PTSD In Chess

In the previous post (see "Faster Than A Speeding Neuron") we saw a lightning fast game where White blundered his Queen just before Black lost on time. Whew!

In the following Jerome Gambit game, Black returns two sacrificed pieces and then resigns when he realizes that he will lose another - or will he?? It is a pretty good example of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in chess.

Masterking80 - beasst
6 8 blitz, lichess.org, 2016

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Nf6 

Not the strongest of defenses, as we have seen, as it returns too much material.

8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 Nxe4

In 12 previous games in The Database, White scored 75% from this position. White was 8-0 when he found the correct move 10.Qd5+ forking the enemy King and Knight - if we ignore one game where White played the right move but both players timed out and lost. By comparison, in two games White played the innacurate 10.Qf5+ and lost.

10.Qc4+ Black resigned

Wait a minute... Can't Black reply 10...d5 and protect his Knight? In fact, after 11.Qb3 Nc4 12.Qf3 Re8+ 13.Kd1 Qh4 doesn't Black develop a pretty strong initative for his pawn minus?

An interesting example of chess "shock and awe.".