Jerome Gambit: We Have Been Here Before

In the following game, Black resists the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) with interesting play, but he ultimately turns down his King - perhaps a bit prematurely. 

joker0909 - Papi_Chulo111

3 2 blitz, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 

From "A Second Chance to Decline" 

While declining the second piece is as old as Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, 1875 (1/2-1/2, 29), the safest place for Black's King to retreat to is f8, not e8.

6.Qh5+ 

Here is a whole lot from "A Second Chance to Decline" 

It's possible that 6.Nxc6 is stronger, but who can resist checking the King?
On the other hand, White's Knight capture is tricky, as 6...bxc6? is not the correct response - see perrypawnpusher - rodrigojalpa, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 25); perrypawnpusher - zsilber, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1/2-1/2, 42); Wall,B - Qwerty, Chess.com 2010 (1-0, 9); and Wall,B - LFTN, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 20).
Neither is 6...dxc6? the right move - see Wall,B - Gebba, Chess.com 2010 (1-0, 11).
Although I have suggested the untried 6...Bf2+ in "Don't Drive Like My Brother", the best response for Black, still untried as far as The Database is concerned is 6...Qh4!?, as after 7.d4 Qxe4+ 8.Qe2 Qxe2+ 9.Kxe2 Bb6 10.Nb4 Bxd4 11.Nd5 Kd8 Black has an equal game. (Of course, he turned down a second piece to get there.)
6...g6
Silly alternatives: 6...Kf8 7.Qf7 checkmate,  perrypawnpusher - platel, blitz, FICS, 2011  and 6...Ke7 7.Qf7+ Kd6 8.Qd5+ Ke7 9.Nxc6+ Kf6 10.Qf5 checkmate, Kennedy - WeakDelphi, 2 12 blitz, 2008.
7.Nxg6 Bxf2+
Instead, 7...Qf6 was no solution in perrypawnpusher - schachix, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 10).
8.Kxf2 Qf6+

Black goes astray: 8...Nf6  was the way to keep an edge.

9.Nf4+ Kd8 10.d3 Nge7
Or 10...d6 11.Rf1 Qd4+ 12.Be3 Qf6 13.c3 Black resigned, Hultgren,R - Harrow, Campbell, CA 1960. 

Whew.

6...g6 7.Nxg6 Bxf2+ 

Black figures that he should get something for his at-risk Bishop.

8.Kxf2 Qf6+ 

Only one game in The Database has the correct follow-up, 8...Nf6, with advantage to Black.

9.Nf4+

Pretty. 

9...Kd8 10.d3 Qd4+ 

Reversing roles: It is White's turn to decide if he should offer the b-pawn, with Be3.

11.Be3 Qxb2 12.Nd5 Nge7 

Black decides not to take two Rooks, with 12...Qxa1 13.Nbc3 Qxh1, since with 14.Qf7, White would have a mate-in-six.

13.Bg5 Qxa1 14.Bf6 

This Bishop fork was enough to cause Black to resign.

Possibly the clock was at play here, as Black now has the pin 14...Rf8, after which White's best followup might well be 15.Qh6 (or 15.Qg5), when 15...Rxf6 16.Nxf6 Ng6 17.Nxh7 Qd4+ 18.Ke1 would lead to a dynamically equal position.