Jerome Gambit: Out of Gas

The following game started out as promising for me, but my attack soon ran out of gas.

perrypawnpusher - Igorrud

Giuoco Fun, Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Qf6 

This position appears in 372 games in The Database. White scores 55%.

9.Nc3

I have also tried 9.O-O, as in perrypawnpusher - recreation, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 13) and perrypawnpusher - kashifnaseem, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 38).

9...c6 

Keeping watch over the d5 square.

Stockfish 15.1 (30 ply) prefers 9...h5!?

I have also faced 9...Ne7 in perrypawnpusher - JoseSoza, Chess.com, 2012 (0-1, 36) 

10.O-O Ne7 11.d3 Ng6 

I was surprised to see that Stockfish 16.1 considered this position as completely equal, based on the odd line of play: 12.Na4 h5 13.Nxc5 h4 14.Qe3 h3 15.e5 Qxe5 16.Qxe5 Nxe5 17.Re1 hxg2 18.Re3 Rh3 19.Ne4 Nf3+ 20.Kxg2 Nh4+ 21.Kh1 Nf3 22.Kg2 Nh4+, etc. Does Black really have to force a draw by repetition?

Also: Given how much White has sacrificed, is an assessment of the game "equal" a success for him?

12.Be3 Kf7 13.Bxc5 dxc5 14.f4 Rf8 15.Qf3 Kg8 

Black has a piece for two pawns, and he has castled-by-hand.

16.Qe3 

Hoping to move the Queen off of the f-file (enemy Rook) and gain a tempo in the process, as Black has to protect his forward c-pawn.

This just leaves my f-pawn hanging, however - nothing neither I nor my opponent noticed.

16...b6 17.e5

This advance just creates a hole that the enemy Queen positions herself in.

17...Qf5 18.Ne4 

This was my self-justification for my last move. 

18...Be6 

Allowing White to get a little pull. Still in play was 18...Nxf4.

Now, things start to be exchanged.

19.Ng3 Qf7 20.Qxe5 Qxe5 Nxe5 24.Rae1 Rxf1+ draw agreed