White apparently didn't know, but was holding an evenish position with this bad-looking move 20.exf5 -- at least if I respond as I did: the obvious-looking ...Bc5 to win material.
But turns out my opponent could sacrifice the queen and end up safe with just two knights for it. Can you see it?
My problem is: how to understand that those knights are much worth the queen? Even though white's pieces are way more active, is that so permanent?
That is pretty amazing. What's most amazing is that Stockfish didn't have to look very deeply. As soon as I turned it on it was showing fxe5 followed by giving up the queen.
Is it that surprising? White has NNP vs Q, active pieces, the black king position looks fragile. I think in blitz I'd actually rather have White than Black. (even though objectively Black probably still has the edge)
Re OP, it's really NN + _that massive f6 pawn_ that make it equal.
Trade f6 for a6, and eval becomes an obvious -5.
As a side-note, 10... O-O 11. Rf3 is splendid :
- I dare you.
- Here I come.
#2, Exactly, it seems obviously equal to the engine. In my analysis, I don't get it. But I'd also wonder why the engine does so easily.
Yeah, it seems the f6 pawn is a big deal, worth the 3 remaining points (if we do basic counting like 2N=6 and Q=9) due also to the more active pieces. Black can't get their remaining pieces to support their weak king soon enough to hold any advantage.
But you wouldn't do that in a classical game without calculating some deep stuff :D
in one book, John Nunn dedicated a chapter to the Queen's sacrifice for two light pieces. This position would have deserved a scheme!
