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This is the game that I briefly showed the analysis of in my review of the Chessnut EVO (Prototype) Online Play test video! This is the very first game I played on the Chessnut EVO against a live random opponent on chess.com and it’s a beautiful 12 move checkmate in the Vienna!

I had the White pieces and my opponent responded with a very solid “two knights” in the Max Lange Defense of the Vienna (1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6). This is one of the most solid responses to the Vienna Game by Black [+0.1]. However, things quickly start to unravel… Black decided to fianchetto their queen’s bishop. Against the Vienna, this is an inaccuracy as the long slight square diagonal is already closed to the bishop. After Black fianchettos the bishop on move 5, Stockfish gives an evaluation of [+1.4].

On move 7, I had largely finished my development, while Black’s development had yet to complete. However, Black decided to play an aggressive knight advance and attack (7… Nh5), seemingly attacking my undefended bishop on f4 and winning tempo. This, however, is a mistake [+4.8]. Curiously, the best move identified by Stockfish is a mirror image attack on the other side of the board (Na5) attacking my other bishop!

I had a sense that I was ahead, so decided to play one of my favourite tactics in the Vienna Game, bishop sacrifice with check (8. Bxf7+)! Now, Stockfish called this move a mistake but evaluation-wise, I’m still better [+2.4]. As such, it should be considered an audacious gambit! The bishop sacrifice can often be powerful, forcing, and ultimately good in practice, even if the engine disapproves!

The next few moves were predictable – Black captures the bishop with their king, the knight leaps forward with another check, opening up a discovered attack on Black’s knight on h5 by my queen (8… Kxf7 9. Ng5+). Black moves their king forward to defend their knight – understandable but places their king in a very exposed location (9… Kg6) and an inaccuracy [+3.7]. My queen now advances menacingly (10. Qg4) and Black makes a terminal blunder with (10… Nxf4). The move makes sense from the perspective that they had committed to attacking my bishop on f4 with the knight move originally, and removes on of my attacking pieces. However, with the king exposed, Black needed to defend the f-file with Qf6 and without this, a mating net had formed [+M6].

On move 11, my queen advances one more step towards the Black king (11. Qf5+) and the king is trapped in front of his pawns – he moves to h6. And here, I saw, and then delivered, a beautiful checkmate – (12. Nf7#) – a family fork mate! GG!

Game on chess.com: https://www.chess.com/game/live/81074422639

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2023.06.21"]
[Round "-"]
[White "vitualis"]
[Black "johnnypm300"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Timezone "UTC"]
[ECO "C28"]
[ECOUrl "https://www.chess.com/openings/Bishops-Opening-Berlin-Vienna-Hybrid-Variation"]
[UTCDate "2023.06.21"]
[UTCTime "08:14:00"]
[WhiteElo "1455"]
[BlackElo "1453"]
[TimeControl "900+10"]
[Termination "vitualis won by checkmate"]
[StartTime "08:14:00"]
[EndDate "2023.06.21"]
[EndTime "08:21:06"]
[Link "https://www.chess.com/game/live/81074422639"]
[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 "17"]
[BlackTitle ""]

1. e4 {[%clk 0:15:06.8]} 1... e5 {[%clk 0:15:03.3]} 2. Nc3 {[%clk 0:15:00.2]}
2... Nc6 {[%clk 0:15:07.1] Vienna Game: Max Lange Defense} 3. Bc4 {[%clk
0:15:03.3]} 3... Nf6 {[%clk 0:15:12.7] Probably one of the most solid responses
to the Vienna Game by Black [+0.1]} 4. d3 {[%clk 0:15:07.6]} 4... b6 $6 {[%clk
0:15:16.2][%c_effect b6;square;b6;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
c6a5;keyPressed;none;from;c6;opacity;0.8;to;a5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
a5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;a5;persistent;false] A very understandable
developing move to fianchetto the queen's bishop, but it's an inaccuracy against
the Vienna [+0.8]} 5. f4 {[%clk 0:15:06.2]} 5... Bb7 $6 {[%clk
0:15:19.6][%c_effect b7;square;b7;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
f8b4;keyPressed;none;from;f8;opacity;0.8;to;b4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
b4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;b4;persistent;false] Stockfish disapproves
of Black's plan. This can be understood from the perspective that the long light
square diagonal is already closed to the bishop [+1.4]} 6. Nf3 {[%clk 0:15:05]}
6... exf4 {[%clk 0:14:32.2]} 7. Bxf4 {[%clk 0:15:06.5]} 7... Nh5 $2 {[%clk
0:14:32.6][%c_effect h5;square;h5;type;Mistake;persistent;true][%c_arrow
c6a5;keyPressed;none;from;c6;opacity;0.8;to;a5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
a5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;a5;persistent;false] Unfortuantely for
Black, this aggressive push by Black is a mistake [+4.8]} 8. Bxf7+ $5 {[%clk
0:14:39.4][%c_effect f7;square;f7;type;Interesting;persistent;true][%c_arrow
f3g5;keyPressed;none;from;f3;opacity;0.8;to;g5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
g5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g5;persistent;false] Stockfish rates this
bishop sacrifice a mistake [+2.4], but it's a tricky aggressive gambit that paid
dividends $1} 8... Kxf7 {[%clk 0:14:37.8]} 9. Ng5+ $1 {[%clk 0:14:43.1][%c_effect
g5;square;g5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 9... Kg6 $6 {[%clk
0:14:30.4][%c_arrow
f7g8;keyPressed;none;from;f7;opacity;0.8;to;g8;persistent;false][%c_highlight
g8;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g8;persistent;false][%c_effect
g6;square;g6;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] A very understanding foward king
move to defend the knight, but an inaccuracy [+3.7]} ({The engine best line is
extremely difficult to see and play...} 9... Kg8 10. Qxh5 Qe8 11. Qg4 {and chess
continues...}) 10. Qg4 $1 {[%clk 0:13:05.4][%c_effect
g4;square;g4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 10... Nxf4 $4 {[%clk
0:14:32][%c_arrow
d8f6;keyPressed;none;from;d8;opacity;0.8;to;f6;persistent;false][%c_highlight
f6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f6;persistent;false][%c_effect
f4;square;f4;type;Blunder;persistent;true] A blunder [+M6]. The queen needed to
defend the f-file.} 11. Qf5+ {[%clk 0:12:35.6]} 11... Kh6 $6 {[%clk
0:14:17.2][%c_effect h6;square;h6;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true]} 12. Nf7#
{[%clk 0:12:32.7][%c_effect
e1;square;e1;type;Winner,h6;square;h6;type;CheckmateBlack] A beautiful family
fork mate $1 GG $1} 1-0