Short approach against the Scandinavian

Nigel Short has played several interesting games against the 2…Qd5 Scandinavian where White went for the setup with Bc4, d3, Bd2, and Qe2, preparing long castle. Initiative is surprisingly long lasting and in all 3 games – persisted into the endgame. Here is the illustrated summary of several key positions:

Short, Nigel D - Gonzalez, Renier
   2007 , B01

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. d3 c6 6. Qe2 Nbd7 7. Bd2 Qe5 8. a4 Qxe2+ 9. Ngxe2 a5 10. O-O e6 11. Ne4 Be7 12. f4

White has slight initiative because black bishop on c8 is still undeveloped.

12. ... Nc5 13. Ng5 O-O 14. Ng3 b6 15. f5

15. ... h6 16. Nf3 exf5 17. Nd4 Bd7 18. Ndxf5 Bd8 19. Bc3 Nxa4 20. Rxa4 b5

21. Nxg7!? bxa4

( 21. ... Kxg7 22. Nh5+ Kg6 23. Nxf6 Bxf6 24. Rxf6+ Kh7 25. Bxb5 cxb5 26. Rh4 +/- )

22. Rxf6 Bxf6 23. Bxf6 Rab8 24. Ne4 Be6 25. Nxe6 fxe6 26. Bxe6+ Kh7 27. Be7 Rfe8 28. Bf5+ Kg7 29. Bf6+ Kf8 30. Bd7 Re7 31. Bxc6

( 31. Bxe7+ +- )

31. ... Re6 32. Bxa4 Rb4 33. b3 Rbxe4 34. dxe4 Rxf6 35. Bb5 Ke7 36. g3 Kd6 37. Kg2 Ke5 38. Bd3 Rf8 39. h4 Rf7 40. Kh3 Rg7 41. Kg2 Rf7 42. Kh3 Rg7 43. Kh2 Rc7 44. Kg1 Rf7 45. Kg2 Rf8 46. Kh3 Rg8 47. Kg2 Rf8 48. Kh3 Rg8 49. Kg2 1/2-1/2

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Short, Nigel D - Ateka, Nathan
   2013 , B01

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. d3 c6 6. Bd2 Qc7 7. Qe2

7. ... Nbd7 8. a3 Nb6 9. Ba2 Bg4 10. Nf3 e6 11. h3 Bh5 12. g4 Bg6 13. O-O-O Bd6 14. Rde1 O-O-O 15. Ne5 Bxe5 16. Qxe5 Qxe5 17. Rxe5 Nbd5 18. f4 Nxc3 19. Bxc3 Nd5 20. Bxd5 cxd5 21. Bd4 a6 22. f5

22. ... exf5 23. gxf5 f6

( 23. ... Bh5 24. f6 gxf6 25. Rxh5 )

24. Re7 Bxf5 25. Rxg7 Rdg8 26. Bxf6 Rxg7 27. Bxg7 Rg8 28. Be5 Kd7 29. h4 h5 30. Bf4 Rg2 31. Bg5 Bg4 32. Rf1 Re2 33. a4 Re8 34. b3 Kc6 35. Kb2 Kd6 36. Rf6+ Kc5 37. a5 Re6 38. Rf7 b6 39. axb6 Kxb6 40. Bd8+ Kc6 41. Ra7 Kc5 42. Kc3 d4+ 43. Kd2 Rc6 44. Rf7 Kd5 45. Rf1 Ke6 46. Bf6 Kd5 47. Bg5 Rc8 48. Ra1 Rc6 49. Kc1 Bd7 50. Ra5+ Rc5 51. Rxa6 Bf5 52. Kd2 Rc6 53. Ra4 Bg4 54. Ra5+ Rc5 55. Ra1 Rc6 56. Rf1 Re6 57. Bf6 Re2+ 58. Kc1 1-0

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Short, Nigel D - Lioe Dede
   2004 , B01

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. d3 c6 6. Qe2 Bf5 7. Bd2 Qc7 8. h3 e6 9. g4 Bg6 10. f4

10. ... Be7 11. Nf3 Nbd7 12. O-O-O Nb6 13. Rde1 Kf8 14. Bb3 Bd6 15. Ne5 Bxe5 16. Qxe5 Qxe5 17. fxe5 Nfd7 18. Ne4 Kg8 19. d4 h5 20. g5 Bxe4 21. Rxe4 Nd5 22. Rf1 g6 23. Bxd5 cxd5 24. Ref4 Rh7 25. Bb4 Nb8 26. Bd6 Nc6 27. R1f3 Rd8 28. b3 Rd7 29. Kd2 Ne7 30. Bxe7 Rxe7 31. Rc3 Kg7 32. Rc8 Rh8 33. Rxh8 Kxh8 34. Rf3 Kg8 35. Rc3 Kf8 36. a4 +/-

36. ... Ke8 37. Rc8+ Kd7 38. Ra8 a6 39. Kc3 Kc6 40. Kb4 Rc7 41. c4 dxc4 42. bxc4 Kd7 43. Rb8 Kc6 44. a5 Kd7 45. d5 exd5 46. cxd5 Rc1 47. Rxb7+ Ke8 48. Ra7 Kf8 49. Rxa6 Rh1 50. Rf6 Rxh3 51. e6 Rg3 52. Rxf7+ Ke8 53. a6 1-0

Where to Sacrifice the Knight?

DDT3000-JHamberg
White to move. Solution.
I played what seemed like an obvious sacrifice, but the computer found that in fact I made a wrong choice. What does your intuition suggest to you?