Knight sac, blunder or winning move?

I'm pretty happy with this game.  I thought I was losing for sure, down a pawn and worse development untill around move 13 or so.

Here's the link: http://live.chess.com/simple?v=2011011301#g=96397831

And here's the game:

I haven't analysed it yet for blunders/mistakes etc.  Tell me what you think :)

EDIT: I have notes on move 12.  Check em.

I think a sacrifice is not correct, but white does need some precise defending for couple of moves(which white did not do).

For example 16. Rd2 seems like a good move.

actually, 16.Rd2 loses to 16...Be3!

I think it is a blunder, white should have played 19.b4 instead of g3 which is loosing.

Anyways nicely played....it wasn't easy to find out right defensive moves for white! Good aggresive play.

Yeah, I saw 19. Bd2 too and was going to suggest it before you edited it in...

[EDIT: Don't worry about it...]

check again.

Be3, Rxd8, Rxd8(Bxc1,Rxf8+, Kxf8), Bxe3, Rd1+,Bg1.

But sacrifice, even though it was not correct, gives a good practical chance for counter-play(especially in live chess), and it did pay off.

The sacrifice isn't sound if that was your question.

18 Nf3 isn't the best place for the Knight.  18 Nf1 is better because it supports Be3 later. Even 18 Nb3 (gaining a tempo by attacking the Bishop) is better.

19 g3 is bone-headed.  Bd2 solves most of White's problems.  After White's move, you have the advantage.

After 22 Kf3? White can resign.  22 b4 was necessary so that he could play Bb2.

Nothing wrong with trying a sacrifice when you have a bad position anyway.

The knight sac is the winning move of the game though it wasn't sound!

Even some great players of all time didn't made sound sacs but got a win for that!

there was no winning move in this game, only a series of losing moves

It is unsound. It made the position in level stay the same, but now he has insurance against anything you have to do. I would rather play other moves like Bc5+.

I'm nowhere near the skill level of everyone else here, but in my opinion, if you are in a position where you think you will lose if you keep playing the right "book move", it is worth it to try things like this (if it has a reasonable chance) because anything is possible and if you can get them to blunder, you turn no points into a full point

I think it was Tal (not entirely sure though!) who said: "If I win it was a sacrifice, if I lose it was a blunder" or something to that effect. Personally, when your opponent sheds material for activity, as you did, I find most players struggle to deal with the ensuing complications on the defending side. And anyway you can console yourself with the fact that it was only a knight. If everything else comes off K+N vs K is a draw =P

You should have played 5...d6 or 6...d6 instead of a6 and b5. Position would be about equal then.

And after your sacrifice he had been pretty better but he didn`t make any right moves at all!