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I recently beat Bruce Lee in the Vienna! Well, kind of anyway! My opponent in this game @BruceLieLie is rated in the 1500s and has a photo of the famous martial artist as their icon.

This was another game of the Philidor-ish Defense to the Vienna Game (1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 d6). In fact, I last looked at this a month ago in Game Review #13 (https://adventuresofachessnoob.com/2023/05/22/vienna-game-2-d6-tricky-game-review-13/). One of the things I identified as an uncertainty of mine in that game was that after the stereotypical (3. d4 exd4 4. Qxd4 Nc6), it wasn’t clear to me where the queen should go. I had traditionally not played Qd3, thinking that the knight could harass the queen with Nb4, but I noted that the engine wasn’t worried about this. So, in this game, I played (5. Qd3).

And it worked! The thing here is that against Nb4, which my opponent played on move 7, there is the nullifying response Qb5+, forking the king and knight. The knight is forced back onto the c6 square to block the check and save the knight, effectively losing a step of tempo.

I think that my experience with the Vienna Game, especially with constructing kingside attacks, is really starting to pay dividends! There is just something tricky about the Vienna kingside attacks that can be difficult for Black to navigate. Black accrues several inaccurate moves in the middlegame according to the engine, that on the surface look entirely reasonable. On move 19, Black almost has their queen trapped, and just manage to escape. The bizarre thing is that the engine thinks that this line where the queen escapes by their skin her teeth was actually Black’s best line from the position!

On move 23, Black has a depressing position where four of their pieces are somehow clustered and stuck on the queenside corner. At very high depth, Stockfish 15.1 NNUE identified a [+M14] despite material equality! The forced mate line was far from obvious, but it was clear that I had a massive attack. On move 27, Black resigns seeing an impending [+M3]. GG!

Game on chess.com: https://www.chess.com/game/live/80542172453

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2023.06.15"]
[Round "-"]
[White "vitualis"]
[Black "BruceLieLie"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Timezone "UTC"]
[ECO "C25"]
[ECOUrl "https://www.chess.com/openings/Vienna-Game-2...d6"]
[UTCDate "2023.06.15"]
[UTCTime "04:23:49"]
[WhiteElo "1439"]
[BlackElo "1510"]
[TimeControl "900+10"]
[Termination "vitualis won by resignation"]
[StartTime "04:23:49"]
[EndDate "2023.06.15"]
[EndTime "04:48:43"]
[Link "https://www.chess.com/game/live/80542172453"]
[WhiteUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/3711094.82046355.50x50o.c8c8e6b7296c.jpg"]
[WhiteCountry "17"]
[WhiteTitle ""]
[BlackUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/55205898.e3d0a052.50x50o.4190697a0fb5.gif"]
[BlackCountry "2"]
[BlackTitle ""]

1. e4 {[%clk 0:15:03]} 1... e5 {[%clk 0:14:58.9]} 2. Nc3 {[%clk 0:15:11.3]} 2...
d6 {[%clk 0:15:07.3] Vienna Game... d6. This isn't the best response by Black
[+0.5]} 3. d4 {[%clk 0:15:09]} 3... exd4 {[%clk 0:15:15.7]} 4. Qxd4 {[%clk
0:15:17.4]} 4... Nc6 {[%clk 0:15:18.6]} 5. Qd3 {[%clk 0:15:26.3]} 5... Nf6
{[%clk 0:15:22.3]} 6. f4 {[%clk 0:15:28.4][%c_arrow
c1e3;keyPressed;none;from;c1;opacity;0.8;to;e3;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e3;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e3;persistent;false] This Vienna-ish move
is an inaccuracy [-0.1]. Developing the bishop and preparing for long castles is
better.} 6... Qe7 $6 {[%clk 0:15:21.3][%c_arrow
g7g6;keyPressed;none;from;g7;opacity;0.8;to;g6;persistent;false][%c_highlight
g6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g6;persistent;false][%c_effect
e7;square;e7;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] Also an inaccuracy [+0.3]} 7. Be2
{[%clk 0:15:07.4]} 7... Nb4 $6 {[%clk 0:15:10.1][%c_effect
b4;square;b4;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] This attack fundamentally doesn't
work on the queen without the knight being supported and is an inaccuracy
[+0.8]} 8. Qb5+ $1 {[%clk 0:15:13][%c_effect
b5;square;b5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 8... Nc6 {[%clk 0:15:18]} 9. Qd3 $6
{[%clk 0:13:31][%c_arrow
c3d5;keyPressed;none;from;c3;opacity;0.8;to;d5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d5;persistent;false][%c_effect
d3;square;d3;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] An inaccuracy as I don't punish
Black for the loss of tempo [+0.3]} 9... a6 {[%clk 0:15:16.1]} 10. Nd5 {[%clk
0:13:30.1]} 10... Nxd5 {[%clk 0:15:10.4]} 11. exd5 {[%clk 0:13:14.7]} 11... Na7 $2
{[%clk 0:14:40.8][%c_effect a7;square;a7;type;Mistake;persistent;true] Moving
the knight to the edge of the board was a mistake [+2]} 12. Nf3 {[%clk
0:12:38.4]} 12... h6 $6 {[%clk 0:14:39.1][%c_arrow
c8g4;keyPressed;none;from;c8;opacity;0.8;to;g4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
g4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g4;persistent;false][%c_effect
h6;square;h6;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] An inaccuracy [+2.5]} 13. O-O
{[%clk 0:12:26.4]} 13... Qf6 {[%clk 0:14:39.5]} 14. Nd4 $6 {[%clk
0:12:11.2][%c_arrow
c1d2;keyPressed;none;from;c1;opacity;0.8;to;d2;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d2;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d2;persistent;false][%c_effect
d4;square;d4;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] Stockfish thinks that the knight
advance is premature as it can be defended against by Black so rates this an
inaccuracy, although White is still comfortably ahead [+2.5]} 14... Be7 {[%clk
0:14:38.8]} 15. f5 {[%clk 0:11:53.2][%c_arrow
c1d2;keyPressed;none;from;c1;opacity;0.8;to;d2;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d2;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d2;persistent;false] Again, Stockfish
doesn't believe in this aggressive advance [+1.5]} 15... O-O {[%clk 0:14:25.1]}
16. Bg4 {[%clk 0:09:52.5]} 16... b5 $6 {[%clk 0:14:22.8][%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
b5;square;b5;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] An inaccuracy - the queenside
advance doesn't have a target [+2.3]} 17. Ne2 {[%clk 0:09:26.9]} 17... Bb7 $6
{[%clk 0:14:21.9][%c_arrow
f8e8;keyPressed;none;from;f8;opacity;0.8;to;e8;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e8;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e8;persistent;false][%c_effect
b7;square;b7;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] An inaccuracy [+4]} 18. Nf4 {[%clk
0:09:21.3] And as it turned out, although Stockfish didn't believe in the
initial knight moves, rotating the knight to join the attack on the kingside has
strategically placed it in a good place  $1} 18... c6 $6 {[%clk 0:14:01.9][%c_arrow
f6e5;keyPressed;none;from;f6;opacity;0.8;to;e5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e5;persistent;false][%c_effect
c6;square;c6;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] An inaccuracy [+5] which
demonstrates that this position is difficult to play for Black} 19. Nh5 {[%clk
0:09:07.7]} 19... Qh4 {[%clk 0:13:53]} 20. h3 {[%clk 0:08:17.9] The Black queen
is almost trapped...} 20... Bd8 {[%clk 0:12:59.3] They managed to escape the
queen trap} 21. g3 {[%clk 0:08:24.6]} 21... Qe7 $6 {[%clk 0:12:26.4][%c_arrow
h4f6;keyPressed;none;from;h4;opacity;0.8;to;f6;persistent;false][%c_highlight
f6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f6;persistent;false][%c_effect
e7;square;e7;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] As Black is pressured,
inaccuracies build to an unwinnable position. Interestingly, Black is dead lost
and there probably exists a long forced checkmate line despite material equality
 $1} 22. f6 {[%clk 0:07:06.6]} 22... Bb6+ {[%clk 0:11:39.6]} 23. Kh2 {[%clk
0:07:00.2]} 23... Qe5 {[%clk 0:10:40.3] [+M14] identified at high engine
depth...} 24. fxg7 {[%clk 0:06:41.5]} 24... Rfd8 {[%clk 0:10:37.1] [+M9]} 25.
Nf6+ {[%clk 0:06:17.3]} 25... Kxg7 {[%clk 0:10:26.6][%c_arrow
e5f6;keyPressed;none;from;e5;opacity;0.8;to;f6;persistent;false][%c_highlight
f6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f6;persistent;false] [+M3] - Black had to
sacrifice the queen to avoid a quick checkmate} 26. Qh7+ {[%clk
0:06:25.2][%c_arrow
c1h6;keyPressed;none;from;c1;opacity;0.8;to;h6;persistent;false][%c_highlight
h6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;h6;persistent;false]} ({The neatest
checkmate...} 26. Bxh6+ Kxh6 27. Qh7+ Kg5 28. Qh5#) 26... Kf8 {[%clk 0:10:35.6]}
27. Bxh6+ {[%clk 0:03:55][%c_effect
h2;square;h2;type;Winner,f8;square;f8;type;ResignBlack] Black resigns [+M3], GG
 $1} ({The continuation to mate...} 27. Bxh6+ Ke7 28. Ng8+ $3 {[%c_effect
g8;square;g8;type;Brilliant;persistent;true]} 28... Rxg8 29. Qxf7+ Kd8 30. Qd7#)
1-0