The following game brings to mind the caution about the Jerome Gambit, The first to panic loses the game, which we looked at a few weeks ago.
In the end, Black's King wanders too far from home, and into grave danger.
sinca22 - Jeff_Starkmann
5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2022
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
Black decides to not go along with White's plan, capturing on e5 with the Knight.
The Database has 173 games with this position, with White scoring 60%. In support of this practical advantage, Stockfish 16.1 assesses (28 ply) White's advantage to be a little over 1 pawn.
For comparison sake, the capture 5...Nxe5 appears in The Database in 31,128 games, when White scores 57%.
So, the text move, from a practical point of view, is only slightly worse for Black than if he had stayed with regular lines.
The psychological benefit of surprise, or of forcing White out of a main line, is also significant.
Also, see the posts "Jerome Gambit: Over the Rainbow (Part 1)" and "Jerome Gambit: You Can Pay Me Now or Pay Me Later".
6.f4
Instead, 6.Qg4+ is the killer move that has to be found here.
According to The Database, only 29 games (17%) have it. A recent example is Wall, Bill - Docteur, SparkChess, 2025: 6...Kxe5 7.d4+ Bxd4 8.Bf4+ Kxe4 (8...Kf6 9.Bg5+) 9.c4 Ne5 10.Nd2+ Kd3 11.Qf5 checkmate
6...Nxe5
7.fxe5
In a later game, sinca22 found out that this pawn capture is not the best move, although good moves still lead him behind, for example 7.d4 Qh4+ 8.g3 Qg4 9.Qxg4+ Nxg4 10.dxc5; or 7.Nc3 Qh4+ 8.g3 Qg4 9.fxe5 Qxd1+ 10.Kxd1 Bd4 11.Ne2 Bxe5 12.d4 Bf6 13.e5 Bd8 14.c4 d5 15.b3 Ne7 16.Rf1 Kd7
7...Kxe5
This move helps White, and further endangers Black's King.
One way the game could have gone is 7...Qh4+ 8.g3 (8.Ke2 Qxe4+ 9.Kf1) Qxe4+ 9.Qe2 Qxh1+ 10.Qf1 Qxh2 11.d3 Qxg3+ 12.Kd1 Qg4+ 13.Qe2 Qg1+ 14.Qe1 Qg2 15.Qe2 Bf2 16.Nc3 Qg1+ 17.Kd2 Ne7 White resigned, sinca22 - zakareya-omran, lichess.org, 2022
8.c3
Preparing d2-d4, which was possible to play directly 8.d4+ Bxd4 9.Bf4+ Ke6 10.Qxd4 d6 11.Nc3 Kf7 12.0–0 Nf6 13.Nd5 Re8 14.Bg5
8...Nf6
Choosing development and safety over attack. Often in the Jerome Gambit, a Queen move is the best, as here: 8...Qh4+ 9.g3 Qxe4+ 10.Qe2 Qxe2+ 11.Kxe2 Kf6
Now, White collects the enemy King.
9.d4+ Bxd4 10.cxd4+ Kxe4 11.O-O Re8
If 11...Kd5 the King still has not escaped mate, following 12. Qb3+.
12.Nc3 checkmate
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