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The Vienna game is my favourite opening. However, it isn’t too often that I match with an opponent who understands the Vienna at the beginner-intermediate level. Last weekend, I played a couple of super fun games with a player from the Netherlands who initially used the Vienna gambit against me! My opponent won the first game, and I managed to win the rematch. As typical with the Vienna, once we were out of the opening theory, the games were wild and aggressive, with plenty of errors on both sides.

The main line and best response to the Vienna gambit is for black to play pawn to d5. The chess databases indicate that from this position, both black and white have equal winning chances, for both master games and community games. I hope you enjoyed the video and thanks for watching!

Game 1: https://www.chess.com/game/live/31789247155

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2021.11.27"]
[Round "?"]
[White "lilghtning"]
[Black "vitualis"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C29"]
[WhiteElo "1173"]
[BlackElo "1171"]
[TimeControl "1800"]
[EndTime "14:44:47 PST"]
[Termination "lilghtning won by resignation"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d5 4. fxe5 Nxe4 5. Qf3 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Nc6 7. d4 Be7 8. Bd3 O-O 9. h4 Bxh4+ 10. g3 Bg5 11. Bxh7+ Kh8 12. Bd3+ Bh6 13. Rxh6+ gxh6 14. Bxh6 Rg8 15. O-O-O Bg4 16. Qf4 Bxd1 17. Qf5 Rg7 18. Bxg7+ Kxg7 19. Kxd1 f6 20. exf6+ Qxf6 21. Qxd5 Rd8 22. Qb5 Qf2 23. Ne2 Qf1+ 24. Kd2 Qf6 25. Qxb7 Qg5+ 26. Kd1 Rb8 27. Qxc7+ Qe7 28. Qxe7+ Nxe7 29. Ke1 Rb1+ 30. Kf2 Ra1 31. Bc4 a5 32. d5 Nf5 33. Nd4 Nd6 34. Bb3 Rh1 35. Nc6 Rh2+ 36. Ke3 Nf5+ 37. Kf4 Rf2+ 38. Kg4 Ne3+ 39. Kh4 Nxc2 40. Nxa5 Rh2+ 41. Kg4 Ne3+ 42. Kf4 Ng2+ 43. Ke5 Rh5+ 44. Ke6 Rh6+ 45. Ke7 Rh5 46. Nc6 Ne3 47. d6 Nf5+ 48. Ke6 Nxg3 49. d7 Rh6+ 50. Kd5 Rh5+ 51. Kd6 Rh6+ 52. Kc7 Rxc6+ 53. Kxc6 Nf5 54. d8=Q Kg6 55. a4 1-0

Game 2: https://www.chess.com/game/live/31792189657

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2021.11.27"]
[Round "?"]
[White "vitualis"]
[Black "lilghtning"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C26"]
[WhiteElo "1179"]
[BlackElo "1165"]
[TimeControl "1800"]
[EndTime "14:53:09 PST"]
[Termination "vitualis won by resignation"]

1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. f4 d5 4. fxe5 Nxe4 5. Nf3 f5 6. exf6 gxf6 7. Qe2 Be6 8. Qb5+ Nd7 9. Nd4 f5 10. Nxe6 Qh4+ 11. Kd1 Nf6 1-0