Jerome Gambit: White Declines

I am familiar with a number of lines in the Jerome Gambit where Black declines a sacrificed piece, e.g. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kf8, or, further, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8.

In both cases mentioned, the computer would indicate that "declined" is not as strong as "accepted", but psychological factors - e.g. the sacrificer's possible disappointment - also come into play.

Occasionally Black returns the favor, by giving back some material.

I recently tripped over a line where White declines a sacrifice (counter-sacrifice?), much to his dismay.

The time control may have been a factor, but the ending may have come as a surprise.

nsmanoj - goingtowinliketal

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5

And now the most popular responses for Black are 7...d6, Blackburne's defense, and 7...Qe7, Whistler's defense, in both case sacrificing the Rook for strong counterplay.

7...d6

Blackburne, it is.

8.Qxh8 

White is happy to take the Rook - and, if he is up on theory, he and his Queen will escape with at least a draw.

8...Bxf2+

This is a departure from Joseph Henry Blackburn's idea.

Black intends to answer 9.Kxf2 with 9...Qf6+ 10.Qxf6+ Nxf6 and, as I noted back in 2011 in "Short and Unbecoming"

At the cost of exchanging a won game for one in which he is a pawn down, Black has reached a Queenless middlegame that is not what every Jerome Gambiteer wishes for.

9.Kd1 

nsmanoj has played games where Black has declined sacrifices - Why not White?

(Please remember that this was a 3-minute blitz game - although both players were rated above 2000.)

9...Bg4 checkmate

Ouch.