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If you’ve been playing chess for a little bit, you might have recognised a couple of different styles of chess. One is the style we might see from computer vs computer games – accurate, careful, positional. The other style is very “human” – romantic, wild, and unsound! This is the style of gambits, bluffs, and sacrifices!

There is clearly a role for both styles, but I would make the case that the romantic style is extraordinarily fun. Furthermore, at the beginner-intermediate level, it can be much more effective than what computer game evaluation would suggest!

In this game, I make aggressive attacks and unsound sacrifices. By making use of the threat of tricks and traps, I somehow have the initiative for almost the entire game and ultimately win, even though I was objectively worse evaluation-wise according to Stockfish for almost the entire game, and down on material from move 4 to the end!

My opponent played the Scandinavian Main Line (Qa5) and so I responded with the Leonhardt Gambit (1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. b4)! I recently created a video and article on the Leonhardt Queen Trap (https://adventuresofachessnoob.com/2023/05/24/leonhardt-gambit-scandinavian-queen-trap/) and I used the same opening in this game. Black noticed the impending trap and after thinking for two minutes on move 6, played (6… e6) to block the trap. Drats!

However, this move slows down Black’s development and blocks in their light square bishop. I note that the trap is still potentially possible but opt to develop my other knight and was angling potentially for a rapid attack on Black’s kingside. On move 9, we both mutually castle kingside. On move 10, I play (10. Bb2), taking advantage of the open b-file to laser beam Black’s knight on f6, which is only defended by the g7 pawn. In essence, this was a threat to crack their kingside defence!

Black moves their knight, but this was a mistake! Effectively, the Black king now had no pieces defending the kingside. So, I decide that it’s piece sacrificing time to smash open king’s defending pawns! First (11. Qh5) with a mate threat forcing Black to advance their h-pawn (11… h6). Then bishop sacrifice killing the g-pawn – a brilliant move – forcing the king forward (12. Bxg7 Kxg7). Then, I leave my knight hanging on g5 and bring my light square bishop into the attack; Black can’t resist the free knight which is a blunder (13. Bd3 hxg5). I now have a mate in 3, but tunnel vision without deeper calculation resulted in me missing the obvious mating pattern… Boo!

Black’s king manages to escape the mating net and it’s forced back onto e8. At this point, I’m down two minor pieces with an evaluation of [-5] to [-6], aka, completely losing! However, my advantage is that my remaining pieces are developed, while Black’s position is cramped. I also had pins and traps that made it difficult for Black to play. Taking advantage of this, I keep making threats, even though many of these are technically unsound. The challenge of the position resulted in Black running down on time, even though they maintained their technical evaluation advantage. However, Black was only on the defensive and could not mount a counterattack. Separate to evaluation, this FEELS like losing.

When my opponent had less than 2 minutes left on the clock, I straight up hung a piece having made a visual lapse in continuity, but the aggressive move in the context of the game make it seem like a trap (it wasn’t!). To bolster this impression, I keep up the complexity by sacrificing another rook for one of Black’s pawns – my goal was simply to induce Black to make a panic blunder and this tactic was successful when on move 24, Black hangs their rook trying to counterattack my queen. Two moves later, Black resigns with less than a minute left, psychologically defeated! GG!

Game on chess.com: https://www.chess.com/game/live/79242696009

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2023.05.31"]
[Round "-"]
[White "vitualis"]
[Black "afurness14"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Timezone "UTC"]
[ECO "B01"]
[ECOUrl "https://www.chess.com/openings/Scandinavian-Defense-Mieses-Kotrc-Main-Line-Leonhardt-Gambit"]
[UTCDate "2023.05.31"]
[UTCTime "03:28:18"]
[WhiteElo "1411"]
[BlackElo "1330"]
[TimeControl "1800"]
[Termination "vitualis won by resignation"]
[StartTime "03:28:18"]
[EndDate "2023.05.31"]
[EndTime "04:11:27"]
[Link "https://www.chess.com/game/live/79242696009"]
[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 "2"]
[BlackTitle ""]

1. e4 {[%clk 0:29:57.9]} 1... d5 {[%clk 0:29:36.1]} 2. exd5 {[%clk 0:29:55.3]}
2... Qxd5 {[%clk 0:29:34.6]} 3. Nc3 {[%clk 0:29:54.9]} 3... Qa5 {[%clk
0:29:22.6]} 4. b4 {[%clk 0:29:53.9] Scandinavian Defense: Leonhardt Gambit} 4...
Qxb4 {[%clk 0:28:39.1]} 5. Nb5 $5 {[%clk 0:29:53.1][%c_effect
b5;square;b5;type;Interesting;persistent;true]} 5... Qa5 {[%clk 0:27:45.5]} 6.
Bc4 $5 {[%clk 0:29:49.7][%c_effect
c4;square;c4;type;Interesting;persistent;true]} 6... e6 {[%clk 0:25:55.6] This
move blocks the queen trap line [-1.2]} 7. Nf3 {[%clk 0:28:48]} 7... Bd6 $2 {[%clk
0:23:33.6][%c_effect d6;square;d6;type;Mistake;persistent;true] Stockfish
considers this a mistake [+0.00]} 8. Ng5 $2 {[%clk 0:28:13.5][%c_effect
g5;square;g5;type;Mistake;persistent;true] An aggressive and highly provocative
forward move [-1.7] - I'm hoping that I can still inflict the queen trap at some
point...} 8... Nf6 $6 {[%clk 0:22:35.8][%c_effect
f6;square;f6;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] An inaccuracy [-1.1]} 9. O-O
{[%clk 0:26:55.8]} 9... O-O {[%clk 0:22:24.7]} 10. Bb2 {[%clk 0:26:26.3]} 10...
Nd5 $2 {[%clk 0:20:49.5][%c_effect d5;square;d5;type;Mistake;persistent;true] A
mistake [+3.3]} 11. Qh5 $4 {[%clk 0:25:41.1][%c_effect
h5;square;h5;type;Blunder;persistent;true] Another highly provocative and
aggressive move. Stockfish calls this a blunder [0.00] but it isn't easy for
Black to navigate.} 11... h6 $1 {[%clk 0:20:17.9][%c_effect
h6;square;h6;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]  This is the only move that isn't
losing} 12. Bxg7 $3 {[%clk 0:24:53.8][%c_effect
g7;square;g7;type;Brilliant;persistent;true] Bishop sacrifice $1 Stockfish calls
this a brilliant move. The goal is to smash the defences of the king $1} 12...
Kxg7 {[%clk 0:18:47.5]} 13. Bd3 $2 {[%clk 0:24:34.6][%c_effect
d3;square;d3;type;Mistake;persistent;true] An audacious move bringing another
piece into the attack and hanging the knight. Stockfish calls this a mistake
[-5.7], but the poisoned knight is hard to resist $1} 13... hxg5 $4 {[%clk
0:16:49.8][%c_effect g5;square;g5;type;Blunder;persistent;true][%c_arrow
d5f6;keyPressed;none;from;d5;opacity;0.8;to;f6;persistent;false,d5f4;keyPressed;none;from;d5;opacity;0.8;to;f4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
f6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f6;persistent;false,f4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f4;persistent;false]
A game-ending blunder [+M3]} 14. Qh7+ $4 {[%clk 0:24:31][%c_effect
h7;square;h7;type;Blunder;persistent;true][%c_arrow
h5g5;keyPressed;none;from;h5;opacity;0.8;to;g5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
g5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g5;persistent;false] However, I had a bit
of tunnel vision and didn't calculate it through, moving the queen in 3
seconds... This is a blunder as the king and escape meaning that I'm straight up
down two pieces $1 [-5.3]} ({In retrospect, this checkmate line is very obvious $1}
14. Qxg5+ Kh8 15. Qh6+ Kg8 16. Qh7#) 14... Kf6 {[%clk 0:16:18.2]} 15. Qh6+
{[%clk 0:24:20]} 15... Ke7 $1 {[%clk 0:16:09.4][%c_effect
e7;square;e7;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 16. Qxg5+ {[%clk 0:24:02.9]} 16...
Ke8 {[%clk 0:14:15.2] And the king's escaped $1 [-5]} 17. Rae1 $6 {[%clk
0:23:42.3][%c_effect e1;square;e1;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
c2c4;keyPressed;none;from;c2;opacity;0.8;to;c4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
c4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;c4;persistent;false] I thought this was a
clever move that allows a potential capture of the knight.   The knight is
dynamically pinned in place as moving the knight will allow the queen trap to
strike.  Stockfish thought a more direct attack with the pawn was better [-6].}
17... Nc6 $6 {[%clk 0:11:57.4][%c_effect
c6;square;c6;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
d6e7;keyPressed;none;from;d6;opacity;0.8;to;e7;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e7;persistent;false] An inaccuracy [-4.2]
as the knight on d5 is hanging, though Black guarded against the trap} 18. Qxd5
{[%clk 0:23:34.1]} 18... Ke7 $6 {[%clk 0:06:53.6][%c_effect
e7;square;e7;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
d6e7;keyPressed;none;from;d6;opacity;0.8;to;e7;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e7;persistent;false] An inaccuracy [-3]}
19. Qg5+ {[%clk 0:22:17]} 19... Kd7 {[%clk 0:05:45.2]} 20. Qg7 {[%clk
0:20:38.9]} 20... Be7 {[%clk 0:03:21.5]} 21. Nc3 $6 {[%clk 0:19:03.8][%c_effect
c3;square;c3;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
f2f4;keyPressed;none;from;f2;opacity;0.8;to;f4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
f4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f4;persistent;false] I knew I was losing,
but had a major advantage in time. I decided to rotate my knight to try to get
another attack. Stockfish disapproves [-4.4]} 21... b6 {[%clk 0:02:34.3]} 22.
Bg6 {[%clk 0:17:28] I'm not going to lie, this was a straight up lapse in
continuity and a mistake [-6.2] $1 In my mind the pawn was pinned to the king and
I saw the mistake the moment I let got of the piece $1} 22... Qg5 {[%clk
0:01:43.2] However, Black being short on time and rattled by the sacrifices,
pins, and traps, assumed that they coudn't capture the bishop $1} 23. Rxe6 {[%clk
0:16:49.5] Given the state of the game, I decided to double down and just make
the position complicated as I thought that Black would soon panic, or just run
out of time} 23... fxe6 {[%clk 0:01:31.5]} 24. Ne4 {[%clk 0:16:32.8]} 24...
Rf7 $4 {[%clk 0:01:12.7][%c_effect f7;square;f7;type;Blunder;persistent;true] And
there we go, Black panic blunders in a complicated position... [+5.5]} 25. Qxf7
{[%clk 0:16:25.6]} 25... Ba6 {[%clk 0:00:53.9]} 26. Nxg5 {[%clk
0:16:15.9][%c_effect g1;square;g1;type;Winner,d7;square;d7;type;ResignBlack] And
Black resigns with less than a minute left on the clock vs my 16 minutes,
psychologically defeated. GG $1} 1-0