Nh2 is timid, and tries to make room for the queen, but Black is looking to open lines for the rook and diagonals for the queen and bishop. Nd5 is not a threat in itself, the knights can just trade off. Nxg5 , hxg5, Bxg5 is a line that needs Nd5 to pressure a piece pinned to the queen. But the rook likely gains tempo on the bishop. Maybe 1.Nxg5 hxg5 2. Bxg5 Rg8 3. Qh5 Be6 4.Nd5 Bxd5 5.Bxd5 Rxg5 6. Qxg5 Nxd5 7. Qxd8 Rxd8.... White has connected past pawns on the king side in an endgame and the exchange and 2 pawns for the piece. Black has sacked the exchange and liquidated an attack maintaining the extra piece with two knights available as blockaders. Black also has the only Bishop and white's only developed piece is the knight on c3. It is a dynamic position. But if black fails to find the defensive resources white might be able to completely destroy black's king side before the attack is liquidated. Just my opinion. No engine analysis to back this up, so my calculation could be wrong. I just think it is a strong idea that I would play as white ahead of the two candidate moves presented. Or you could just finish your development with Be3, Qe2 and bring the rooks to the middle before moving the knigh when threatened. I recommend the first line as the most aggressive way to handle this, with attack being the best defence and putting the other player under pressure. Black might sack their bishop on h3, but if the knight is pinned to the queen, and the black king cant castle either side then there is less of a follow up to that sac attack.
Analysis advice needed
Note at one point in the above post I am overlooking that the Bc5 and Qh5 are lined up on f7 whilst the knight is pinned to the queen and there are no g or h pawns, so the rook has to defend from Rf8. So, 1.Nxg5 hxg5 2.Bxg5 Rg8 3.Qh5 Rf8 4.Nd5 and there is no Bishop on e6 to take that piece. So 1.Nxg5 hxg5 2.Bxg5 Be6 3.Qf3 Rg8 4.Bxe6 fxe6 5.Qh5+ Kf8 or Ke7 to move out of check, or Rg6 to block without support it is not a good position for black.
Note. It works because white has a safe king, the sacrifice allows white to complete development whilst black has to defend two weaknesses with a shattered king side and undeveloped bishop, undeveloped queen and an unsafe king in the middle of the board with no chance of casteling. This is the reason why you can sacrifice here and do not go backwards or throw away the knight. Sorry for the bad first post, but it lead me to the right thought when I went away and considered the calculation more after posting.
Hi,
I need some help with this position. White to move. Nd5 or Nh2. Which one is better and why?
Thank you so much for your support.