Tied Up, or How Much Is A Queen Worth?

There's nothing like receiving the gift of your opponent's Queen in the first twelve moves of a game, especially when you are in a critical line of one of the Jerome Gambit's (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) refutations.

Why, it only took me 32 more moves to end the game!

Huh?

perrypawnpusher  - elyza
blitz FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

\

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

This is one of the classical refutations of the Jerome Gambit.

Modern players unfamiliar with the Jerome may prefer 6...Ng6, 6...Kf8 or 6...g6 because this line feels more dangerous, but the King is actually safe in the middle of the board – and Black has two extra pieces, as well.

My first conclusion about my opponent, who was playing without much hesitation: he either doesn't like to return material, or he knows what he is doing.

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+

Ah, yes, the "Nibs" defense – or counter-attack, if you will. It's beginning to look like my opponent elyza has stopped by this blog a time or two.

9.g3 Nf3+

Wow! Seriously cutting-edge play. For some background, check out "Repairing a Variation (Part 1), (Part 2), (Part 3) and (Part 4)".

10.Kd1

If you are going to battle the Queen-sac line, I think 10.Kd1 is the right move. If you are looking toward the endgame, 10.Kf1 is to be preferred – "Repairing a Variation (Part 4)"

The alternative: 10.Kf1 Qh6 (10...Qf6 11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.Qxc5+ Kd8 13.Kg2 d6 14.Qd5 Ne7 15.Qd3 Nd4 16.e5 dxe5 17.c3 Bf5 18.fxe5 Qc6+ White resigned, perrypawnpusher - james042665, Chess.com, 2008) 11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.Qxc5+ Qd6 13.Qxd6+ cxd6 14.c3 g5 15.Kf2 g4 16.h3 d5 17.hxg4 dxe4 18.d3 d5 19.g5 h6 20.dxe4 dxe4 21.Nd2 Nxd2 22.Bxd2 Bg4 23.Be3 Ke6 24.Rh4 Kf5 25.Bd4 Rh7 26.Rah1 h5 27.Ke3 Ne7 28.R4h2 Nd5+ 29.Kd2 b6 30.Re1 Re8 31.Be3 Rd8 32.Kc2 Rc7 33.a3 Rcd7 34.Bd4 b5 35.Be5 Rc8 36.Kb1 a5 37.g6 b4 38.axb4 axb4 39.g7 b3 40.Bd4 Kg6 41.Kc1 Kf5 42.Rhh1 Nb4 43.Kd2 Rxd4+ White resigned, perrypawnpusher - Temmo, JG3 thematic, Chessworld, 2008.

10...Qf6

Or 10...Qh6 11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.Qxc5+ Qd6 13.Qxd6+ cxd6 14.c3 Nf6 15.d3 b6 16.Ke2 d5 17.Kxf3 dxe4+ 18.dxe4 Bb7 19.Re1 Kf7 20.Nd2 Rhe8 21.g4 d5 22.e5 d4+ 23.Kg3 dxc3 24.bxc3 Nd5 25.Bb2 Rad8 26.Ne4 Nf6 27.Nd6+ Kf8 28.Nxb7 Rd7 29.Ba3+ Kf7 30.Nd6+ Rxd6 31.exd6 Ne4+ 32.Rxe4 Rxe4 33.Kf3 Rc4 34.d7 Rxc3+ 35.Ke4 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - electrahan, blitz FICS, 2009

11.e5+

Fail.

This looked like a great move at the time, but the right path had already been laid out for me by Louis Morin ("mrjoker"), that of simply collecting the dark-squared Black Bishop: 11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.Qxc5+ d6 13.Qxc7+ Bd7 14.Nc3 Rc8 15.Nd5+ Ke6 16.Qxb7 Qd4 17.f5+ Ke5 18.Qxd7 Nf6 19.Qe6 checkmate, guest2365 - guest2535, Internet Chess Club, 2004

11...Ke7

Wow.

Black was taken in by the move, too. Had he played, instead, 11...Nxe5 12.fxe5+ Qxe5 he would have shown that my pawn advance was a blunder.

12.exf6+ Nxf6

Game over? Hardly. My opponent probably wants me to show him that I have more than just a good sense of humor in the opening. Or maybe he is aware that sometimes I get... tired.

13.Qxc5+ d6 14.Qe3+ Kf7

15.h3

Naturally not 15.Qxf3 Bg4 winning the Queen.

15...Nxd2 16.Bxd2 Re8

17.Qf2 Kg8 18.Re1 Bxh3

I don't mind giving up the pawn. I'm trying to untangle my pieces on the Queenside.

19.Nc3 Bg4+ 20.Kc1 c5 21.b3 b5 22.Kb2 b4 23.Ne2 Ne4

This is getting annoying.

24.Qe3 a5 25.Qd3 a4 26.Ng1 a3+ 27.Kc1

27...Rad8

I was getting frustrated. Being this tied up was ridiculous!

28.c4

This is not a BLUNDER, but it is clearly an INACCURACY – see "Italian Game Anti-Fried Liver Defense (Part 2)" – since 28.Rxe4 was the best move. (Would it have ended the game? Probably not.)

Here is my new annotation for "I should have had some coffee":

28...Nf2 29.Rxe8+ Rxe8 30.Qxd6 Ne4

31.Qd5+ Be6

A slip. It helped.

I knew that I was going to have to go all the way to checkmate with my opponent, though, and time was running low.

32.Qxe4 Bf7 33.Qg2 Bh5 34.Kc2 Bg6+

35.Kd1 Be4 36.Qf2 Bf5 37.Nf3 Bg4

38.Be3 Rd8+ 39.Ke1 Rd3 40.Rd1

At last!

40...Rc3 41.Rd8+ Kf7 42.Ne5+ Ke7 43.Qd2 Bf5 44.Qd6 checkmate

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, The Wizard of Draws

"How to Win Without Thinking"

It's time to point out to all readers that the latest BCM has an article written by Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Gemeinde member Pete Banks ("blackburne"), titled "How to Win Without Thinking."

Check it out!

British Chess Magazine : November 2009
Cover photo: Magnus Carlsen wins in Nanjing

Nanjing - it was Magnus Carlsen all the way at the ‘Pearl Spring’ tournament – which could prove to be one of the most significant turning points in the past decade. Ian Rogers was present to witness Carlsen’s star turn and annotate all his key games.

Short-Efimenko - Nigel Short faced a tough assignment in Ukraine, playing one of that country’s best young grandmasters. He lost the first game – could he recover? Read on...

Paignton - this well-loved congress is almost as traditional as Devon cream – Keith Arkell writes about one of his favourite events and annotates some games.

Read the November 2009 new book reviews

Kasparov-Karpov, Valencia • Speelman on the Endgame • Inventi Antwerp • Games Department with Sam Collins • A Reader Recollects... Mike Read • Spot The Continuation • How to Win Without Thinking • News in Brief • Quotes and Queries (with Phil Hughes) • Endgame Studies (with John Beasley)

Italian Game Anti-Fried Liver Defense (Part 2)

Do you like kibitzers?

Neither do I.

They always know the moves you should have played, the moves your opponent could have played, and they're never shy about sharing all of that.

There is a world of difference between kibitzing and annotating, despite their allegedly similar goals.

I mention all this because after Welton Vaz ("Gandybh" at Chess.com) completed his Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) treatment of the Semi-Italian Opening (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6) (see "Italian Game Anti-Fried Liver Defense Part 1"), he submitted it for analysis to the computer at Chess.com.

The result was surely educational, but it was also relentless. I chuckled my way through the game – it was a fun, exciting, typical Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit – because of the computer's notes. A computerized kibitzer – what will they think of next?

Gandybh - sqerl
Chess.com, 2009

0% (1270) - 0% (1243) [C55]
Live Chess Chess.com, 16.11.2009
[Chess.com Computer Analysis]

Inaccuracies(?!): 8 = 22.9% of moves
Mistakes(?): 3 = 8.6% of moves
Blunders(??): 3 = 8.6% of moves

1.e4 (Book Move) e5 (Book Move) 2.Nf3 (Book Move) Nc6 (Book Move) 3.Bc4 (Book Move) 3...h6 (+0.78)

4.Bxf7+??

(-2.32) BLUNDER - Oh no - a blunder! You should have played 4. O-O [BEST MOVE (+0.77) 4.0-0 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.Nxd4 Ne5 7.Bb3 Bc5 8.Nc3 0-0 9.f4 Bxd4+ 10.Qxd4 Nc6 11.Qc5 Kh8±;

BLUNDER (-2.32) 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.0-0 Nf6 6.d3 Bb4 7.a3 Ba5 8.Nc3 Bxc3 9.bxc3 d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Bd2-+]

(I prefer to play something like 4.0-0 and wait for 4...Bc5 before sacrificing my Bishop, but Gandybh is a braver man than I am. Still, we have seen 4.Bxf7+ on this blog before: perrypawnpusher - marapr, blitz FICS, 2007 and Fuller - Vallance-Gallant, Women's Open Championship of Canada ICCF, 2008 – Rick)

4...Kxf7 (-2.33)

5.Nxe5+? (-4.91) MISTAKE - Your position is getting even worse - you are now losing. The best line was 5. O-O [BEST MOVE (-3.04) 5.0-0 Nf6 6.Nc3 Bb4 7.d3 Bxc3 8.bxc3 d6-+;

MISTAKE (-4.91) 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Nc6 7.0-0 Qh4 8.Nc3 Nf6 9.Qd3-+]

5...Nxe5 (-4.91)

6.Qh5+?!

(-5.18) INACCURACY - Perhaps better was 6. O-O [BEST MOVE (-4.80) 6.0-0 Ng6 7.d4 d6 8.Qf3+ Nf6 9.Qb3+ Be6 10.Qxb7 Be7-+;

INACCURACY (-5.18) 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.0-0 Qg5 9.Nc3 Nf4 10.Qxg5 hxg5-+]

6...Ng6 (-5.18) 7.Qd5+ (-5.26) 7...Ke8 (-5.31)

8.0-0 (-5.32) 8...Qe7 (-4.83) 9.Nc3 (-4.80) 9...c6 (-4.41) 10.Qf5 (-4.50) 10...Ne5 (-4.11)

11.d4 (-3.94) 11...d6 (-3.85) 12.Qf4 (-4.10) 12...Ng4 (-4.03)

13.f3 (-3.43) 13...Nxh2?

(-2.03) MISTAKE - Your opponent made a mistake! Better was 13... g5 [BEST MOVE (-3.49) 13...g5 14.Qg3 N4f6 15.e5 dxe5 16.dxe5 Qc5+ 17.Kh1 Nd5-+;

MISTAKE (-2.03) 13...Nxh2 14.Qxh2 Be6 15.d5 cxd5 16.Nxd5 Bxd5 17.exd5-+]

14.Kxh2?! (-2.80) INACCURACY - Things are looking up! You're still losing, but you're better off than before. [BEST MOVE (-1.99) 14.Qxh2 Kd8 15.e5 Bf5 16.Bf4 dxe5 17.dxe5 Kc7-+;

INACCURACY (-2.80) 14.Kxh2 Nf6 15.Kh1 Be6 16.e5 Nd5 17.Nxd5 Bxd5 18.exd6 Qxd6-+]

14...g5 (-2.60) 15.Qg3 (-2.83) 15...Bd7 (-2.14)

16.Be3?!

(-2.86) INACCURACY - Perhaps better was 16. e5 [BEST MOVE (-2.28) 16.e5 Qe6 17.Ne4 d5 18.Nc3 Qf5 19.Be3 Qxc2-+;

INACCURACY (-2.86) 16.Be3 Nf6 17.Kg1 Bg7 18.Rad1 Rf8 19.d5 cxd5 20.Nxd5 Nxd5 21.Rxd5-+]

16...Bg7 (-2.86)

17.Rh1?! (-3.52) INACCURACY - Your position is getting even worse - you are now losing. The best line was 17. a4 [BEST MOVE (-2.99) 17.a4 Nf6 18.Kh1 Nh5 19.Qh2 Nf4 20.g3 Nh3-+;

INACCURACY (-3.52) 17.Rh1 Nf6 18.a4 Nh5 19.Qf2 g4 20.fxg4 Bxg4-+]

17...Nf6 (-3.51)

18.Kg1?!

(-3.82) INACCURACY - Perhaps better was 18. Rhe1 [BEST MOVE (-3.50) 18.Rhe1 Nh5 19.Qf2 Kd8 20.g4 Nf4 21.Bxf4 gxf4-+;

INACCURACY (-3.82) 18.Kg1 Nd5 19.Kf2 Nxc3 20.bxc3 Rf8 21.Ke1 d5-+]

18...Kd8 (-3.55)

19.a4?! (-4.31) INACCURACY - Perhaps better was 19. Re1 [BEST MOVE (-3.51) 19.Re1 Nh7 20.e5 dxe5 21.dxe5 Bxe5 22.Bb6+ axb6 23.Rxe5-+;

INACCURACY (-4.31) 19.a4 Nd5 20.Nxd5 cxd5 21.Kf2 dxe4 22.c4 Kc7-+]

19...Ne8? (-3.17) MISTAKE - Your opponent made a mistake! Better was 19... Nd5 [BEST MOVE (-4.13) 19...Nd5 20.Kf2 Nxe3 21.Kxe3 Kc7 22.Ne2 h5 23.Kd2-+;

MISTAKE (-3.17) 19...Ne8 20.a5 g4 21.fxg4 Nf6 22.g5 Nxe4 23.Nxe4 Qxe4 24.gxh6 Bxd4 25.Bxd4 Qxd4+-+]

20.b4?! (-3.59) INACCURACY - Perhaps better was 20. a5 [BEST MOVE (-3.17) 20.a5 g4 21.fxg4 Nf6 22.g5 Nxe4 23.Nxe4 Qxe4 24.gxh6 Bxd4 25.Bxd4 Qxd4+-+;

INACCURACY (-3.59) 20.b4 d5 21.Qe1 Qxb4 22.Rb1 Qc4 23.e5 Kc7-+]

20...c5?

(-2.52) MISTAKE - Your opponent made a mistake! Better was 20... Qe6 [BEST MOVE (-3.98) 20...Qe6 21.Na2 Qc4 22.Qf2 Kc7 23.Rh2 Nf6 24.a5-+;

MISTAKE (-2.52) 20...c5 21.bxc5 dxc5 22.e5 cxd4 23.Bxd4 Qb4 24.Qf2-+]

21.Nd5 (-2.87) ALTERNATIVE - Things are looking up! You're still losing, but you're better off than before. [BEST MOVE (-2.72) 21.bxc5 dxc5 22.e5 cxd4 23.Bxd4 Qb4 24.Rd1 Bxa4 25.Be3+ Bd7-+;

ALTERNATIVE (-2.87) 21.Nd5 Qf7 22.c3 cxb4 23.cxb4 Be6 24.Rc1 Bxd5 25.exd5 Qxd5-+]

21...Qe6 (-3.04) 22.bxc5 (-2.66) 22...dxc5 (-2.55)

23.c3?

(-3.41) MISTAKE - Your position is getting even worse - you are now losing. The best line was 23. Rd1 [BEST MOVE (-2.39) 23.Rd1 Bxa4 24.dxc5 Kc8 25.Nb4 Bc3 26.Bd4 Qd7-+;

MISTAKE (-3.41) 23.c3 Bc6 24.Bxg5+ hxg5 25.Qxg5+ Kc8 26.Rxh8 Bxh8 27.dxc5 Be5-+]

23...cxd4 (-2.44) 24.cxd4 (-2.48) 24...g4 (-1.80) 25.Qh4+ (-2.19) 25...Nf6 (-2.19)

26.Bf4 (-2.33) 26...gxf3 (-1.96)

27.gxf3?!

(-1.96) INACCURACY - Perhaps better was 27. Be5 [BEST MOVE (-1.51) 27.Be5 Rf8 28.gxf3 Rc8 29.Rh2 Qf7 30.Rg2 h5-+;

INACCURACY (-1.96) 27.gxf3 Rc8 28.Rh2 Rg8 29.Rg2 Bc6 30.Bxh6 Bxh6 31.Nxf6-+]

27...Rc8 (-1.95)

28.a5?

(-3.12) MISTAKE - Your position is getting even worse - you are now losing. The best line was 28. Rh2 [BEST MOVE (-1.92) 28.Rh2 Rg8 29.Rg2-+;

MISTAKE (-3.12) 28.a5 Bc6 29.Nb4 Qc4 30.Nxc6+ Rxc6 31.Be5 Qe2 32.d5-+]

28...Bc6 (-2.49)

29.Nxf6??

(-4.82) BLUNDER - Oh no - a blunder! You should have played 29. Ne3 [BEST MOVE (-2.39) 29.Ne3 Ke8 30.d5 Nxd5 31.exd5 Bxd5 32.Qh5+ Qf7 33.Nxd5 Bxa1 34.Bxh6-+;

BLUNDER (-4.82) 29.Nxf6 Bxf6 30.Qf2 Rg8+ 31.Bg3 Qd6 32.e5 Rxg3+ 33.Qxg3 Qxd4+ 34.Kh2 Bxe5-+]

29...Bxf6 (-5.75) 30.Qf2 (-5.89) 30...Rg8+ (-5.96) 31.Kf1 (-5.96)

31...Bb5+??

(-4.78) BLUNDER - Lucky you! Your opponent blundered! The best move was 31... Qc4+ [BEST MOVE (-8.63) 31...Qc4+ 32.Qe2 Qb3 33.Bg5 hxg5 34.Kg2 Bxd4 35.Rad1 Qc3-+;

BLUNDER (-4.78) 31...Bb5+ 32.Ke1 Qb3 33.Bd2 Rc3 34.Rxh6 Rxf3 35.Rxf6 Rxf2 36.Rxf2-+]

32.Ke1 (-4.78)

32...Ke8??

(-3.43) BLUNDER - Lucky you! Your opponent blundered! The best move was 32... Qb3 [BEST MOVE (-6.23) 32...Qb3 33.Bd2 Bg5 34.f4 Qd3 35.Rh2 Qxe4+ 36.Qe3 Qxe3+-+;

BLUNDER (-3.43) 32...Ke8 33.d5 Bc3+ 34.Bd2 Qe5 35.Rd1 Bxd2+ 36.Qxd2 h5 37.d6-+]

33.Rxh6??

(-12.62) BLUNDER - Oh no - a blunder! You should have played 33. d5 [BEST MOVE (-3.44) 33.d5 Bc3+ 34.Bd2 Bxd2+ 35.Qxd2 Qe5 36.Rb1 Ba6 37.Qe3 Qg3+ 38.Qf2-+;

BLUNDER (-12.62) 33.Rxh6 Qc4 34.Bg5 Qc3+ 35.Qd2 Qxa1+ 36.Qd1 Qxa5+ 37.Kf2 Bxg5 38.Rh7-+]

33...Rd8??

(-0.59) BLUNDER - Lucky you! Your opponent blundered! The best move was 33... Qc4 [BEST MOVE (-20.06) 33...Qc4 34.Bg3 Qc3+ 35.Qd2 Qxa1+ 36.Qd1 Rc1 37.Kf2 Rxd1 38.Be5-+;

BLUNDER (-0.59) 33...Rd8 34.Rc1 Rf8 35.Be5 Qe7 36.Bxf6 Rxf6 37.Rh8+ Rf8³]

34.Rc1 (-1.52)

34...Bxd4??

(+10.00) BLUNDER - Lucky you! Your opponent blundered! The best move was 34... Qe7 [BEST MOVE (-2.47) 34...Qe7 35.Qh2 Qb4+ 36.Bd2 Bh4+ 37.Rxh4 Qxd4 38.Rg4 Rxg4 39.fxg4 Qxe4+ 40.Kd1 Qxg4+-+;

BLUNDER (+10.00) 34...Bxd4 35.Rxe6+ Kf8 36.Be3 Kf7 37.Bxd4 Kxe6 38.Qa2+ Ke7 39.Bc5+ Kd7 40.Qd5+ Kc8 41.Bxa7++-]

35.Rxe6+ (+10.84)

35...Kf7?

(+12.14) MISTAKE - Your opponent made a mistake! Better was 35... Kf8 [BEST MOVE (+10.84) 35...Kf8 36.Be3 Kf7 37.Rh6 Be5 38.f4 Bb8 39.Rh7+ Rg7 40.Rxg7+ Kxg7 41.Bxa7 Bxa7 42.Qxa7+-;

MISTAKE (+12.14) 35...Kf7 36.Rc7+ Bd7 37.Qxd4 Kxe6 38.Qd6+ Kf7 39.Rxd7+ Rxd7 40.Qxd7+ Kg6 41.Qxb7+-]

36.Rc7+ (+12.38)

36...Kxe6?

(+Mat04) MISTAKE - Your opponent made a mistake! Better was 36... Kf8 [BEST MOVE (Mat09) 36...Kf8 37.Bh6+ Rg7 38.Bxg7+ Bxg7 39.Qc5+ Kg8 40.Rxg7+ Kh8 41.Rh7+ Kxh7 42.Qe7+ Kh8 43.Rh6+ Kg8 44.Rg6++-;

MISTAKE (+Mat04) 36...Kxe6 37.Qa2+ Bc4 38.Qxc4+ Rd5 39.Qxd5+ Kf6 40.Qf7#+-]

37.Qa2+ (+Mat04) 37...Kf6 (+Mat01) 38.Qf7# (+Mate) WHITE WINS 1-0

The computer's comments remind me of something a friend would say whenever we finished a chess game: "I was winning, you know" and I would reply "Yes, you were winning – right up to the point where you had to resign."

Italian Game Anti-Fried Liver Defense (Part 1)

Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Welton Vaz sends us a Chess.com link to an enjoyable discussion on the play of 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 – known on this site as the "Semi-Italian Opening" (after Euwe) – as a way of avoiding the Fried Liver Attack 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.Nxf7

Although one of the Chess.com posters complained about 3...h6 "I hate when players play this as it is an insult to the Italian" there was no suggestion on the website, either in the discussion or the related 21 games given, that White could return the "insult" of 3...h6 by transposing to the Jerome Gambit with, say, 4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+.

Of course Welton sent one of his games where he provided that "insult" – which we will see in "Italian Game Anti-Fried Liver Defense (Part 2)".

By the way, Grandmaster Boris Alterman has a 6-part series on the Fried Liver Attack on his website, along with instruction on a whole list of gambits, including the Danish, Evans, Max Lange and Morra.

I note that Alterman has two books forthcoming, one on gambits with White and one on gambits with Black. Of the first, he writes

The Alterman Gambit Guide: White Gambits is both an opening book and an instructive manual. Sharpen your tactics and learn to play dynamic attacking chess while studying the most entertaining gambits. Lines covered include:Evans Gambit, Panov Attack, Morra Gambit, Philidor, Danish Gambit, Urusov Gambit, Morphy Attack, Cochrane Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Fried Liver Attack and Milner-Barry Gambit

For those who like their liver fried, there is also a book by NM Dan Heisman on The Computer Analyzes the Fried Liver / Lolli.

Half-way There

I seem to be playing against the Blackburne Shilling Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4) a lot, lately. I'm not sure why – probably just coincidence. I'm still giving it the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) treatment, though.

perrypawnpusher - mbranimir
blitz 12 0, FICS, 2009

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nd4

4. Bxf7+ Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Ke8

6.Qh5+ g6 7. Nxg6

Black usually plays 7...hxg6 here, although I've also faced 7...Nf6. My opponent now plays an interesting and logical move, first seen in perrypawnpusher - Iourotors, blitz FICS, 2009 (0-1, 37).

7...Nxc2+

This takes the Black Knight out of range of the White Queen. If, instead, 7...hxg6 then 8.Qxg6+ Ke7 9.Qg5+ Ke8 10.Qe5+ Qe7 11.Qxd4 Bg7 when White has 4 pawns for his sacrificed piece, in an unclear position.

8. Kd1 Nxa1

Sometimes half of a good plan turns out to be a bad plan after all. The proper move instead of the text was 8... hxg6, when everything is pretty unclear. Of course, White would always have 9.Qxg6+ Ke7 10. Qg5+ Ke8 11. Qg6+ etc, forcing the draw; or he could try 10.Kxc2 or 10.d3.

Certainly this line bears further investigation – but not today.

9. Nxh8+ Ke7 10. Qe5 checkmate