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Today, I’m going to cover another less common response the Vienna Game, 2… Bb4, otherwise known as the Zhuravlev Countergambit. According to the Lichess community database of lower rated games of blitz and rapid, Black plays this line about 4% of the time. I will argue that it isn’t very good!

One of the things to know as the Vienna Game player is that White has a lot of choices for move 3, and these are all good!

Evaluation-wise, Stockfish rates all of the following moves between [+0.3] and [+0.6]. Options:

• immediately counterattack the bishop with either a3, or with Nd5
• challenge the centre immediately with d4
• develop the other knight and threaten Black’s e5 pawn with Nf3
• launch a wayward queen attack on the e5 pawn with Qh5

However, the move I really enjoy playing is (3. Qg4), what I’ve dubbed the Giraffe-ish Counter-Countergambit (https://adventuresofachessnoob.com/2022/10/08/awesome-giraffe-ish-response-to-the-zhuravlev-countergambit/). Although Stockfish thinks that this position is just equal [0.00], it seems particularly successful in at the beginner-intermediate level. According to the Lichess database, this response occurs in only 1% of Zhuravlev Countergambit lines, the tenth most common move, but has a win ratio for White against Black of an amazing 59% vs 38%. This is the best win rate of any of the responses to the Zhuravlev!

I also enjoy these lines as it has a lot in common in terms of tactical ideas with the Giraffe Attack against the Anderssen Defense to the Vienna Game (2… Bc5).

We can see what happens in this game. Black is often unable to correctly navigate the pressure that the queen has on the kingside on the g-file, and on move 6, I capture the g7 pawn. I don’t necessarily play the most accurately from this point onwards, but it doesn’t matter. I force Black to make concessions, trading queens and their king “bongclouds” to recapture, losing the right to castle.

In the middle game, there were two instructive moments in terms of trading pieces. The basic concept is this: a full minor piece (3 points) is often worth more than trading a minor piece for an opponent’s rook (5 – 3 = 2 points). On move 13, Black opted to fork my king and rook to capture my rook, rather than capture my hanging bishop. This was a mistake as the knight in the corner is trapped (and thus “lost”). On move 19, Black opted to move their rook out of the attack, rather than capture my bishop. This was a mistake as Black would have captured two bishops for a rook – a bargain – though admittedly still a losing position.

We entered an endgame where I was up two pieces, and Black defeated, opted to resign. GG!

Game on chess.com: https://www.chess.com/game/live/72918286837

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2023.03.18"]
[Round "-"]
[White "vitualis"]
[Black "beczka77"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Timezone "UTC"]
[ECO "C25"]
[ECOUrl "https://www.chess.com/openings/Vienna-Game-Zhuravlev-Countergambit-3.Qg4-Nf6"]
[UTCDate "2023.03.18"]
[UTCTime "22:39:45"]
[WhiteElo "1439"]
[BlackElo "1282"]
[TimeControl "1800"]
[Termination "vitualis won by resignation"]
[StartTime "22:39:45"]
[EndDate "2023.03.18"]
[EndTime "22:54:18"]
[Link "https://www.chess.com/game/live/72918286837"]
[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 "73"]
[BlackTitle ""]

1. e4 {[%clk 0:29:59.9]} 1... e5 {[%clk 0:29:55.6]} 2. Nc3 {[%clk 0:29:57.4]}
2... Bb4 {[%clk 0:29:29.9] Vienna Game: Zhuravlev Countergambit} 3. Qg4 {[%clk
0:29:53.6][%c_arrow
c3d5;keyPressed;none;from;c3;opacity;0.8;to;d5;persistent;false,g1f3;keyPressed;none;from;g1;opacity;0.8;to;f3;persistent;false,d2d4;keyPressed;none;from;d2;opacity;0.8;to;d4;persistent;false,a2a3;keyPressed;none;from;a2;opacity;0.8;to;a3;persistent;false,d1h5;keyPressed;none;from;d1;opacity;0.8;to;h5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d5;persistent;false,f3;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f3;persistent;false,d4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d4;persistent;false,a3;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;a3;persistent;false,h5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;h5;persistent;false]
\"Giraffe-ish\" Counterattack $1 Technically not as good, but very tricky [0.00].}
3... Nf6 {[%clk 0:28:51.1]} 4. Qg3 $6 {[%clk 0:29:20.6][%c_arrow
g4g7;keyPressed;none;from;g4;opacity;0.8;to;g7;persistent;false][%c_highlight
g7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g7;persistent;false][%c_effect
g3;square;g3;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] Stockfish recommends capturing g7
immediately, but I got a bit of cold feet [-1.2]} 4... Nc6 $6 {[%clk
0:28:38.2][%c_effect c6;square;c6;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
e8g8;keyPressed;none;from;e8;opacity;0.8;to;g8;persistent;false] Black needs to
defend their g7 pawn [-0.1]} 5. Nd5 {[%clk 0:29:13.1]} 5... Nxe4 $2 {[%clk
0:28:06.5][%c_effect e4;square;e4;type;Mistake;persistent;true] This is a
mistake as Black has not addressed the problem of king safety [+5]} 6. Qxg7 $1
{[%clk 0:29:10.2][%c_effect g7;square;g7;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 6...
Rf8 {[%clk 0:26:32]} 7. Nxb4 $4 {[%clk 0:28:56.3][%c_effect
b4;square;b4;type;Blunder;persistent;true][%c_arrow
f2f3;keyPressed;none;from;f2;opacity;0.8;to;f3;persistent;false][%c_highlight
f3;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f3;persistent;false] This is a blunder as
I give up a lot of my advantage with this bit of material greed $1 [+0.7]} 7...
Nxb4 {[%clk 0:26:15.4]} 8. Qxe5+ {[%clk 0:28:54.5]} 8... Qe7 {[%clk 0:26:04.8]}
9. Qxe7+ $1 {[%clk 0:28:20.1][%c_effect
e7;square;e7;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 9... Kxe7 {[%clk 0:26:00.8]} 10.
Bd3 $2 {[%clk 0:28:02.6][%c_effect
d3;square;d3;type;Mistake;persistent;true][%c_arrow
d2d3;keyPressed;none;from;d2;opacity;0.8;to;d3;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d3;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d3;persistent;false] Stockfish doesn't
like this move [-0.4]} 10... Nc5 $2 {[%clk 0:25:37.7][%c_effect
c5;square;c5;type;Mistake;persistent;true][%c_arrow
b4d3;keyPressed;none;from;b4;opacity;0.8;to;d3;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d3;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d3;persistent;false] But with Black trying
to maintain material, it works out in my favour $1 [+2]} 11. Bxh7 {[%clk
0:27:45.3]} 11... Rh8 $6 {[%clk 0:25:22.3][%c_effect
h8;square;h8;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true]} 12. Bf5 {[%clk 0:27:37.1]} 12...
d6 {[%clk 0:25:11]} 13. Bxc8 $2 {[%clk 0:26:21.9][%c_arrow
a2a3;keyPressed;none;from;a2;opacity;0.8;to;a3;persistent;false][%c_highlight
a3;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;a3;persistent;false][%c_effect
c8;square;c8;type;Mistake;persistent;true] A relatively suboptimal move as a3 is
more forcing [+0.3]} 13... Nxc2+ $2 {[%clk 0:25:02.6][%c_effect
c2;square;c2;type;Mistake;persistent;true][%c_arrow
a8c8;keyPressed;none;from;a8;opacity;0.8;to;c8;persistent;false][%c_highlight
c8;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;c8;persistent;false] This is a mistake as
the knight is trapped after capturing the rook. Capturing the bishop for
\"free\" is better than trading a knight for a rook [+3]} 14. Kd1 $1 {[%clk
0:26:19.5][%c_effect d1;square;d1;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 14... Nxa1
{[%clk 0:24:50.1]} 15. Bf5 {[%clk 0:25:58.2]} 15... Kf6 $6 {[%clk
0:24:43.4][%c_effect f6;square;f6;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_highlight
h5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;h5;persistent;false][%c_arrow
h8h5;keyPressed;none;from;h8;opacity;0.8;to;h5;persistent;false] [+4.5]} 16. g4
{[%clk 0:25:39.6]} 16... d5 {[%clk 0:23:13.4]} 17. b4 {[%clk 0:25:37.4]} 17...
Ne4 $6 {[%clk 0:22:40.1][%c_effect
e4;square;e4;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
c5a4;keyPressed;none;from;c5;opacity;0.8;to;a4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
a4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;a4;persistent;false] An inaccuracy [+6.8]}
18. Bb2+ {[%clk 0:25:32.3]} 18... Ke7 {[%clk 0:22:13.7]} 19. Bxe4 {[%clk
0:25:30.4]} 19... Rhd8 $6 {[%clk 0:21:52.2][%c_effect
d8;square;d8;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
d5e4;keyPressed;none;from;d5;opacity;0.8;to;e4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e4;persistent;false] Trading a rook for a
bishop is better than losing a knight for free [+10]} 20. Bf3 {[%clk 0:24:29.7]}
20... Nb3 {[%clk 0:21:38.2]} 21. axb3 {[%clk 0:24:28][%c_effect
d1;square;d1;type;Winner,e7;square;e7;type;ResignBlack] Black loses their knight
and down two pieces, opts to resign. GG $1} 1-0