Jerome Gambit: Safety?

In the Jerome Gambit, Black's King often hopes to be safe at f8.

In the following game, he seems to have found refuge, but this gets upended by his opponent.

Wall, Bill - Gouba

SparkChess, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 

Bill has reached this positon in 29 games, scoring 98% - that's 28 wins, 1 draw, and no losses. 

Stockfish 16.1 reminds that it still sees Black as 1 1/2 pawns better.

6.O-O Nxe5 7.d4 Qe7

This position is new.

8.dxc5 Qxc5 9.Nc3 d6 10.Be3 Qc6 

11.f4 Ng4 12.Bd4 N8f6 13.h3 Nh6 14.Re1 Bd7 

White applies pressure, to bring the game even.

15.g4 Nf7 16.Rc1

This move is a bit too subtle for me. I expected 16.g5. 

16...Qa6 

Likewise, although I expected 16...Re8. 

17.e5 

Back to business.

17...Ne8

He should have bitten the bullet with 17...dxe5 18.fxe5 Nxg4 19.hxg4 Kg8. 

18.e6 Bc6 19.exf7 Kxf7 

20.f5 Rf8 

Preparing to castle-by-hand.

21.Qd2 Kg8 Re7 Nf6 

This allows a sharp ending.

23.Rxg7+ Kxg7 24.Qg5+ Kf7 25.Re1 Be4 26.Nxe4 Nxe4 27.Rxe4 b5 28.Re7 checkmate