Amazing queen sac

I was looking through Benoni games in the GM database and found this stunner. If you can see the winning continuation without using an engine, then I am truly amazed. 14...Nxc3!! What is almost as amazing to me is that white knew he was lost only a few moves later. Again, a truly mind-blowing game for someone like me who is just starting out. I imagine you stronger players will get much more out of it than I.

Originally posted by rking00
[b]I was looking through Benoni games in the GM database and found this stunner. If you can see the winning continuation without using an engine, then I am truly amazed. 14...Nxc3!! What is almost as amazing to me is that white knew he was lost only a few moves later. Again, a truly mind-blowing game for someone like me who is just starting out. I imagine you s , Alexander"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2285"]
[BlackElo "2490"]
[ECO "D94"]

Ah great. I could see only the next two moves. A check usually follows a sac. Gotta keep 'em runnin'. By the way, when did you start out? Playing chess, that is.

Originally posted by rking00
I was looking through Benoni games in the GM database and found this stunner. If you can see the winning continuation without using an engine, then I am truly amazed. 14...Nxc3!! What is almost as amazing to me is that white knew he was lost only a few moves later. Again, a truly mind-blowing game for someone like me who is just starting out. I imagine you s ...[text shortened]... c3 15.Rxd8 Nxe2+
16.Kf1 Rfxd8 17.Kxe2 b6 18.Be3 Nc4 19.Qxe7 Bd3+ 0-1 [/pgn]

I would not call this a sacrifice. Black got a Rook, minor piece and a pawn for the Queen - he broke even on material. He ended up with a big lead in development, and white's King exposed. For a GM, this was truly a no-brainer. 🙂

Well, why the hell did he take the d2 knight and not the a5 ?

I feel like white won,t have an easy game, playing with a queen and a knight, when black has more, two bishop a knight and a rook, soon two rooks.

The c1 bishop is not doing much and the a1 rook is like an absent piece, what on earth is it doing there ?

Originally posted by AudreyxSophie
Well, why the hell did he take the d2 knight and not the a5 ?

I feel like white won,t have an easy game, playing with a queen and a knight, when black has more, two bishop a knight and a rook, soon two rooks.

The c1 bishop is not doing much and the a1 rook is like an absent piece, what on earth is it doing there ?

Perhaps if he took on a5, black would've played Be6