The full Gameknot Analysis version of our game is given here: game

I'm already suspecting which opening variation will be played here, given the introduction of the game, the opening Charles normally plays and what I know about Jo's opening preferences (especially some mini-tournaments she played in...).

Nowadays, this isn't preferable for white since black can play 2...d5. Better is 2.Nc3 (prevent d5) and then f4. However, i know that joanne is going to play the famous queen sac  

d4 can go to morra gambit, I like that better.

The Morra Gambit is interesting - I have several examples of the Morra Gambit in my collection of annotated games.

It challenges white's control of the centre

...d5 is generally a Black goal in all Sicilians, and often a good reply when White wonders away from the open Sicilian. ...d5 should always be on Black's list of candidate moves and investigated, it is often good even when it loses a pawn. In general you should always have the thematic breaks associated with a pawn structure on his list of canidate moves. If you don't know the thematic break, then Nimzovich's rule of attacking the base of a pawn chain is a good rule of thumb.

3.exd5 is the best though it gives black the equality.

3. exd5 or Nc3 are best. Bd3? blocks the d pawn and d3 allows black to exchange on e4 followed by d1

The exchange is preferrable.

The Knight has to flee, preferrably to e5 or g5.

I presume you mean the pawn on e4

Yes I did

I am black, I am male

jkarp, 6.Nf3?? loses to 6...exf3. And after 6.Be2 Bxe2 7.Qxe2 Nc6 8.Nxe4 Nd4 9.Nxf6+ gxf6 10.Qd1 Qd5 11.O-O Rg8 12.Rf2 O-O-O black is better IMO. So i think what joanne played is best.

This is perfect because it expliots the early F4

The only move is Be2.

If I was to play this sac I would tend to play 6.Bxf7+ firstly 6...Kd7 (forced) then 7.Qxg4+ forcing 7....Nxg4

I knew it  

Jkarp this is a well known and dangerous for both sides sacrifice. Be careful assuming you understand what is happening. You are still learning the basics.

very interesting!

jkarp, read the comment above. This is the best move in this position.

the gameknot analizer sees it as a mistake (not a blunder, but mistake). I think Be2 would have been better. Crazy stuff.

jkarp stop saying that 6.Nf3 is a good move.

It is easy to see why a program will suggest that 6. Be2 is the best because it more than likely recognized that the attack on ...f7 is superficial. While at the same time 5. ...Bg4 is very uncomfortable for white to handle. So in order to deal with the black threat the program suggests that white give up his attack on ...f7 in order to take the venom out of the position. The result will be that white will be doomed to passivity for the remainder of the game but should be able to draw. But while a program plays the "best" in does not play the player. Thus, to a human the queen sac makes sense because if you have a choice between death by guns blazing or slow water torture most would choose the former.

White does have another choice which often transposes back - 6. Bxf7ch Kd7 and now 7. Qxg4

computers are very materialistic and will reject a sacrifice unless it can find a concrete path to an advantage.

@jkarp the move isn't forced, although the player would be foolish not to accept as it would leave him a piece down and under attack!

7.Bxf7+ not Bf6, jkarp  

...Kd6 losses the queen to Nf7+!

This is the best move to try and win. Ke8 is good if a draw is ok.

A draw seems like wussing out in this position! White presumably would take the knight instead and go for the open king.

As our annotation tournament proved, the king is much weaker on e8 than c6! White should definitely not take the draw in that line.

Jkarp you really dont understand this sacrifice. Instead of assertions you shoul look at what others to are saying.

White has serious momentum in exchange for the lost material, which explains why the Queen loss was really a tactical sacrifice.

Granted I don't have much experience with the Grand Prix (least of all the Q Sac variation) but what exactly deterred a Q-R fork by White with Nf7 here?

jkarp, i suppose you mean 9...Qe8 instead of 9...Nf7 (which black can't play!). Anyway, both 9...Qe8 and 9...g6 are good not a blunder at all.

Sometimes, the fork is useless really. Here, if White plays 10.Nf7, Black responds with 10...Qd4, ending White's energy forever with nothing to win!

Jkarp is incorrect due to inexperience. the very point of the defense is to tempt white into a losing fork.

I disagree with jkarp, this is better since after 10.Nf7 Qd4 11.Nxh8 Qxh8 and white's attack is OVER.

jkarp your suggestion is known to be bad. Look up nuke the sicilian.

In my prievious annotation, I ignore the Knight fork and I won still. 10.Nf7?! is very similar to that matter.

I think this is perfectly alright, the bishop can develop whenever it wants without too much trouble and does notperform an instant role so it can wait a turn or two, this however allows for Nb4 or Nc7 which can a possible knight on e6. Also after Bg7 white can play an instant Ne6 and both the queen and DSB would be under attack, and after the queen moves white can if they chose take the bishop at some point. by developing the knight forst you etain the option of developing the bishop to h6.

you should have used my database