A Fast, Sweaty Game

Usually at blitz I'm focused but relaxed.  This game made me sweat.  Sometimes against lower rated opponents, I'll make speculative sacs or play loosely just for fun, but seldom against higher rated ones.  In this game I sacked my Queen on a hunch, knowing I couldn't afford to give my opponent any slack, or at least anything he could work through in the little time the 5/0 game would afford him. I was a bit on edge the last third of the game, but it all paid off in the end.

Just great game! In the beginning did I think that you were giving the game away, but then you started to rock & roll!

Thanks.  I liked the end better than the beginning too  :-D

Especially the move 19. ... Ng3. My first reaction was: why not taking the rook? Only later did I understand.

7 move tactical mate - impressive especially for a 5/0 game.  I love how fearless you are with the material. 

"why not taking the rook?"

That was my original intent, but the Rook and the Bishop didn't seem worth the Queen and Knight and I had looked at Be5 (as well as Bxa1) earlier, so it all came together, though, I think White had better moves.

"I love how fearless you are with the material."

I wasn't fearless... I was indeed sweating. But aren't the most fun games those where you can leave pieces hanging while you go about your business?

nice game !!

Well played

I owe it all to my Knights Errant :-)

I love sacrificing my queen.

Often my opponents will not even consider the possiblity of such a gambit and will offer me very tempting positions. Normally I sac my queen for 3 pieces, or some positional advantage + 2 pieces, etc..

But your game looked far more interesting, and was very well executed.

I think White could have played 20. Re1 and played on. So I probably would have just taken the hanging rook instead of ng3, although I have to admire your spirit.

Raaah, I've been trying for a couple of minutes to find a way for Black to save himself, to prove 19...Ng3 to be flawed, and I didn't find anything that saves Black at a moderate cost.

Nice game... I would have seen the 16...Nxe4 idea, calculated up to move 19 or so, and then deduced it wasn't worth looking more into it. Good tactical eye / intuition !

Thanks.  I was pumped up after this game.. probably because giving up a Queen without a clear win in sight is something like taking off training wheels or not using a net.   Yeah, I think Re1 would have hurt a little, but blitz limits what one can see.  So, maybe BxR would have been better, or even ...R(f8)xB(d8)...followed by Nxh1... which makes me feel the Q sac was correct and could be compensated, though it shouldn't have led to mate by force.

I bet you weren't the only one sweating, especially when your opponent  noticed all your pieces converging on his King's position. Knights hopping around his King probably panicked him and kept him from looking at anything but his King's safety. Nice mate, thanks for posting it.

Yes, I think taking the b7 pawn wasn't a great idea, but taking the c7 pawn really compounded White's problem. Material only means so much.

When you have pieces fluttering unrestained all around the enemy King, you always feel there must be something (lethal) that can be done... but I know I don't always find that lethal thing and often give away the game with a win balancing in my fingers, especially in fast games. It feels good when I can make things work, particularly against a seemingly better player.

Thanks Lisa. 

Why do ladies always seem to say that!?

of course white had better moves...20 BH4? was a howler... white probably thought he could get some confession from you with playing Bishop to  H4... but i have to  hand it to you batgirl ... confession can wait another day... if i had white in that position i would have slammed the BIG ROOK into ur wheels yes 20 Re1... called a wake up call to reality!! ... "you going no where cos you got nothing"... Let me ask you a question jack  when did you start thinking  you were better than me" ...  Rober Deniro in The Score   {HOPE U LIKE MOVIE QUOTES NICE GAME 4 STARS}

What is your better move ? I didn't find anything.

i consider  20 Re1 far better than Bh4? prevents the knight from jumping to Ne2 and if 20 Re1 Nxe1 then 21 Bh4 .... at least white does not get mated quickly! i doubt if  Bh4 was the best move for  white!