JG: The New (Part 2)

 JG: The New in Its Opening Theory, in Its Psychology (Part 2)

(by Yury V. Bukayev)

Of course, after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qh3+ Kf7 8.Qh5+! Black can play not only 8…Ke6, but also 8…Kf8 as the main alternative, but a player’s psychology can prevent to do it here. Why? Firstly, your too cautious opponent sees that you are an inventive player, so your other possible theoretical novelties can wait him in all variations: the drawn game is a good alternative to it. Secondly, the defence 8…Ke6 9.Qf5+ or 9.f4 (= 6…Ke6 7.Qf5+ or 7.f4) permits him to get the material advantage “one Black’s extra minor piece vs. one White’s extra pawn” and to keep Black’s valuable dark-squared Bishop alive. And the defence 8…Kf8 (= 6…Kf8) permits him to get the material advantage “one Black’s extra minor piece vs. two White’s extra pawns” only.

Moreover, after 6…Ke6 7.Qh3+ the way 7…Ke7 (it is much more simple for calculating than 7…Kd6) creates some White’s possibilities including the following one:

8.Qc3!?

A) 8…d6 9.d4 Bxd4 [9…Bb6?! 10.dxe5] 10.Qxd4,

B) 8…Bd6 9.f4! Ng6 [9…c6?! 10.fxe5] 10.e5,

C) 8…Bxf2! 9.Kxf2, and Black can’t increase the material advantage by attacking: 9…Qf8+ 10.Ke2!? Qf4 11.d3 Qg4+ 12.Kf2 Qh4+ [12…Nc6 13.Rf1!?] 13.Ke2 Qh5+ [13…d6?! 14.Qxc7+ Ke8 (14…Bd7 15.Nc3) 15.Be3] 14.Ke1 [14.Kf2!?].

Everywhere Black can’t keep the valuable dark-squared Bishop alive, or/and Black’s material advantage is “one Black’s extra minor piece vs. two White’s extra pawns”. That is why this possible mental calculation of 6…Ke6 7.Qh3+ Ke7 8.Qc3 creates such player’s psychology as in the above case of 6…Ke6 7.Qh3+ Kf7 8.Qh5+ Kf8: both cases seem to be less attractive for Black than 6…Ke6 7.Qh3+ Kf7 8.Qh5+! Ke6 9.Qf5+ (9.f4). So the way 6…Ke6 7.Qh3+ Kf7 8.Qh5+! Ke6 is your opponent’s hope on your more risky (and known to him) way (9.Qf5+ or 9.f4) too. But you’ll play 9.Qh3+ Kf7 10.Qh5+! ½ - ½ , as the part 1 of this my research on Jerome Gambit (JG) theory and psychology fixed.