JG: The New in Its Opening Theory, in Its Psychology (Part 17) [Part 1]

 JG: The New in Its Opening Theory, in Its Psychology (Part 17)

(by Yury V. Bukayev)

In the Part 6 of this my analytical research on the standard system of the Jerome gambit (JG) it was fixed that after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5 d6 (this move was highly recommended by several very strong players including the famous English GM Jonathan Simon Speelman in his article (‘Jon Speelman’s Agony Column’, #24, 2016) on chessbase.com – the article which was criticized analytically in my Part 4) 8.Qg3 Nf6 White can avoid 9.d3 and 9.Nc3 by the way-invention 9.b4.

Further, dear Rick Kennedy in his post (September 28, 2021) published some of my new ideas-inventions about 9.0-0 Nxe4!? 10.Qf4+! Nf6 11.b4! and 11.d4.

Now we’ll consider why 9.d3?! and 9.Nc3?! lead to a collapse of White’s plan theoretically. And we’ll consider other possibilities (9.b4, 9.0-0!).

I)9.d3?! Nh5! 10.Qf3+ Qf6 11.Qe2 [11.Qxh5? Qxf2+ 12.Kd1 Qxg2! with 13…Bg4+ and with a win] 11…Nf4! 12.Qf3 [12.Bxf4?AN Qxb2!] 12…Ne6! 13.Qe2AN [13.Qg3AN loses after 13…h5 or 13…Nd4] 13…Nd4 14.Qd2 Bh3! 15.c3 Qg6!. Black has a threat …Qxg2 and wins. In all cases White’s pawns have made no moves (besides 15.c3), so it’s a theoretical collapse of White’s plan.

II)9.Nc3?! Nh5!

A)10.Qd3AN Qg5! 11.Qf3+ [11.0-0 Nf4!] 11…Qf4 12.Qe2 Qg4 13.f3 Qh4+ with Black’s win.

B)10.Qf3+ Qf6 11.Qd3AN [11.Qe2 Nf4!] 11…Qg5! with Black’s win.

In all cases White’s pawns have made no moves (besides 13.f3), so it’s a theoretical collapse of White’s plan.

This my analysis shows that the outstanding maestro Speelman was right in his conclusion about 9.d3 and 9.Nc3, but he hasn’t found other possibilities.

The same analysis leads me also to the thought that after 9.b4 Bd4!? 10.c3 Bb6 11.d3 Black can use the same plan successfully: 11…Nh5!AN 12.Qf3+ Qf6! 13.Qe2 [13.Qxh5? Qxf2+ 14.Kd1 Qxg2! with 15…Bg4+ and with a win] 13…Nf4! 14.Bxf4 Qxf4. Black has a large advantage. But here White doesn’t have such theoretical collapse of his plan, because White’s pawns will be moved.

According to my conclusion, the gambit move 9.0-0! is much better, because the pawns f2 and g2 are protected here, so White’s Queen is free. Maestro Speelman missed this very good possibility. Here is my new game with 9.0-0 (Yury V. Bukayev – Valery P. Golshev, 15+0, Lichess.org, 2023). It is important for Jerome gambit theory!

[to be continued]