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This was another EPIC WIN with the Giraffe Attack (1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Bc5 3. Qg4)! This game went down one of the spiciest lines with Black trying to play aggressively with (3… Qf6), setting up a potential scholar’s mate on my f2.

However, this doesn’t work after the natural developing move (4. Nf3). Black attempted to dislodge my queen by developing their knight to the edge of the board (4… Nh6), which was a mistake [+2.5]. This can be side-stepped by placing the queen onto its “parking square” (5. Qg3), which now, double-teams an attack with the knight on the pawn on e5.

Here, Black again plays a very natural looking move (5… d6), defending e5, but it’s a massive blunder [+8]. The problem for Black is my next move (6. Nd5) a thematic move in the Vienna. The problem for Black is that their queen is now under attack, as is the c7 pawn which comes with an absolute fork of the king and rook. It isn’t possible for Black to make a move the simultaneously moves their queen out of danger and defends both the c7 and g7 pawns.

Black opts to retreat their queen to d8 to defend c7 and gives up g7. Black, how has its kingside smashed. I advance my other knight and trade both my knights for a rook and two pawns. On move 13, I now bring my light square bishop into the attack, sniping down an open diagonal to the black king (13. Bb5+). Black, trying to avoid another forced piece trade, moved their king out of check (13… Ke7), but this was a blunder. The exposed diagonals in Black’s shell of defences are too weak and a mating net has been woven. I play (14. Qg5+) and Black now sees the impending [+M1] and opts to resign. GG!

Game on chess.com: https://www.chess.com/game/live/76556995903

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2023.04.30"]
[Round "-"]
[White "vitualis"]
[Black "rafique2011"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Timezone "UTC"]
[ECO "C25"]
[ECOUrl "https://www.chess.com/openings/Vienna-Game-Anderssen-Defense-Giraffe-Attack"]
[UTCDate "2023.04.30"]
[UTCTime "01:25:10"]
[WhiteElo "1391"]
[BlackElo "1399"]
[TimeControl "1800"]
[Termination "vitualis won by resignation"]
[StartTime "01:25:10"]
[EndDate "2023.04.30"]
[EndTime "01:44:46"]
[Link "https://www.chess.com/game/live/76556995903"]
[WhiteUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/3711094.82046355.50x50o.c8c8e6b7296c.jpg"]
[WhiteCountry "17"]
[WhiteTitle ""]
[BlackUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/5169853.c2eee0da.50x50o.064fdcd6c943.jpg"]
[BlackCountry "164"]
[BlackTitle ""]

1. e4 {[%clk 0:29:57.5]} 1... e5 {[%clk 0:29:55.8]} 2. Nc3 {[%clk 0:29:44.6]}
2... Bc5 {[%clk 0:29:37.7]} 3. Qg4 {[%clk 0:29:38.8][%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} 3... Qf6 {[%clk 0:29:00.4] Black's aggressive
counterattack with Qf6 is suboptimal [+0.1]} 4. Nf3 {[%clk 0:29:21]} 4... Nh6 $2
{[%clk 0:27:16.2][%c_effect h6;square;h6;type;Mistake;persistent;true][%c_arrow
g8e7;keyPressed;none;from;g8;opacity;0.8;to;e7;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e7;persistent;false] Black's attempt to
dislodge the queen is a mistake [+2.5]} 5. Qg3 {[%clk 0:28:50.7]} 5... d6 $4
{[%clk 0:26:34.7][%c_arrow
c7c6;keyPressed;none;from;c7;opacity;0.8;to;c6;persistent;false][%c_highlight
c6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;c6;persistent;false][%c_effect
d6;square;d6;type;Blunder;persistent;true] Black needs to defend the d5 square,
but doesn't recognise the tactic making this a blunder [+8]} 6. Nd5 $1 {[%clk
0:28:45.7][%c_effect d5;square;d5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 6... Qd8 $6
{[%clk 0:23:31.1][%c_effect
d8;square;d8;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
f6g6;keyPressed;none;from;f6;opacity;0.8;to;g6;persistent;false][%c_highlight
g6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g6;persistent;false] An inaccuracy [+10].
Black's best move is the trade queens.} 7. Qxg7 {[%clk 0:28:29.3]} 7... Rf8
{[%clk 0:22:22.2]} 8. Qxh6 {[%clk 0:27:05.8]} 8... Nd7 {[%clk 0:21:30.3]} 9. Ng5
{[%clk 0:25:43.8]} 9... c6 {[%clk 0:21:11.5]} 10. Nxh7 {[%clk
0:23:20.3][%c_arrow
g5e6;keyPressed;none;from;g5;opacity;0.8;to;e6;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e6;persistent;false]} ({This was the best
move, which I didn't see in game...} 10. Ne6 fxe6 {This natural looking move
results in mate...} 11. Qxe6+ Qe7 12. Qxe7#) 10... cxd5 {[%clk 0:20:36.3]} 11.
Nxf8 {[%clk 0:22:59.3]} 11... Nxf8 {[%clk 0:20:32.8]} 12. exd5 {[%clk
0:22:34.5]} 12... Bf5 {[%clk 0:19:57.8]} 13. Bb5+ {[%clk 0:22:22.1]} 13... Ke7 $4
{[%clk 0:19:33.3][%c_effect e7;square;e7;type;Blunder;persistent;true][%c_arrow
f5d7;keyPressed;none;from;f5;opacity;0.8;to;d7;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d7;persistent;false] Unfortunately, the
exposed diagonals create a mating net [+M2]} 14. Qg5+ $1 {[%clk
0:21:38.2][%c_effect
e1;square;e1;type;Winner,e7;square;e7;type;ResignBlack,g5;square;g5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]
GG $1} 1-0