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This was a very interesting game against a new subscriber and Ukrainian friend on chess.com. We had a bit of a chat after the game and we each had somewhat different approaches to learning. They had learnt quite a bit of opening theory, especially for less common openings. As for me, I focus somewhat less on theory and more on the tactical and strategic ideas of the approaches I play.

I had the White pieces and my opponent led with the Nimzowitsch Defense (1. e4 2. Nc6), which while a little suboptimal [+0.5] is potentially a very flexible approach. I knew no theory here, so I decided to play according to opening principles, but also my thinking was to see whether I could transpose the game into a Vienna Game or a Vienna Gambit, and so I played (2. Nc3). Stockfish evaluation suggests that (2… e5), transposing into the Vienna Game: Max Lange Defense is Black’s best move, but presumably, they avoided e5 for a reason.

Black played their other knight the next turn (2… Nf6). Here, I suspected that the best move would be (3. d4) according to opening principles, but that this might then transpose into a fairly closed and positional game. So, I decided to play (3. f4)! Stockfish calls this an inaccuracy with the evaluation dropping to equality [0.00] but I was baiting Black to play e5, to prevent my own e5.

Why would I do that? Well, Black entered my trap and after (3… e5 4. fxe5), the position transposes into the Vienna Gambit Declined, 3… Nc6! This is a line I’m very familiar with, and more than that, is an outright mistake for White [+1.5]!

By move 9, I was basically developed, had control of the centre with my pawns, and about to launch a devastating attack on Black’s f7 pawn. Black, however, was relatively minimally developed and had limited control of space. Their last move (9… Bg4) ostensibly pinned my knight to the queen, but as we shall see, this was an inaccuracy as it doesn’t work against the pressure on f7!

I capture with a pawn in the centre (10. exd6), creating a fully open e-file exposing Black’s king, and creating a square for my “pinned” knight currently on f3. Black had one last opportunity to limit the damage by defending the f7 pawn but didn’t see the tactic. The evaluation was now [+5 to +6].

Now, I launched one of my favourite tactical manoeuvres in the Vienna! First, bishop sacrifice capture of f7 with check (11. Bxf7+), dragging Black’s king onto the f-file. This sacrifice creates a fully open f-file so the knight advance with check (12. Ne5+) is a magical DOUBLE CHECK (knight and discovered check with rook), making the impossible possible! I love how the attacking piece gives check from a defended square and opens reverses the pin and attack on my queen, to a discovered attack on the bishop! The king is forced to retreat, and I capture the light square bishop, developing my queen into the attack (12… Ke8 13. Qxg4).

My opponent makes one final aggressive launch, flinging their g-pawn forward, presumably to prevent a queen advance. However, this was a mistake [+M16], as it now weakened the light squares around their king. Next move (16. Qh5+) and Black has only two legal moves. One is a mate-in-one. The other results in a rook skewering the king against the queen on the open d-file (16… Kd7 17. Rd1+) causing emotional damage. GG!

The big takeaway from this game is that learning opening theory is helpful and useful. However, it can only take you so far – most games will deviate from theory a few moves into the opening. It is the understanding of the tactical and strategic ideas of an opening that will allow you to capitalise on opportunities in the opening, and into the middlegame.

Game on chess.com: https://www.chess.com/game/daily/545057209

[Event "Let's Play!"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2023.07.29"]
[Round "-"]
[White "vitualis"]
[Black "Badchesserrr"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Timezone "UTC"]
[ECO "B00"]
[ECOUrl "https://www.chess.com/openings/Nimzowitsch-Defense-2.Nc3-Nf6"]
[UTCDate "2023.07.29"]
[UTCTime "02:55:26"]
[WhiteElo "1165"]
[BlackElo "546"]
[TimeControl "1/86400"]
[Termination "vitualis won by resignation"]
[StartTime "02:55:26"]
[EndDate "2023.07.29"]
[EndTime "10:54:54"]
[Link "https://www.chess.com/game/daily/545057209"]
[WhiteUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/3711094.f52a0759.50x50o.ab18600a8723.png"]
[WhiteCountry "17"]
[WhiteTitle ""]
[BlackUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/205862265.f3d69b59.50x50o.4ea83c6ec36f.jpg"]
[BlackCountry "141"]
[BlackTitle ""]

1. e4 {[%clk 23:59:53]} 1... Nc6 {[%clk 16:34:43] Nimzowitsch Defense [+0.5].
Uncommon at the beginner-intermediate level and quite tricky $1} 2. Nc3 {[%clk
23:58:49] My thinking here was to see whether I could transpose this into a
Vienna Game or Gambit...} 2... Nf6 {[%clk 23:59:16]} 3. f4 $5 {[%clk
23:58:45][%c_effect f4;square;f4;type;Interesting;persistent;true] Opening
principles would suggest that d4 is the best move. However, I was baiting Black
to play the natural looking e5 as response, which would transpose into the
Vienna Gambit Declined with Nc6, a very good position for White $1} 3... e5 $2
{[%clk 23:58:34][%c_effect e5;square;e5;type;Mistake;persistent;true][%c_arrow
d7d5;keyPressed;none;from;d7;opacity;0.8;to;d5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d5;persistent;false] And it worked $1 This
was a mistake [0.00 $37 +1.5]} 4. fxe5 {[%clk 23:59:41]} 4... Nxe5 {[%clk
23:57:09]} 5. d4 {[%clk 23:59:48]} 5... Ng6 {[%clk 23:58:12]} 6. e5 {[%clk
23:59:46]} 6... Ng8 {[%clk 23:59:12]} 7. Nf3 {[%clk 23:58:47]} 7... h6 $2 {[%clk
23:59:00][%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][%c_effect
h6;square;h6;type;Mistake;persistent;true] A mistake [+2.7] as development is a
priority} 8. Bc4 {[%clk 23:57:26]} 8... d6 $2 {[%clk 23:59:35][%c_arrow
d7d5;keyPressed;none;from;d7;opacity;0.8;to;d5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d5;persistent;false][%c_effect
d6;square;d6;type;Mistake;persistent;true] An inaccuracy/mistake [+4.8]. A
tactical idea on the Vienna Gambit is to attack the f7 pawn and Black should
optimally defend against this impending threat.} 9. O-O {[%clk 23:59:46]} 9...
Bg4 $6 {[%clk 23:59:38][%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][%c_effect
g4;square;g4;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] As we shall see, this is an
inaccuracy as the pin doesn't work [+5.7]} 10. exd6 {[%clk 23:57:17] This is to
make the e5 square available for the knight on f4} 10... Bxd6 $6 {[%clk
23:59:21][%c_effect d6;square;d6;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
d8d7;keyPressed;none;from;d8;opacity;0.8;to;d7;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d7;persistent;false] Black needed to
defend f7 [+6.3]} 11. Bxf7+ $3 {[%clk 23:56:47][%c_effect
f7;square;f7;type;Brilliant;persistent;true] Bishop sacrifice on f7 with check $1
A brilliant move.} 11... Kxf7 {[%clk 23:59:48]} 12. Ne5+ $1 {[%clk
23:59:54][%c_effect e5;square;e5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true][%c_arrow
e5f7;keyPressed;none;from;e5;opacity;0.8;to;f7;persistent;false,f1f7;keyPressed;none;from;f1;opacity;0.8;to;f7;persistent;false][%c_highlight
f7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f7;persistent;false] Double check $1} 12...
Ke8 {[%clk 23:59:05]} 13. Qxg4 {[%clk 23:59:50]} 13... Nxe5 {[%clk 23:59:16]}
14. dxe5 {[%clk 23:59:37]} 14... Bc5+ {[%clk 23:59:22]} 15. Kh1 {[%clk
23:59:20]} 15... g5 $2 {[%clk 23:59:04][%c_arrow
g8e7;keyPressed;none;from;g8;opacity;0.8;to;e7;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e7;persistent;false][%c_effect
g5;square;g5;type;Mistake;persistent;true] This move weakens the light squares
around the king. At high depth, there is now a forced checkmate line no longer
than [+M16]} 16. Qh5+ {[%clk 23:56:11]} 16... Kd7 {[%clk 23:59:36]} 17. Rd1+
{[%clk 23:58:49][%c_effect
h1;square;h1;type;Winner,d7;square;d7;type;ResignBlack][%c_arrow
d1d7;keyPressed;none;from;d1;opacity;0.8;to;d7;persistent;false,d7d8;keyPressed;none;from;d7;opacity;0.8;to;d8;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d7;persistent;false] Rook skewers the king
against the queen, emotional damage and Black resigns $1} 1-0