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This was a lovely game of the Vienna Gambit and a great example of one of its strategic themes – the “King Hunt”!

My opponent declined the Vienna Gambit with d6 (1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d6) which is the best way of declining the gambit other than entering the Main Line (3… d5). The “Philidor-ish” Defense. As I’ve noted before in my Complete Guide to the Vienna Gambit, the way to play Declined 3… d6 is to develop the other knight (4. Nf3) to try and place a third pawn in the centre with d4.

Interestingly, my opponent played a common aggressive response with (4… Bg4), aiming to pin the knight to the queen. This is a somewhat suboptimal move, at least not really in keeping with opening principles or the slower defensive approach. Simple, with h3, Black must commit to trading their bishop. The only other alternative is pulling their bishop back or risk having it trapped. They trade their bishop for my knight, and my queen develops to a nice square with the queen and rook soon forming a battery.

We both castle kingside on move 8 and upon entering the middle game, the “King Hunt” begins in earnest! I now open the f-file for my queen-rook battery, and then open the dark square diagonal for my bishop to join the kingside attack. Black’s knight goes on a queenside adventure and trades their knight for my bishop. Although Stockfish considers this trade better for Black, it’s fine with me. I’ve removed one of Black’s potential defenders for their king and the queenside antics don’t worry me – my activity is against Black’s kingside defences! With Black’s moves, I use the opportunity to rotate one of my knights to join the attack.

And from move 18, Black’s king is completely overwhelmed against my 4-piece attack. Their one active defender, the knight, is pinned to Black’s queen. Black’s rook is too cramped to be active and indeed, boxes in its king. Although I don’t play the most accurately, the pins allow me to whack Black’s h-pawn for free on move 20. And then on move 21, Black resigns, recognising that on the next move I will capture their queen by force! We’re going on a King Hunt… GG!

Game on Lichess: https://lichess.org/ELFdLsP5

[Event "Rated Rapid game"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/ELFdLsP5"]
[Date "2023.05.27"]
[Round "?"]
[White "vitualis"]
[Black "jalaklenteng"]
[Result "1-0"]
[UTCDate "2023.05.27"]
[UTCTime "01:21:42"]
[WhiteElo "1744"]
[BlackElo "1758"]
[WhiteRatingDiff "+31"]
[BlackRatingDiff "-5"]
[TimeControl "600+5"]
[ECO "C29"]
[Opening "Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit"]
[Termination "Normal"]
[Annotator "lichess.org"]
[WhiteUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/3711094.82046355.50x50o.c8c8e6b7296c.jpg"]
[WhiteCountry "17"]
[WhiteTitle ""]
[BlackUrl "https://adventuresofachessnoob.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/lichess.png"]
[BlackCountry "92"]
[BlackTitle ""]

1. e4 {[%clk 0:10:00]} 1... e5 {[%clk 0:10:00]} 2. Nc3 {[%clk 0:10:03]} 2... Nf6
{[%clk 0:09:48]} 3. f4 {[%clk 0:10:07]} 3... d6 {[%clk 0:09:49] Vienna Gambit:
Declined 3... d6. Apart from entering the Vienna Game Main Line with d5, this is
the best way of declining the Vienna Gambit [+0.5]} 4. Nf3 {[%clk 0:09:54]} 4...
Bg4 {[%clk 0:09:42]} 5. h3 {[%clk 0:09:55]} 5... Bxf3 $1 {[%clk 0:09:32][%c_effect
f3;square;f3;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] Black must commit to this capture
or else, loses tempo or risks having their bishop trapped} 6. Qxf3 {[%clk
0:09:58]} 6... c6 $6 {[%clk 0:09:26][%c_arrow
f8e7;keyPressed;none;from;f8;opacity;0.8;to;e7;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e7;persistent;false][%c_effect
c6;square;c6;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] An inaccuracy [+1]. Black needs to
prioritise development.} 7. Bc4 {[%clk 0:09:29]} 7... Be7 {[%clk 0:09:26]} 8.
O-O {[%clk 0:09:25]} 8... O-O {[%clk 0:09:20]} 9. fxe5 {[%clk 0:09:11]} 9...
dxe5 {[%clk 0:09:23]} 10. d3 {[%clk 0:09:15]} 10... b5 {[%clk 0:09:14]} 11. Bb3
{[%clk 0:09:01]} 11... a5 {[%clk 0:09:16]} 12. a4 {[%clk 0:09:00]} 12... b4 $2
{[%clk 0:09:18][%c_arrow
b8a6;keyPressed;none;from;b8;opacity;0.8;to;a6;persistent;false][%c_highlight
a6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;a6;persistent;false][%c_effect
b4;square;b4;type;Mistake;persistent;true] Although Black expands on the
queenside, there is no attack here so this is a mistake [+1.5]. Closing off the
queenside might be more beneficial for me as I re-route my knight to join the
kingside attack $1} 13. Ne2 {[%clk 0:08:57]} 13... Nbd7 {[%clk 0:08:31]} 14. Ng3
{[%clk 0:09:00]} 14... Nc5 {[%clk 0:08:24]} 15. Nf5 $2 {[%clk 0:08:43][%c_effect
f5;square;f5;type;Mistake;persistent;true] Stockfish calls this a mistake [+0.4]
as it doesn't think the tempo is worth losing the bishop pair and damaged
queenside pawns. However, as I'm hunting Black's king, I don't mind the antics
on the queenside $1} 15... Nxb3 {[%clk 0:08:19]} 16. cxb3 {[%clk 0:08:47]} 16...
Bc5+ $2 {[%clk 0:08:07][%c_effect c5;square;c5;type;Mistake;persistent;true] Black
moves their bishop out of the attack, but this is a mistake [+2] as they move
their bishop out of the defence of their king.} 17. Kh1 {[%clk 0:08:40]} 17...
Kh8 {[%clk 0:08:09]} 18. Qg3 $2 {[%clk 0:08:16][%c_arrow
f5g7;keyPressed;none;from;f5;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;Mistake;persistent;true] There is a more forcing line with
Nxg7 which makes this a mistake [+0.7]} ({A more powerful line that smashes the
king's defences...} 18. Nxg7 Kxg7 19. Bg5 {It's difficult for Black to navigate
this impending royal fork...}) 18... Rg8 $2 {[%clk 0:08:10][%c_effect
g8;square;g8;type;Mistake;persistent;true] A mistake, with the king now trapped
on the h8 square [+2.8]} 19. Bg5 $1 {[%clk 0:07:53][%c_effect
g5;square;g5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] Now the knight is also pinned...}
19... h6 $2 {[%clk 0:07:15][%c_effect
h6;square;h6;type;Mistake;persistent;true][%c_arrow
f6h5;keyPressed;none;from;f6;opacity;0.8;to;h5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
h5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;h5;persistent;false] Another mistake,
weakening the defence of the king [+6]} 20. Nxh6 {[%clk 0:07:32] The knight
can't be captured as g7 is dynamically \"pinned\" to the defence of the knight
on f6 $1} 20... Rf8 $2 {[%clk 0:07:05][%c_effect
f8;square;f8;type;Mistake;persistent;true] Though Stockfish identifies that
losing the queen was actually the best move, as there is now a mating net $1
[+M10]} 21. Nf5 {[%clk 0:05:43] I don't see the mate though, but did see a way to
force win the queen...} 21... Rg8 {[%clk 0:03:30][%c_effect
h1;square;h1;type;Winner] Black makes this move, but then sees that their queen
will be lost after Qh4+, and resigns before I make the move.  GG $1} 1-0