Momentum

I played a game recently which demonstrates the importance of momentum. My opponent had a good position out of the opening, but then committed an inaccuracy that lost the momentum and resulted in them losing the game. The initiative shifted in just two moves.

A sound, and safe move after Qb3 was 6. Nb3.  This takes away the weakness of the b2 square immediately.  Nf3/Nxc6 are inferior in this regard.  However, if you were truly gunning for a win, I think the best move is Be3!?.  After Qxb2 Nbd4 Nf3 else black gets trapped Bd2! Kd8! (Qa5?? Nd5 +-) white has enough compensation for the pawn, in his active pieces and blacks inability to castle.  If the sac is declined, you might be able to pull some better lines out of Rb1/Nxc6 or even Qd2!? (offering a sac AGAIN, in a differant form, and otherwise threatening 0-0-0).

Thanks for the info, but I'm afraid I don't understand. :( Be3 Qxb2 and then I can't figure out the notation- are we looking at the same position?

I think I'll run this game through Fritz and see what it thinks.

Interesting. Fritz gives Black a pawn and a half advantage after Qg4 g6. I guess I can't really get to the King before he plays Rfe8, Bf8, and Bg7. f6 gives me a two-pawn advantage.

I seem to have been wrong in quite a few of my notations. Fritz prefers 23. Rac1 over Nd5, 23... Re8 over Qb7, 25. Rac1 over e5, gives 26...dxe5 with a pawn advantage (for Black!), and prefers 27.Nxd5 over Nc6.

And now I understand why 26... dxe5 favors Black. fxe5 Qa8 (threatens to take the Knight) Nd5 Nxc2 Rad1 Nxd4 Rxd4 Bc5 attacks the Queen and pins the Rook to the King. It's very humbling when Fritz shows me how easily I can miss simple tactics.

You REALLY should look up algerbraic chess notation.  Not knowing it is almost as bad as not knowing english on these forums.

I'll post diagrams, but you still won't completely understand them until you learn chess notation.

 Sorry for being unclear, that's not what I meant. ;) I know both algebraic and descriptive. What confused me was the parts I enlarged in the quote. Instead of Ndb5 you had Nbd4, which I got, but then I started to doubt that after seeing Nf3 (instead of Qb4).