If a defender is not familiar with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), missteps are easy to find. The following game is one example as to how the opening can be effective in club play - one slip, and Black has passed the point of no return. TitoH - prosoccer RedHotPawn.com, 2019 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8
Black turns the advantage over to White, in order to not play along with the attacker's plans. For a recent example, see "Jerome Gambit: Disease 1, Cure 0". 6.Qh5+ The consistent 6.Nxc6 is stronger, although it could lead to the aggressive 6...Qh4!? (There are still no examples of this move in The Database.) 6...g6 7.Nxg6
The Database has 38 games with this position. White scores a hefty 72%. 7...Qf6 For an earlier discussion of this line, review "Jerome Gambit Secrets #3". Black's strongest response was 7...Bxf2+, leading to a small advantage for him, after 8.Kxf2 Nf6. The earliest examples that I have of 7...Bxf2+ are the twin games Hultgren, R - Harrow, and Blackstone, J - Dommeyer, C, both played in Campbell, California and both played in 1960. Sadly - for Black - The Database has 10 games with the move, with White winning 8 of them. 8.Nxh8+ Ke7 9.d4
9...Bxd4 Tripping over White's out-stretched foot... 10.Bg5 Bxf2+11.Ke2 Black resigned
Here is a recent game played by Philidor 1792, from a cache of games he sent not long ago. His opponent declines the offer of a second piece with an inaccuracy that is worth knowing - and punishing. Philidor 1792 - Guest834593 3 0 blitz, PlayChess.com, 02.11.2014 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
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. 11.Nc3 d6 12.Rf1 Ng6 13.Kg1
Usually it is Black who has to castle-by-hand. White is two pawns ahead, with a safer King. 13...Qd4+ 14.Kh1 Nge5 15.Nfd5 Be6 16.Be3 Black resigned
Black's Queen is trapped in the middle of the board!
Readers are encouraged to enjoy the following quickie game, while recalling the charge: Do as I say, not as I do... perrypawnpusher - schachix blitz, FICS, 2013 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8
When declining the Knight, usually Black's King retires to f8. 6.Qh5+
The Queen check was irresistible, but not best. I had been trying to get a Jerome Gambit all week, and this was my first opportunity.
The proper way to play this, as I should have remembered, is 6.Nxc6 when after 6...Qh4 (no examples in The Database) 7.d4 Qxe4+ 8.Qe2 Qxe2+ 9.Kxe2 Bb6 10.Nb4 Bxd4 11.Nd5 Kd8 the game would be equal.
For the record, 6.Nxc6 bxc6 was seen in Wall,B - Qwerty, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 9) and Wall,B - LFTN, FICS 2012 (1-0, 20) while 6...dxc6 was dispatched in Wall,B - Gebba, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 11). 6...g6
I had already pulled off 6...Ke7 7.Qf7+ Kd6 8.Qd5+ Ke7 9.Nxc6+ Kf6 10.Qf5 checkmate, Kennedy - WeakDelphi, blitz 2 12, 2008and 6...Kf8 7.Qf7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - platel, blitz, FICS, 2011 (which probably influenced my choice of 6.Qh5+). 7.Nxg6
7...Qf6 Here is where my opponent lost his chance. Houdini recommends 7...Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 Nf6 9.Qh4 Rg8 10.Rf1 Rxg6 11.Kg1 Qe7 with advantage to Black.
Only 5 games in The Database have Black's counter-sacrifice of the Bishop, and 4 of them are wins for White, for example 7...Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 Qf6+ (8...Nf6 was correct) 9.Nf4+ Kd8 10.d3 d6 11.Rf1 Qd4+ 12.Be3 Qf6 13.c3 Black resigned,Hultgren,R - Harrow, Campbell, CA 1960. 8.Nxh8+ Kd8 9.Qxc5 Qxh8 10.Qf8 checkmate
Tom and Ray Magliozzi host the "Car Talk" program at NPR radio. They dole out auto advice in a humorous style, and they close each time with the exchange
"Don't drive like my brother." "Don't drive like my brother."
That about sums up my opinion of the following funny game, as platel and I can each say
"Don't play like my opponent." "Don't play like my opponent."
perrypawnpusher - platel blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8
Declining the second piece is an acceptable strategy, but going back to e8 (where a follow-up Queen check by White is possible) has not been recommended.
Looking at 6.Nxc6 now, I still think that it is best for White, but I wanted to point out two untested responses that might surprise the first player.
a) 6...Bxf2+ (as long as Black is going to lose this piece, he decides to get a pawn for it) 7.Kxf2 Qf6+ 8.Qf3 Qxc6 (avoiding doubled c-pawns) when White is a bit better. He has to be careful because of the loose pawn on c2 and the King and Queen being on the same file (vulnerable to ...Ne7 and ...Rf8).
analysis diagram
Black also has the untried counter-attacking
b) 6...Qh4, (which I mentioned about 3 years ago in this blog) may be better than the capture of the Knight at c6, as well. White's best response is 7.d4, and after 7...Qxe4+ 8.Qe2 Qxe2+ 9.Kxe2 Bb6 material is even, i.e. 10.Nb4 Bxd4.
analysis diagram
I think that White may have a tiny edge after 11.Nd5, and he may have better chances with his Kingside pawn majority as opposed to Black's Queenside pawn majority; but, in reality, Black's two Bishops probably balance all that out.
6...Kf8
In light of my two 6th move recommendations for Black, I have to say that this was the move that got Black into hot water, not 5...Ke8.
After the recommended6...g6, White has the thematic 7.Nxg6, but, again, things are far from rosy for him– unless he is faced with 7...hxg6, when White plays 8.Qxh8 with advantage, as in Petasluk - Trasimene, FICS, 2007 (1-0, 18).
Black takes a step forward by interjecting 7...Nf6, so that after 6...g6 7.Nxg6 Nf6 8.Qxc5 he can then grab the Knight at g6 with 8...hxg6. White has three pawns for his sacrificed piece, but Fritz 8 is pretty stubborn about giving Black a slight edge.
The biggest challenge to White's 7th move Knight sac at g6, however, is 7...Bxf2+ – followed, in due course, by ...Nf6 and then the capture of the White Knight, e.g. 8.Kxf2 Nf6 (much better than the 8...Qf6+ of Hultgren,R - Harrow, Campbell, CA 1960 and Blackstone - Dommeyer, skittles game, California, USA 1960 [1-0, 13] ) 9.Qh4 Rg8. White's Knight cannot retreat and will be lost (10.Nf4 Nxe4+).
It may be that White should refrain from sacrificing his Knight, and meet 6...g6 with 7.Nxc6 (anyhow), although after 7...gxh5 8.Nxd8 Kxd8 he has to hope that he can gather in one (or both) of the h-pawns in order to reach equality.
Which is a long way of saying that while 6.Nxc6 leads to "only" an even game, that's still a better outcome than can be expected after 6.Qh5+.
By the way, the silly 6...Ke7 (in response to 6.Qh5+) got a workout in my games against a weak computer several years ago – see "One (or both) of us needs help" Part I and Part II.
7.Qf7 checkmate
I won the game, but I thought it would be fair to let my opponent "win" the analysis.
Like the proverbial bad penny, the 5...Ke8 variation of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) turns up here and there – most recently in two games played against Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Bill Wall.
Wall,B - Gebba chess.com, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8
There are not a lot of positive things to say about this move, except perhaps that it has confused the chess computer program Rybka (see "Rybka deals with the Jerome Gambit") and that it takes White out of "book" – even that second point is of dubious value, as "book" favors Black, and therefore he should be playing "book" moves for as long as possible.
Both Hultgren - Harrow, California, 1960 and Blackstone - Dommeyer, skittles game, California, 1960, continued: 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 Qf6+ 9.Nf4+ Kd8 10.d3 d6 11.Rf1 Qd4+ 12.Be3 Qf6 13.c3 Black resigned. See "You, too, can add to Jerome Gambit theory!"
6...dxc6
Capturing with the d-pawn prevents White from playing d2-d4. The alternative capture was seen in Wall - Qwerty, Chess.com, 2010: 6...bxc6 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qxc5 Ne7 9.Qc3 Black resigned Surprisingly, best for Black, keeping White's advantage to a minimum, was6...Qh4
If a visitor to the Black side of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) loses the way in the opening, as is often the case, it is the responsibility (and pleasure) of the first player to deliver a stinging rejoinder.
The alternative 6...Ke7 is a disaster. See "One (or both) of us needs help" (Part I) and (Part II).
7.Nxg6 Nf6 The twin games Hultgren - Harrow, SVE cup, Campbell, CA, 1960 and Blackstone - Dommeyer, skittles, Campbell, CA 1960 continued: 7...Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 Qf6+ 9.Nf4+ Kd8 10.d3 d6 11.Rf1 Qd4+ 12.Be3 Qf6 13.c3 Black resigned.
8.Qxc5 hxg6 9.d3 d6 10.Qc3 Rf8
Here we have the typical Jerome Gambit imbalance, pawns vs a piece (only this time White has three pawns).
11.Bg5 Be6
Rybka 3 recommends 11...d5 to keep the game even, but that may have been too "open" for Black.
12.Nd2a5
An interesting psychological aspect to this game: what is Black supposed to be doing? White has a number of ideas to follow up, but his opponent can only think to put a Knight on b4.
13.0-0 Nb414.a3 Na6
Going back to Nc6 was probably better.
15.Rae1 c6
16.e5
The break-through, although he might have prepared for it with 16.Nf3.
16...dxe5 17.Qxe5 Nc7 18.Ne4 Ra6
19.Nxf6+ Kf720.Nh7 Re821.Bxd8 Rxd8 22.Qxc7+ Black resigned
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 
This King retreat, instead of to f8, is unusual, and the Jerome Gambiteer should be looking for a strong reply.
The twin games Hultgren - Harrow, SVE cup, Campbell, CA, 1960 and 
Here we have the typical Jerome Gambit imbalance, pawns vs a piece (only this time White has three pawns).
An interesting psychological aspect to this game: what is Black supposed to be doing? White has a number of ideas to follow up, but his opponent can only think to put a Knight on b4.
19.Nxf6+ Kf7 20.Nh7 Re8 21.Bxd8 Rxd8 22.Qxc7+ Black resigned 