Amazing queen sacrifice!

[Jack Lad]

Hi Jack!

How are you, buddy?

I hear you championing White and challenging us to prove you wrong. OK, I might accept your challenge. But just so we challengers don't spin our wheels, please provide us with compelling evidence that White can even equalize.

I don't have the time to run an engine check. But as a human, I think Black is at least equal after the recommended ...Be6. Besides, other moves have been recommended for Black all through this line, and they looked good to me too.

So if we're going to go the the effort of accepting your challenge, Jack, please tell us what specific line you think looks so dandy for White. Otherwise, I think Black has at least a fully playable game.

All the very best,
Steve

Hi Steve!

I am fine thanks, how are you?

I overlooked 11...Be6! and this seems good enough to allow black to draw. If there is a win for black from here then I would like to see it.

[Jack Lad]

Here is a win for white after 11...Be6.

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Bc4 Bg7 5.Qe2 Nc6 6.e5 Nxd4 7.exf6
Nxe2 8.fxg7 Rg8 9.Ngxe2 Rxg7 10.Bh6 Rg8 11.O-O-O Be6 12.Bxe6
fxe6 13.Kb1 c6 14.Rhe1 Qa5 15.Ng3 e5 16.f4 exf4 17.Bxf4 Kf7 18.Nce4
Rge8 19.Ng5+ Kg8 20.Ne6 Rac8 21.Bh6 d5 22.Re3 a6 23.Bf4 h5 24.Be5
h4 25.Ne2 Qb4 26.N2f4 g5 27.Nxg5 Rf8 28.Ng6 Rce8 29.Nxf8 Rxf8
30.Nf3 Qg4 31.Bc3 Rf7 32.Ree1 Rf4 33.h3 Qd7 34.Re5 Rf5 35.Re4
Qd6 36.Rxh4 e5 37.Rg4+ Kf8 38.Re4 1-0
[d] 5k2/1p6/p1pq4/3ppr2/4R3/2B2N1P/PPP3P1/1K1R4 b - - 3 38

[parrish]

How about 16 ... o-o-o instead of exf4?

[Jack Lad]

How about 16 ... o-o-o instead of exf4?

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Bc4 Bg7 5.Qe2 Nc6 6.e5 Nxd4 7.exf6
Nxe2 8.fxg7 Rg8 9.Ngxe2 Rxg7 10.Bh6 Rg8 11.O-O-O Be6 12.Bxe6
fxe6 13.Kb1 c6 14.Rhe1 Qa5 15.Ng3 e5 16.f4 O-O-O 17.fxe5 dxe5
18.Rxd8+ Qxd8 19.Be3 b6 20.Rf1 Kb8 21.Nge4 Rf8 22.Re1 Kb7 23.h3
h5 24.b3 Qc8 25.Kb2 c5 26.Bg5 Qe6 27.Rd1 Kb8 28.Bh4 c4 29.Nd5
Re8 30.Ne3 cxb3 31.axb3 Qc6 32.Rd5 e6 33.Rxe5 Qd7 34.Nd5 Rc8
35.Ndc3 Ka8 36.Rg5 Qh7 37.Bg3 Rd8 38.Nb5 Qg8 39.Nbd6 Rf8 40.h4
Qh7 41.Be5 Rd8 42.Rg3 a5 43.Nb5 Rc8 44.Rf3 Qe7 45.Ned6 Rc5 46.Rf7
Qxf7 47.Nxf7 Rxb5 48.c4 Rc5 49.Bd4 Rc7 50.Nd8 Ka7 51.Kc3 e5 52.Bxe5
Rd7 53.Nc6+ Kb7 54.Nd4 Re7 55.Nf3 Re8 56.Bf4 Rd8 57.Be3 Re8 58.Kd3
Ka6 59.Nd4 Rd8 60.Ke4 Rc8 61.Ke5 1-0
[d] 2r5/8/kp4p1/p3K2p/2PN3P/1P2B3/6P1/8 b - - 18 61

[parrish]

How about 17 ... d5 instead of dxe5?

[Jack Lad]

How about 17 ... d5 instead of dxe5?

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Bc4 Bg7 5.Qe2 Nc6 6.e5 Nxd4 7.exf6
Nxe2 8.fxg7 Rg8 9.Ngxe2 Rxg7 10.Bh6 Rg8 11.O-O-O Be6 12.Bxe6
fxe6 13.Kb1 c6 14.Rhe1 Qa5 15.Ng3 e5 16.f4 O-O-O 17.fxe5 d5 18.Nce2
e6 19.Nd4 Rde8 20.Rf1 c5 21.Nf3 Qa4 22.Be3 b6 23.Ng5 Qh4 24.Nf3
Qe7 25.Bg5 Qc7 26.Bh6 Re7 27.Ng5 Qxe5 28.Rde1 Qb8 29.Bf8 Re8
30.Nxe6 Qb7 31.Rf6 h5 32.Bh6 h4 33.Nf1 d4 34.Nd2 Qxg2 35.Ne4
Re7 36.Rf2 Qh3 37.Nf8 Kb8 38.Bg5 Re8 39.Nh7 Rg7 40.Nhf6 Re6 41.Bc1
g5 42.Nh5 Rgg6 43.Nxg5 Rxg5 44.Nf4 Rxe1 45.Nxh3 Rge5 46.Nf4 Rf5
47.c3 dxc3 48.bxc3 b5 49.Kc2 Kb7 50.Kd2 Re4 51.Kd3 Ra4 52.Ke3
Rc4 53.Bd2 Ra4 54.Bc1 Rc4 55.Bd2 Ra4 56.Bc1 1/2-1/2
[d] 8/pk6/8/1pp2r2/r4N1p/2P1K3/P4R1P/2B5 b - - 15 56

[parrish]

How about 36 ... Qg4! instead of Qh3?

[Jack Lad]

How about 36 ... Qg4! instead of Qh3?

Indeed Qg4! is an excellent move which wins for black. White should therefore have played 24.Rf7! instead of Nf3?
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Bc4 Bg7 5.Qe2 Nc6 6.e5 Nxd4 7.exf6
Nxe2 8.fxg7 Rg8 9.Ngxe2 Rxg7 10.Bh6 Rg8 11.O-O-O Be6 12.Bxe6
fxe6 13.Kb1 c6 14.Rhe1 Qa5 15.Ng3 e5 16.f4 O-O-O 17.fxe5 d5 18.Nce2
e6 19.Nd4 Rde8 20.Rf1 c5 21.Nf3 Qa4 22.Be3 b6 23.Ng5 Qh4
[d] 2k1r1r1/p6p/1p2p1p1/2ppP1N1/7q/4B1N1/PPP3PP/1K1R1R2 w - - 2 24
24.Rf7 Kb8 25.Nf3 Qa4 26.Rd3 Qc6 27.Rxh7 Rd8 28.Rf7 d4 29.Bg5 Rd7 30.Rf6 Rh7 31.Ne2 Qe4 32.Nf4 Rxh2 33.Rd1 Rh7 34.Re1 Qb7 35.Nxe6 Re8 36.Nf4 Rf7 37.Rxg6 Rh7 38.e6 1-0
[d] 1k2r3/pq5r/1p2P1R1/2p3B1/3p1N2/5N2/PPP3P1/1K2R3 b - - 0 38

[parrish]

How about 24. ... Qxh2 instead of Kb8?

[Jack Lad]

How about 24. ... Qxh2 instead of Kb8?

Well 25.Rh1 forces a quick draw which is probably all that white can hope to achieve.

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Bc4 Bg7 5.Qe2 Nc6 6.e5 Nxd4 7.exf6
Nxe2 8.fxg7 Rg8 9.Ngxe2 Rxg7 10.Bh6 Rg8 11.O-O-O Be6 12.Bxe6
fxe6 13.Kb1 c6 14.Rhe1 Qa5 15.Ng3 e5 16.f4 O-O-O 17.fxe5 d5 18.Nce2
e6 19.Nd4 Rde8 20.Rf1 c5 21.Nf3 Qa4 22.Be3 b6 23.Ng5 Qh4 24.Rf7
Qxh2 25.Rh1 Qxg3 26.Rhxh7 Qxe3 27.Rc7+ 1/2-1/2
[d] 2k1r1r1/p1R4R/1p2p1p1/2ppP1N1/8/4q3/PPP3P1/1K6 b - - 1 27