, especially when they are chaotic, like Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games.

Carlos_Ricardo - DragonPatronus

3 3 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4  Ng6 

Earlier games with this line were covered in the games SensGuy - ad7976, 3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2020 ("Jerome Gambit: An Extra Move Always Helps") and Astral1119 - mofax, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021 ("Jerome Gambit:Quick WrapUp").

Also

Some reflections -

from "Superpippo!"

This move, despite the soundness of the basic idea – save one piece and return another – is too "creative" and leads to an even game. With a regular opening, having Black reach equality this early is an accomplishment for the second player, but in the Jerome Gambit – where White spots his opponent two pieces – it is a sign that something has already gone wrong for Black. 

from "Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's Dream"

The kind of move - withdrawing a piece from attack - that someone unfamiliar with the Jerome Gambit might make quickly. (Best was 7...Qf6). 

My guess is that at this point Bill got out his psychic micrometer, measured the apparent depth of his opponent's experience with (or understanding of) the opening, and chose a line of play that was most efficacious against an unschooled or uneasy opponent. 

from "Jerome Gambit: The Way It Is"

With more time to consider - the whole point of playing the Jerome Gambit... is that Black does not have much time to consider - Black would have found the less sensible (but stronger) 7...d6, 7...Nd3, 7...Qf6 or 7...d5.

8.Qxc5 d6 

As early as 2014 (see "Overwhelmed") I recommended  8...N6e7 here. 

9.f5+

White's check on the enemy King overrules Black's attack on the Queen. The "Jerome pawns" are showing their worh.

9...Kf7

This is a blitz game. With limited time, it may not be clear that this is the weakest of the 4 possible King moves. Stockfish 15.1 (35 ply) evaluates 9...Kd7 as slightly better for White; 9...Ke7 and 9...Kf6 are each increasingly better for White, up to about 1 3/4 pawns' worth.

The text exposes the Black King a bit too much.

10.Qd5+ Ke8 11. fxg6 hxg6 

The excitement has waned, with White having an extra pawn, the better pawn structure and the safer King.

Black now strikes out, ineffectively - perhaps hounded by the clock.

12.O-O Rh5 13.Qf7 checkmate.