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What is playing chess like?

Meditative, yet thoughtful. Calming, yet exciting. Introspective, yet social.

The stars aligned in the creation of this video. I played and recorded only a single random match up of a 10 min game on chess.com. I had expected needing to play and record maybe a half-dozen games to get the right one for the video.

In these fourteen moves the threads of my many games and videos in 2022 wove together into a single almost perfect game according to my aesthetic.

This game had:

• a friendly opponent
• the Vienna Gambit
• the bishop sacrifice-capture of the f-pawn
• a brilliancy
• a double-check
• and a pawn checkmate!

Please enjoy this video of what playing chess is like for me. Thank you for all the chess – Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everybody!

Game on chess.com: https://www.chess.com/game/live/65318508941

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2022.12.20"]
[Round "-"]
[White "vitualis"]
[Black "thickpawns"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Timezone "UTC"]
[ECO "C28"]
[ECOUrl "https://www.chess.com/openings/Vienna-Game-Falkbeer-Vienna-Gambit"]
[UTCDate "2022.12.20"]
[UTCTime "23:41:38"]
[WhiteElo "1353"]
[BlackElo "1343"]
[TimeControl "600"]
[Termination "vitualis won by checkmate"]
[StartTime "23:41:38"]
[EndDate "2022.12.20"]
[EndTime "23:50:30"]
[Link "https://www.chess.com/game/live/65318508941"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 {Vienna Gambit} 3... Nc6 $2 {[%c_effect
c6;square;c6;type;Mistake;persistent;true] A mistake [+1.9]} 4. fxe5 Nxe5 5. d4
Nc6 6. e5 Ng8 7. Nf3 Bb4 $2 {[%c_effect b4;square;b4;type;Mistake;persistent;true]
A mistake [+4.4]} 8. Bc4 {[%c_arrow
d4d5;keyPressed;none;from;d4;opacity;0.8;to;d5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d5;persistent;false] Stockfish prefers
immediately attacking the knight with the d-pawn [+3.6]} 8... h6 $2 {[%c_effect
h6;square;h6;type;Mistake;persistent;true] A mistake [+6.5]} 9. O-O d6 $6
{[%c_effect d6;square;d6;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] An inaccuracy [+10]}
10. Bxf7+ $3 {[%c_effect f7;square;f7;type;Brilliant;persistent;true] A brilliant
move $1 This now force opens the f-file.} 10... Kxf7 $2 {[%c_arrow
e8f8;keyPressed;none;from;e8;opacity;0.8;to;f8;persistent;false][%c_highlight
f8;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f8;persistent;false][%c_effect
f7;square;f7;type;Mistake;keyPressed;undefined;persistent;true] A mistake - the
king can't take the knight as it's now unable to escape the attack down the open
f-file} 11. Ng5+ {[%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 $1} 11...
Ke8 12. Qf3 $2 {[%c_arrow
d1h5;keyPressed;none;from;d1;opacity;0.8;to;h5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
h5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;h5;persistent;false][%c_effect
f3;square;f3;type;Mistake;persistent;true] A mistake that is still winning
[+7.25] as I miss a checkmate in 2} ({This was the [+M2] line that I missed} 12.
Qh5+ Kd7 13. e6+ Ke7 14. Qf7#) 12... Nge7 $2 {[%c_effect
e7;square;e7;type;Mistake;persistent;true] A mistake that hangs forced mate
[+M2]} 13. Qf7+ Kd7 14. e6# {[%c_effect
g1;square;g1;type;Winner,d7;square;d7;type;CheckmateBlack]} 1-0