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Game 1: https://www.chess.com/game/live/63675446611

I recently played a couple of games against an opponent who seemed very keen in the Ruy Lopez Opening idea.

In our first game, they played the Ruy Lopez (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 f5) and I responded with the Jaenisch Gambit, and we go down the Exchange Variation, and White make the common blunder of attempting to extricate their hanging pieces in the centre with a wayward queen check (4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. Nxe5 Qd4 6. Qh5+).

It became obvious to me that my opponent was an experienced intermediate chess player (ELO in the 1400s in rapid) and there are some psychological tricks can be exploited. Simply, if they were familiar with the Jaenisch Gambit, they would never go down this specific line! This line has the appearance of a common pattern where the h-pawn is seemingly pinned against the rook, which is normally very winning.

However, at the critical moment, my earlier placement of the queen on the d4 square becomes revealed in its deviousness – it controls the diagonal and has a “discovered defence” of the rook on h8! My opponent, playing on pattern recognition, captures my presumed undefended rook, only to blunder and hang their queen and lose it on move 8. Emotional damage!

They immediate resign and request a rematch to which I oblige!

Game 2: https://www.chess.com/game/live/63675476981

I had the White pieces in this game and start with the Vienna Game. They play the Zhuravlev Countergambit, which is almost a reverse Ruy Lopez Opening (1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Bb4). Recently, I’ve discovered and have been playing what I dub the “Giraffe-ish Counter” (https://adventuresofachessnoob.com/2022/10/08/awesome-giraffe-ish-response-to-the-zhuravlev-countergambit/) as a response to the Zhuravlev, which makes use of the Giraffe Attack ideas with (3. Qg4). Basically, I ask the immediate question of Black of what they are going to do about their g7 pawn having moved their bishop so early.

My opponent responded with what is the best move (3… Nf6) and here I paused. I could take the g7 pawn, but I wasn’t sure that I wanted to play the obvious continuation of that line after Black counterattacks with their rook (Rg8). So, I made use of the Giraffe Attack idea of parking the queen (4. Qg3) to pressure the e5 pawn. Interestingly, Stockfish recommends a much more aggressive approach and to double-down and take the g7 pawn!

In this game, however, I chose a slightly more conservative approach and play the general strategic approach to the Vienna Game. That is, to launch a massive attack on the king-side, especially if Black castles to that side, and they do! I advance and trade knights (6. Nd5 Nxd5 6. Bxd5) to remove their one developed piece on the king-side, critically reducing Black’s defensive resources. Next, I advance my other knight into the king-side territory to participate in the attack. Queen and knight make a formidable strike team (https://adventuresofachessnoob.com/?p=1396) and my opponent missed the coming storm.

On move 10, they focussed on the coordination between my bishop and knight and blocked my bishop’s access to f7 with (10… d5). That was a logical move, but unfortunately a serious blunder [+6.6] as the true threat came from the knight and queen. Two moves later, my knight jumps into the fray with a devastating royal fork of the king and queen, with a second discovered attack on the queen (12. Kf7+). Emotional damage! My opponent resigns a second time. GG!

Game 1: https://www.chess.com/game/live/63675446611

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2022.12.01"]
[Round "-"]
[White "mamandarinka"]
[Black "vitualis"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Timezone "UTC"]
[ECO "C63"]
[ECOUrl "https://www.chess.com/openings/Ruy-Lopez-Opening-Jaenisch-Exchange-Variation-4...dxc6"]
[UTCDate "2022.12.01"]
[UTCTime "23:12:59"]
[WhiteElo "1431"]
[BlackElo "1393"]
[TimeControl "1800"]
[Termination "vitualis won by resignation"]
[StartTime "23:12:59"]
[EndDate "2022.12.01"]
[EndTime "23:14:55"]
[Link "https://www.chess.com/game/live/63675446611"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 f5 {Ruy Lopez Opening: Jaenisch Gambit} 4. Bxc6
{Exchange Variation} 4... dxc6 5. Nxe5 Qd4 {[%c_arrow
d4e4;keyPressed;none;from;d4;opacity;0.8;to;e4;persistent;false,e4e1;keyPressed;none;from;e4;opacity;0.8;to;e1;persistent;false,d4e5;keyPressed;none;from;d4;opacity;0.8;to;e5;persistent;false,d4h8;keyPressed;none;from;d4;opacity;0.8;to;h8;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e4;persistent;false,e5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e5;persistent;false,h8;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;h8;persistent;false]
A very important move [-0.27]} 6. Qh5+ $4 {[%c_effect
h5;square;h5;type;Blunder;persistent;true] A common response by White which is a
serious blunder worse than [-3]} 6... g6 $1 {[%c_effect
g6;square;g6;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 7. Nxg6 hxg6 8. Qxh8 {Whoops -
White assumed a winning pattern but hangs their queen [-9]} 8... Qxh8
{[%c_effect e8;square;e8;type;Winner,e1;square;e1;type;ResignWhite] And White
resigns when they realised their blunder} 0-1

Game 2: https://www.chess.com/game/live/63675476981

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2022.12.01"]
[Round "-"]
[White "vitualis"]
[Black "mamandarinka"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Timezone "UTC"]
[ECO "C25"]
[ECOUrl "https://www.chess.com/openings/Vienna-Game-Zhuravlev-Countergambit-3.Qg4-Nf6"]
[UTCDate "2022.12.01"]
[UTCTime "23:15:08"]
[WhiteElo "1402"]
[BlackElo "1422"]
[TimeControl "1800"]
[Termination "vitualis won by resignation"]
[StartTime "23:15:08"]
[EndDate "2022.12.01"]
[EndTime "23:23:03"]
[Link "https://www.chess.com/game/live/63675476981"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Bb4 {Vienna Game: Zhuravlev Countergambit} 3. Qg4 {I've recently
started playing this \"Giraffe-ish counter\" that uses the ideas from the
Giraffe Attack [0.00]} 3... Nf6 4. Qg3 $6 {[%c_effect
g3;square;g3;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] Stockfish considers this an
inaccuracy [-1] as capturing the pawn on g7 is the best move. However, I didn't
want to play the obvious counterattack lines by Black} 4... d6 $6 {[%c_effect
d6;square;d6;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true]} 5. Bc4 O-O 6. Nd5 Nxd5 7. Bxd5 c6
8. Bb3 Kh8 $6 {[%c_effect h8;square;h8;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] An
inaccuracy [+0.36] - presumably my opponent was spooked by the spectre of the
coming attack on the king-side, but this doesn't make it better} 9. Nf3 f5 10.
Ng5 $6 {[%c_effect g5;square;g5;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] Stockfish calls
this an inaccuracy, but I think this direct attack by White on Black's king is
not so easy to counter} 10... d5 $4 {[%c_effect
d5;square;d5;type;Blunder;persistent;true] Black's attempt to disconnect the
bishop's access to the diagonal is unfortunately a blunder [+6.60] as this is no
longer the central threat} 11. Qh4 $1 {[%c_effect
h4;square;h4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] Black must respond to the checkmate
threat and in fact, their best move is to sacrifice their queen for the knight -
unthinkable in regular human play} 11... h6 12. Nf7+ $1 {[%c_effect
e1;square;e1;type;Winner,h8;square;h8;type;ResignBlack,f7;square;f7;type;GreatFind;persistent;true][%c_arrow
f7h8;keyPressed;none;from;f7;opacity;0.8;to;h8;persistent;false,f7d8;keyPressed;none;from;f7;opacity;0.8;to;d8;persistent;false,h4d8;keyPressed;none;from;h4;opacity;0.8;to;d8;persistent;false][%c_highlight
h8;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;h8;persistent;false,d8;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d8;persistent;false]
Black's queen is lost regardless. Black's belated realisation causes emotional
damage and they opt to resign} 1-0