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In the Vienna Gambit, it is sometimes possible to rapidly launch an attack down the f-file – a strategy that create overwhelming pressure. As an example, I won this game by checkmate in 11 moves! This was a 10+5 rapid game on Lichess that started with the Vienna Gambit, declined by d6 (1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d6). I developed my other knight behind the f-pawn (4. Nf3) and Black immediately played the aggressive (4… Bg4), pinning my knight to the queen.

I decided to ignore the bishop for now and developed my light square bishop (5. Bc4). Stockfish considered this an inaccuracy, but my goal was to set up an attack down the f-file. Black plays a slow waiting move (5… c6) and this gives me the extra boost in tempo that I needed! The final set up, short castles (6. O-O) and now I have the bishop, rook, and knight (after a forward jump), all targeting f7!

On move 7, I strike (7. Bxf7+)! Stockfish calls this move a straight up blunder [-2.77], but I’ve put in the notation (!?) in the PGN. Black is forced to capture the bishop, which now gives me the turn to open the f-file (7… Kxf7 8. fxe5) and now attacking the knight. On move 8, Black had to find one of two moves where it retains its advantage, either (8… Bxf3) or (8… Qb6+) – all other moves are immediately excellent for White. Black doesn’t find these moves and instead moves their knight out of the attack (8… Nh5). This seemingly harmless move was a catastrophic blunder [+8.16] due to the magic of double check!

Checks are normally considered the most forcing moves. The king cannot stay in check, and so the response must be to block the check with a piece, move the king out of check, or the capture the checking piece. Double check is even MORE forcing as it is not possible to block the check, nor escape check through capture. Usually, a king move is the only option.

So in this game, the seemingly impossible becomes possible through double check. My knight which was pinned to the queen, was able to SAFELY escape that pin by landing on a square that is defended by enemy pieces (9. Ng5+)! The king must move out of double check (9… Kg8) and my queen now springs off its starting square, activating by capturing the light square bishop (10. Qxg4).

Black, flustered by unexpected turn of events captures my seemingly hanging knight and hangs a mate in 1. GG!

Game on chess.com: https://www.chess.com/analysis/library/3RUH13KBXL

[Event "Rated Rapid game"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/eIxeT2Hg"]
[Date "2022.11.19"]
[Round "?"]
[White "vitualis"]
[Black "Konsultanpajak"]
[Result "1-0"]
[UTCDate "2022.11.19"]
[UTCTime "09:43:04"]
[WhiteElo "1682"]
[BlackElo "1640"]
[WhiteRatingDiff "+12"]
[BlackRatingDiff "-5"]
[TimeControl "600+5"]
[ECO "C29"]
[Opening "Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit"]
[Termination "Normal"]
[Annotator "lichess.org"]
[WhiteUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/3711094.c39cd81f.80x80o.3026cc513d16@2x@2x.jpeg"]
[WhiteCountry "17"]
[WhiteTitle ""]
[BlackUrl "https://images.prismic.io/lichess/5cfd2630-2a8f-4fa9-8f78-04c2d9f0e5fe_lichess-box-1024.png?auto=compress,format"]
[BlackCountry "225"]
[BlackTitle ""]

1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 {Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit} 3... d6 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. Bc4
{[%c_effect c4;square;c4;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] Stockfish considers this an inaccuracy, however, I'm setting up a tactical strike down the f-file} 5... c6 $2 {[%c_effect c6;square;c6;type;Mistake;persistent;true]} 6. O-O
{[%c_effect g1;square;g1;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] Again, a relative inaccuracy but White is still comfortably ahead [+0.79]} 6... Be7 $2 {[%c_effect
e7;square;e7;type;Mistake;persistent;true]} 7. Bxf7+ {[%c_effect
f7;square;f7;type;Interesting;persistent;true] Stockfish considers this a blunder [-2.77] as Black can punish this audacious sacrifice, but they must find the conversion} 7... Kxf7 8. fxe5 Nh5 {Black doesn't find the move and blunders disastrously [+8.16]} 9. Ng5+ $1 {[%c_effect
g5;square;g5;type;GreatFind;keyPressed;undefined;persistent;true][%c_arrow
g5f7;keyPressed;none;from;g5;opacity;0.8;to;f7;persistent;false,f1f7;keyPressed;none;from;f1;opacity;0.8;to;f7;persistent;false][%c_highlight
f7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f7;persistent;false] Double check makes the seemingly impossible possible $1  The knight magically jumps forward into a defended square, while it was pinned to the queen $1} 9... Kg8 10. Qxg4 Bxg5 $4
{[%c_effect g5;square;g5;type;Blunder;keyPressed;undefined;persistent;true] A fatal blunder as the combination of the weak light squares around the Black king and the fully open f-file allows for an unstoppable attack} 11. Qe6# {[%c_effect
g1;square;g1;type;Winner,g8;square;g8;type;CheckmateBlack] White wins by checkmate.} 1-0