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This was a very accurate game of the Vienna Game: Max Lange Defense (1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6) by both my opponent and me over 35 moves! The chess.com algorithm rated my accuracy at 95.7 and we were almost dead even throughout the entire game.

Until the penultimate move by my opponent! On move 33, I wanted to avoid a draw by threefold repetition, so played a different move that I was sure was still drawing. We both had queen and rook, and a smattering of pawns. Unexpectedly, Black got greedy and captured one of my “hanging” pawns, but in doing so, moved their queen out of the defence of their king! That one move made all the difference. It was the only “blunder” in the entire game as Black had a hidden back rank mate.

The moral of the story is to always prioritise king safety!

Game on chess.com: https://www.chess.com/game/live/69646501701

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2023.02.09"]
[Round "-"]
[White "vitualis"]
[Black "Till6097"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Timezone "UTC"]
[ECO "C28"]
[ECOUrl "https://www.chess.com/openings/Bishops-Opening-Berlin-Vienna-Hybrid-Variation"]
[UTCDate "2023.02.09"]
[UTCTime "01:53:03"]
[WhiteElo "1439"]
[BlackElo "1333"]
[TimeControl "1800"]
[Termination "vitualis won by resignation"]
[StartTime "01:53:03"]
[EndDate "2023.02.09"]
[EndTime "02:13:54"]
[Link "https://www.chess.com/game/live/69646501701"]
[WhiteUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/3711094.82046355.50x50o.c8c8e6b7296c.jpg"]
[WhiteCountry "17"]
[WhiteTitle ""]
[BlackUrl "https://www.chess.com/bundles/web/images/noavatar_l.84a92436.gif"]
[BlackCountry "3"]
[BlackTitle ""]

1. e4 {[%clk 0:29:59.7]} 1... e5 {[%clk 0:29:59.1]} 2. Nc3 {[%clk 0:29:55.3]}
2... Nc6 {[%clk 0:29:56.9] Vienna Game: Max Lange Defense} 3. Bc4 {[%clk
0:29:50.7]} 3... Nf6 {[%clk 0:29:52.8]} 4. d3 {[%clk 0:29:43.4]} 4... Bc5 {[%clk
0:29:47.3]} 5. Be3 {[%clk 0:29:32.6]} 5... Bxe3 {[%clk 0:29:45.2]} 6. fxe3
{[%clk 0:29:31.1]} 6... O-O {[%clk 0:29:43.2]} 7. Nh3 {[%clk 0:28:57.4]} 7... d6
{[%clk 0:29:32.4]} 8. Nf2 {[%clk 0:27:24.7]} 8... Na5 {[%clk 0:28:50.8]} 9. O-O
{[%clk 0:26:42.7]} 9... Nxc4 {[%clk 0:28:46.7]} 10. dxc4 {[%clk 0:26:41.5]}
10... c6 {[%clk 0:28:43.1]} 11. Ne2 $6 {[%clk 0:26:18.7][%c_effect
e2;square;e2;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
d1e2;keyPressed;none;from;d1;opacity;0.8;to;e2;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e2;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e2;persistent;false] Somewhat inaccurate
according to Stockfish [-1.5]} 11... Ng4 $6 {[%clk 0:28:11.7][%c_effect
g4;square;g4;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
c8e6;keyPressed;none;from;c8;opacity;0.8;to;e6;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e6;persistent;false] This forward push was
inaccurate by Black [-0.5]} 12. Nxg4 {[%clk 0:26:04.3]} 12... Bxg4 {[%clk
0:28:09.1]} 13. h3 {[%clk 0:26:03.5]} 13... Bh5 {[%clk 0:27:07.1]} 14. Qe1
{[%clk 0:25:51.9]} 14... Qg5 {[%clk 0:26:51.6]} 15. Ng3 {[%clk 0:25:41.7]} 15...
Bg6 {[%clk 0:26:35]} 16. Rd1 {[%clk 0:25:13.2]} 16... Qh4 $6 {[%clk
0:26:01.9][%c_effect h4;square;h4;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
f8d8;keyPressed;none;from;f8;opacity;0.8;to;d8;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d8;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d8;persistent;false] An inaccuracy [+0.8]}
17. Rxd6 {[%clk 0:24:47.9]} 17... Bxe4 {[%clk 0:25:49.9]} 18. Nxe4 {[%clk
0:24:30.6]} 18... Qxe4 {[%clk 0:25:47]} 19. Qf2 $6 {[%clk 0:23:45.8][%c_effect
f2;square;f2;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
e1c3;keyPressed;none;from;e1;opacity;0.8;to;c3;persistent;false][%c_highlight
c3;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;c3;persistent;false] Stockfish didn't
think this attack would work [0.00]} 19... Qxc4 {[%clk 0:25:30.7]} 20. Rd7
{[%clk 0:23:24.4]} 20... Qxa2 {[%clk 0:25:11.6]} 21. b3 {[%clk 0:23:19]} 21...
f6 {[%clk 0:24:40.9]} 22. Rxb7 {[%clk 0:22:43.9]} 22... Qa6 {[%clk 0:24:20.9]}
23. Rd7 {[%clk 0:21:59]} 23... Rad8 {[%clk 0:23:48.4]} 24. Rfd1 {[%clk
0:21:26.5]} 24... Rxd7 {[%clk 0:22:59]} 25. Rxd7 {[%clk 0:21:23.3]} 25... Qa1+
{[%clk 0:22:42.8]} 26. Kh2 {[%clk 0:21:19.7]} 26... Qa5 {[%clk 0:22:25.2]} 27.
Qg3 {[%clk 0:21:16.3]} 27... Rf7 $1 {[%clk 0:22:14.9][%c_effect
f7;square;f7;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 28. Rd6 {[%clk 0:20:03.5]} 28...
Qc5 {[%clk 0:22:01.7]} 29. Rd8+ {[%clk 0:19:57.8]} 29... Rf8 {[%clk 0:21:54.8]}
30. Rd7 {[%clk 0:19:54.9]} 30... Rf7 {[%clk 0:21:51.8]} 31. Rd8+ {[%clk
0:19:30.5]} 31... Rf8 {[%clk 0:21:50.2]} 32. Rd7 {[%clk 0:18:56.2]} 32... Rf7
{[%clk 0:21:22.7]} 33. Qg4 {[%clk 0:18:47.6] I didn't want to immediately draw
by threefold repetition so tried a different move} 33... Qxe3 $4 {[%clk
0:20:54.1][%c_effect e3;square;e3;type;Blunder;persistent;true] Surprisingly,
Black got greedy and took their queen out of the defence of their king $1} ({This
was what I expected Black to do...} 33... f5 34. Rd8+ Rf8 35. Rxf8+ Kxf8 36.
Qxf5+) 34. Rd8+ $1 {[%clk 0:18:37.1][%c_effect
d8;square;d8;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 34... Rf8 {[%clk 0:20:52.2]} 35.
Qe6+ {[%clk 0:18:36.2][%c_effect
h2;square;h2;type;Winner,g8;square;g8;type;ResignBlack] And Black resigns with
back rank mate next turn...} (35. Qe6+ Kh8 36. Rxf8# {+M1}) 1-0