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chess noob Quick Wins! is a series of short videos, to demonstrate very quick wins! As a beginner, you become aware of the Scholar’s Mate and the Fool’s Mate, but neither of these show up in real games. However, there are tricky quick checkmates and wins that occur, even at the intermediate level of chess.

Today’s game demonstrates the venom of one of my favourite lines in the Vienna Game, the Giraffe Attack (1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Bc5 3. Qg4)!

Although Stockfish disapproves of the mad giraffe [-0.6] it is rather effective at the beginner-intermediate level! My opponent from Brazil responded with the sensible looking (3… g6) to defend their g-pawn. However, this is already an inaccuracy [+0.6]. Fundamentally, Black has weakened the dark squares on the kingside, and this allows for potentially crushing tactics.

After I parked my queen on g3, with an attack on the e5 pawn, Black doesn’t see the risk! Rather than snatching the opportunity immediately, I let it build for a couple more turns until Black moves their knight out of the way (6… Nxd5), a blunder [+8]. As now (7. Qxe5+) forks the king and rook, a critical strike that causes emotional damage! I capture the rook next turn (8. Qxh8+) also with check, and Black resigns on move 8 where we both have over 9 minutes left on the clock of a 10 min game! GG!

Game on chess.com: https://www.chess.com/game/live/76302047447

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2023.04.27"]
[Round "-"]
[White "vitualis"]
[Black "c4109"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Timezone "UTC"]
[ECO "C25"]
[ECOUrl "https://www.chess.com/openings/Vienna-Game-Anderssen-Defense-Giraffe-Attack"]
[UTCDate "2023.04.27"]
[UTCTime "02:37:08"]
[WhiteElo "1382"]
[BlackElo "1352"]
[TimeControl "600"]
[Termination "vitualis won by resignation"]
[StartTime "02:37:08"]
[EndDate "2023.04.27"]
[EndTime "02:38:38"]
[Link "https://www.chess.com/game/live/76302047447"]
[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 "27"]
[BlackTitle ""]

1. e4 {[%clk 0:10:00]} 1... e5 {[%clk 0:09:57]} 2. Nc3 {[%clk 0:09:58]} 2... Bc5
{[%clk 0:09:47.4]} 3. Qg4 {[%clk 0:09:55.2][%c_arrow
g4g7;keyPressed;shift;from;g4;opacity;0.8;to;g7;persistent;false][%c_highlight
g7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g7;persistent;false] Vienna Game:
Anderssen Defense, Giraffe Attack. Stockfish disapproves of the Giraffe Attack
[-0.6], but at the beginner-intermediate level, it's venom $1 The mad rampaging
giraffe immediately attacks the weakened g7 pawn $1} 3... g6 $6 {[%clk
0:09:30.9][%c_effect g6;square;g6;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] Black makes
an immediate inaccuracy and we gain an advantage [+0.6]} 4. Qg3 {[%clk
0:09:47.1][%c_arrow
f1c4;keyPressed;alt;from;f1;opacity;0.8;to;c4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
c4;keyPressed;shift;opacity;0.8;square;c4;persistent;false] I like to park my
queen on g3, but there is a trap line with Bf4...} ({The trap line...} 4. Bc4 $1
{[%c_effect c4;square;c4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true][%c_highlight
c4;keyPressed;alt;opacity;0.8;square;c4;persistent;false]} 4... d5 $2 {[%c_effect
d5;square;d5;type;Mistake;persistent;true] This looks like a brilliant move by
Black, attacking the bishop and and discovered attack on the queen, but it's a
mistake [+1.7]} 5. Qg3 dxc4 6. Qxe5+ $1 {[%c_arrow
e5e8;keyPressed;none;from;e5;opacity;0.8;to;e8;persistent;false,e5h8;keyPressed;none;from;e5;opacity;0.8;to;h8;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e8;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e8;persistent;false,h8;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;h8;persistent;false,e5;keyPressed;alt;opacity;0.8;square;e5;persistent;false][%c_effect
e5;square;e5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] And we win the rook, while smashing
Black's kingside defenses... [+5.5]}) 4... Nf6 $4 {[%clk 0:09:28.4][%c_effect
f6;square;f6;type;Blunder;persistent;true][%c_arrow
b8c6;keyPressed;none;from;b8;opacity;0.8;to;c6;persistent;false][%c_highlight
c6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;c6;persistent;false] This is a blunder as
Black needs to defend the e5 pawn [+3.3]} 5. Nf3 $2 {[%clk 0:09:43.9][%c_effect
f3;square;f3;type;Mistake;persistent;true][%c_arrow
g3e5;keyPressed;none;from;g3;opacity;0.8;to;e5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e5;persistent;false] However, I opted not
to strike immediately which Stockfish called a mistake [-0.3]} 5... d5 $4 {[%clk
0:09:25][%c_effect d5;square;d5;type;Blunder;persistent;true][%c_arrow
b8c6;keyPressed;none;from;b8;opacity;0.8;to;c6;persistent;false][%c_highlight
c6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;c6;persistent;false] However, piling on
the pressure induces another blunder [+5]} 6. exd5 {[%clk 0:09:33.1][%c_arrow
g3e5;keyPressed;none;from;g3;opacity;0.8;to;e5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e5;persistent;false] Stockfish is
screaming for me to take e5 [+0.6] but there is method in this madness $1} 6...
Nxd5 $4 {[%clk 0:09:20.4][%c_effect d5;square;d5;type;Blunder;persistent;true] As
this now induced another blunder [+8] and now we're about to create a strike
that causes emotional damage $1} 7. Qxe5+ {[%clk 0:09:29]} 7... Be6 {[%clk
0:09:18.2]} 8. Qxh8+ {[%clk 0:09:25.3][%c_effect
e1;square;e1;type;Winner,e8;square;e8;type;ResignBlack] Emotional damage $1 GG $1}
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