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I’ve played one of my subscribers @the_nut_job, a New Zealander many times where we both train and learn along the Vienna Gambit lines. In this game, my sub played the Vienna Game, I responded with the Falkbeer to steer it into the Main Line, they then used the Paulsen Attack, to which I responded with the “anti-Paulsen” which is the Bardeleben Variation, to which they played the Heyde Variation (1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d5 4. fxe5 Nxe4 5. Qf3 f5 6. d4)!

Previously, I’ve covered a whole series of videos on these sequences on how to play with both White and Black. My view is that the Heyde Variation is a fantastic line for the Vienna Game player against the prepared opponent who knows of the Main Line, and the Bardeleben Variation! Almost no one really knows of the Heyde Variation (https://adventuresofachessnoob.com/2023/04/17/vienna-game-main-line-heyde-variation/) so I was immediately reminded of the Harry Potter meme from the Half-Blood Prince where Snape accuses Potter, “YOU DATE USE MY OWN SPELLS AGAINST ME, POTTER?!”.

At the end of move 9, we’d had both castled (opposite side castling) and had entered the middle game, and I was entirely out of theory. One of the advantages of the Heyde Variation for White is that although that Black is technically ahead on evaluation, it isn’t easy to play as Black. I realised this in the game as I couldn’t see any obvious good candidate moves and at this point, I was out of theory. To be honest, I have never really studied playing AGAINST the Heyde Variation as Black!

As typical of what usually happens in daily games, I get inpatient playing moves on my phone, and on move 10, make a straight up mistake with (10… Qe7). I recognised this immediately after I made the move. At the same time, it felt liberating as I could now play in a style that I really enjoy – CHAOS STYLE – where I play aggressively, create ongoing tactical threats, and ruthlessly sacrifice material for a strategic end!

In the subsequent moves, I sacrifice my c-pawn, my rook on a8, my knight on b4, my b-pawn, and then my a-pawn! Yes, that’s right, 11 points of material! However, that last pawn was poisoned as (18… Rxa8)! If my sub wanted to save their queen, then Ra1 was back rank checkmate!

The only move White had was to trade their queen for my rook, which was actually fine – Stockfish gives an evaluation of [0.00]. However, winning is not just about evaluation! If you’ve been psychologically defeated and resign, it’s a win all the same! My sub, suffering emotional damage, believed that they had lost the match and so resigned on move 18. GG!

Game on chess.com: https://www.chess.com/game/daily/537759529

[Event "Let's Play!"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2023.07.07"]
[Round "-"]
[White "the_nut_job"]
[Black "vitualis"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Timezone "UTC"]
[ECO "C29"]
[ECOUrl "https://www.chess.com/openings/Vienna-Game-Main-Line-Paulsen-Bardeleben-Heyde-Variation"]
[UTCDate "2023.07.07"]
[UTCTime "02:43:03"]
[WhiteElo "928"]
[BlackElo "1170"]
[TimeControl "1/604800"]
[Termination "vitualis won by resignation"]
[StartTime "02:43:03"]
[EndDate "2023.07.15"]
[EndTime "01:57:12"]
[Link "https://www.chess.com/game/daily/537759529"]
[WhiteUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/199491106.f41b848c.50x50o.43108c9453dc.png"]
[WhiteCountry "102"]
[WhiteTitle ""]
[BlackUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/3711094.f52a0759.50x50o.ab18600a8723.png"]
[BlackCountry "17"]
[BlackTitle ""]

1. e4 {[%clk 167:29:12]} 1... e5 {[%clk 167:55:53]} 2. Nc3 {[%clk 165:56:07]}
2... Nf6 {[%clk 167:52:43]} 3. f4 {[%clk 149:21:48]} 3... d5 {[%clk 167:53:20]
Vienna Game: Main Line} 4. fxe5 {[%clk 167:47:51]} 4... Nxe4 {[%clk 167:49:24]}
5. Qf3 {[%clk 167:39:34]} 5... f5 {[%clk 167:59:59]} 6. d4 {[%clk 167:59:52]
Paulsen Attack, Bardeleben, Heyde Variation [-0.4]... \"You dare use my own
spells against me, Potter $6\"} 6... Be7 {[%clk 167:43:18]} 7. Nge2 {[%clk
123:32:33]} 7... O-O {[%clk 167:28:43] And this was approximately the end of my
knowledge of theory in this variation...} 8. Bf4 {[%clk 118:13:21]} 8... Nc6
{[%clk 167:57:32][%c_arrow
b8a6;keyPressed;none;from;b8;opacity;0.8;to;a6;persistent;false,c7c6;keyPressed;none;from;c7;opacity;0.8;to;c6;persistent;false][%c_highlight
a6;keyPressed;shift;opacity;0.8;square;a6;persistent;false,c6;keyPressed;shift;opacity;0.8;square;c6;persistent;false]}
9. O-O-O {[%clk 167:57:49] And at the end of the opening, I have quite an
advantage evaluation-wise [-0.7] but it isn't easy to play as Black $1} 9... Bg5 $2
{[%clk 166:16:25][%c_effect g5;square;g5;type;Mistake;persistent;true][%c_arrow
b7b5;keyPressed;none;from;b7;opacity;0.8;to;b5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
b5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;b5;persistent;false] This was a mistake
[+1.4]. The best move is the unintuitive b5, which can then be supported with
Rb8, attacking White's king.} 10. Kb1 {[%clk 139:35:57]} 10... Qe7 $2 {[%clk
167:54:05][%c_effect e7;square;e7;type;Mistake;persistent;true][%c_arrow
g5h4;keyPressed;none;from;g5;opacity;0.8;to;h4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
h4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;h4;persistent;false] This was a straight
up mistake [+4] from under calculating the position, and I knew it were the case
immediately after making it. However, again the best move for Black is obscure
in this position.} 11. Nxd5 {[%clk 167:47:02]} 11... Qe6 $6 {[%clk
167:49:04][%c_arrow
e7f7;keyPressed;none;from;e7;opacity;0.8;to;f7;persistent;false][%c_highlight
f7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f7;persistent;false][%c_effect
e6;square;e6;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] At this point, I was prepared to
lose the rook on a8 and decided to attack down the a-file and the a2 pawn. This
strategic positioning ends up being effective $1 Stockfish doesn't like this move
however [+5.7], but what does the engine know about strategy $1} 12. Nxc7 {[%clk
147:46:03]} 12... Qf7 {[%clk 167:54:13]} 13. Nxa8 {[%clk 167:45:19]} 13... Nb4 $6
{[%clk 167:55:14][%c_effect
b4;square;b4;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
c8e6;keyPressed;none;from;c8;opacity;0.8;to;e6;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e6;persistent;false] Again, Stockfish
doesn't like this as the machine mind can see through the tricks easily [+6.5].
However, psychological tactics are not so easy...} 14. Qb3 {[%clk 167:02:37]}
14... Be6 $5 {[%clk 167:30:46][%c_arrow
f7b3;keyPressed;none;from;f7;opacity;0.8;to;b3;persistent;false][%c_highlight
b3;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;b3;persistent;false][%c_effect
e6;square;e6;type;Interesting;persistent;true] Stockfish doesn't understand my
psychological brinksmanship [+7], and so thinks that a queen trade is best.
However, this would nerf all possible ability to win. I'm going to sacrifice
another knight for the sake of position, and potentially trapping the White
queen...} 15. Qxb4 {[%clk 167:55:31]} 15... Bxa2+ {[%clk 167:58:47] I punch a
hole in the h-file - note that the king is at risk of a back rank mate...} 16.
Kc1 {[%clk 147:18:53]} 16... Be7 $5 {[%clk 167:57:43][%c_effect
e7;square;e7;type;Interesting;persistent;true] Coaxing the White queen to take
the b7 pawn... which is actually their best move $1} 17. Qxb7 {[%clk 167:58:25]}
17... Bd5 $5 {[%clk 167:58:25][%c_effect
d5;square;d5;type;Interesting;persistent;true] The trap is almost set... Coaxing
the queen to now take the pawn on a7} 18. Qxa7 $4 {[%clk 167:58:26][%c_effect
a7;square;a7;type;Blunder;persistent;true][%c_arrow
e5e6;keyPressed;none;from;e5;opacity;0.8;to;e6;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e6;persistent;false] And they fall for the
trap [0.00]. The queen is lost $1 The refutation of my trap (e6) is difficult to
see within the psychological context of the moves prior $1} 18... Rxa8 $1 {[%clk
167:59:24][%c_effect
a8;square;a8;type;GreatFind;persistent;true,g8;square;g8;type;Winner,c1;square;c1;type;ResignWhite]
Emotional damage $1 If White attempts to rescue their queen, then Ra1 is
checkmate. Here White must trade their queen for my rook. Although the
evaluation is techinically equal [0.00] due to the material imbalance, my
subscriber resigned from the emotional damage $1 GG $1} 0-1