Sometimes the best strategy in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is to develop your pieces, use your "Jerome pawns," and give your opponent opportunites to misplay the game.
It is interesting how many times that actually happens, as in the following game.
Wall, Bill - Emirat
sparkchess, 2025
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8
Black avoids the excitement that might come after 6...Ke6.
The Database has 3,907 games with this position. Black scores 53%.
7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qh5
White's Queen move is relatively rare, as 8.Qf4+ and 8.Qg3 are more often seen. Bill likes to experiment.
8...Nf6
Or 8...g6 9.Qe2 Kg7 10.Nc3 Qh4 11.d3 Bg4 12.Qd2 Nf6 13.O-O Rhf8 14.d4 Bb6 15.f3 Be6 16.Rf2 c6 17.Na4 Bc7 18.b3 Rac8 19.c3 h6 20.Nb2 g5 21.Nd3 Nh5 22.Ba3 Rf7 23.Raf1 d5 24.e5 Nf4 25.Nc5 Re8 26.g3 Nh3+ 27.Kg2 Qh5 28.Nxe6+ Rxe6 29.Re2 g4 30.fxg4 Qxg4 31.Rxf7+ Kxf7 32.Bc1 Ng5 33.Qf4+ Qxf4 34.gxf4 Ne4 35.f5 Re8 36.Rc2 h5 37.Bf4 Rg8+ 38.Kf3 Bb6 39.Be3 Rg4 40.f6 Ba5 41.c4 Bc3 42.cxd5 cxd5 43.a3 Ke6 44.b4 a6 45.a4 Rg8 46.b5 h4 47.Kf4 h3 48.bxa6 bxa6 49.Rc1 Rg2 50.Rh1 Bb2 51.Rg1 Rxg1 52.Bxg1 Nc3 53.Kg4 Ne2 54.Bf2 Bxd4 55.Bxd4 Nxd4 56.Kxh3 Nc6 White resigned, Wall,B - Mart, sparkchess, 2024.
9.Qe2 Qe7
Someone wandering by might look at this position, and think "Interesting, Black has sacrificed two pawns for development, and White has lost a piece in the process."
Readers more familiar with Bill's Jerome Gambits (he has over 1,900 games in The Database) might think, instead, "Bill is giving his opponent enough rope..."
He has also seen 9...Bg4 10.f3 Be6 11.c3 Bd7 12.d4 Bb6 13.O-O a5 14.Rd1 c5 15.Be3 Qe8 16.dxc5 dxc5 17.Nd2 Ra6 18.Nc4 Bb5 19.a4 Bxc4 20.Qxc4 Ke7 21.Rd2 Qf7 22.Bxc5+ Bxc5+ 23.Qxc5+ Ke6 24.e5 Nd7 25.Qd5+ Ke7 26.Qxd7+ Black resigned, Wall,B - ChessMonkey, internet, 2021; and
9...Kf7 10.d4 Bb6 11.Nc3 Bxd4 12.Qc4+ Be6 13.Qxd4 Re8 14.O-O Kg8 15.Bg5 Rf8 16.f4 Qe8 17.f5 Bd7 18.Qc4+ Kh8 19.Qxc7 Bc6 20.Bxf6 Rxf6 21.Qa5 Qh5 22.Rf3 Qg4 23.Raf1 Qg5 24.a3 Qd2 25.Qb4 Qxc2 26.Rd1 a5 27.Qb6 Re8 28.Rf2 Black resigned, Wall,B - Ahmed, internet, 2023.
10.Nc3 Bd7 11.O-O a6
White's plan will be, as frequently is the case, playing f2-f4-f5.
12.Kh1 Bc6 13.d3 Bd4 14.f4 Bxc3 15.bxc3 Re8 16.Be3 Kf7
Black is still okay, but there are storm clouds gathering. He plans to castle-by-hand.
17.c4 Rhf8 18.Rf3 Kg8
19.Rg3 Qf7 20.f5 Kh8 21.Bd4 Rg8 22.Qe1 Nd7 23.Rh3
23...Ne5
Black blocks the enemy Bishop to blunt it's pressure along the a1-h8 diagonal.
In doing so, he overlooks something crucial.
24.Rxh7+ Kxh7 25.Qh4+ Black resigned