Slips in the Polerio / Abrahams Jerome Gambit

Slips happen.

Forewarned is forearmed.

onderch01 - Schizophrenics

5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ 

Mentioned by Polerio in the 16th century (see "Jerome Gambit: Early Sources") and Abrahams in the 20th century (see " 'Tis A Puzzlement..." and "The Abrahams Jerome Gambit [Parts I & II]"), this relative / ancestor of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) has shown up in interesting places (see Yury V. Bukayev's "Jerome Gambit: Morphy vs the Mefistopheles" for his take on the Polerio Knightless Jerome Gambit) and can feature play both similar to and different from the Jerome.

For some perspective, I visited the online lichess.org site, which has 599,481 games with this line, with White scoring 53%.

3...Kxf7 

It does not make much sense to decline the Bishop - except, perhaps, for psychological reasons - as 3...Kf8 (or 3...Ke7) 4.Bb3 is clearly better for White.

The lichess.org database shows only 4% of the Polerio / Abrahams gambits being declined.

4.Qh5+ g6 

This move is playable, although, again, similar to the Jerome, 4...Kf8 is strong; and 4...Kf6 can transpose to the Jerome proper after 5.Qf5+ Kd6 6.Nf3 Nc6.

5.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 

This is how Black maintains equality after bypassing 4...Kf8.

6.Kxf2 Nf6 

Now, things get a bit strange. True, this is a blitz game, but it is a 5-minute blitz game.

7.Nf3 Nc6 

Both players overlook the possibility of 7...Ng4+, forking the King and Queen.

8.Qc3

The Queen is still not out of danger. As with the previous move, she should have gone to f4.

8... Nxe4+ 9.Ke3 Nxc3 10.Nxc3 Re8+ 

Black is ahead a Queen for a Knight.

White does not have adequate compensation.

11.Kf2 Qf6 12.Rf1 Kg7 13.Kg1 d6 14.d3 Bg4 15.Nd1 Bxf3 White resigns