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Recently, I’ve played the occasional game not logged into chess.com as a “guest” for quick low stakes games, trying out some new aggressive and somewhat unsound tactical ideas.

In this game had some fun tactical ideas that I wanted to share! I played the Vienna and Black responded with the usual “two knights” variation of the Max Lange Defense (1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6).

A few moves later, I realised that I had an opportunity to try something. One of the differences between the Vienna Gambit, Declined Nc6 and the current position with “two knights” Max Lange Defense is that bishop is already on the c4 square. This means that the usually tactical sequence in the Vienna Gambit, Declined Nc6 doesn’t work as after fxe5 Nxe5, d4 doesn’t have its bite as the knight can escape e5 by capturing my bishop on c4.

However, what if I move my bishop first? So that’s what I did (6. Bb3)! Stockfish doesn’t like this move as Black can respond with d6 defending the e5 pawn immediately. For that reason, the better response is my usual move Nf3, developing the knight behind the f4 pawn.

However, Black didn’t see the tactical line and decided instead to push a flank pawn (6… a6), which was a blunder [+2.8]! In this specific game, after the (7. fxe5) if Black captures the pawn back with their knight, then d4 was a fork of the knight and bishop! Black saw this and opted not to capture my pawn and moved their knight to the edge of the board (7… Nh7).

Consider at the end of move 11, as we enter the middle game the very odd configuration of the board! Black had almost no development, with their only two developed pieces mostly stuck on a7 and h7! At the same time, these highly defensive positions aren’t necessarily the easiest to play against.

A couple of moves later, I decided that I had enough tactical resources to sacrifice a piece to crack open Black’s king’s defences with (13. Bxh6). Stockfish called this an inaccuracy [-0.4] but it isn’t easy for Black to play! Black is also now firmly on the defensive, so I throw everything into the attack! The Stockfish evaluation is interesting on analysis up to move 18, it rates Black’s position as not only entirely defensible, but that my piece sacrifices for tempo to be outright errors. However, Black needed to play perfectly. On move 18, they make one slow move which seemingly makes sense – a king move that unpinned their knight (18. Kg8). However, the evaluation goes from [-4 to +M10]! Hidden to both me and Black was that the bishop needed to go to f5 to defend the knight on h7, and to do this, Black had to immediately remove my pawn on e4 with dxe4!

This one step of tempo flipped a winning defence to a mating net! On the penultimate move (20. hxg5), my position was in a shambles visually! Black was up two whole pieces, and I had three sets of doubled pawns! However, mate was inevitable – (21. Qh7#) – GG!

The big takeaway from this game are some tactical ideas in the Vienna. They are not perfect and are effectively bluffs and gambits but are enormously fun and satisfying to play!

Game on chess.com: https://www.chess.com/game/8a497582-30e8-11ee-9c13-40b22b01000f

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2023.08.02"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Secret Chess Noob"]
[Black "Guest2555726132"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "1379"]
[WhiteUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/3711094.f52a0759.50x50o.ab18600a8723.png"]
[BlackElo "800"]
[BlackUrl "https://www.chess.com/bundles/web/images/noavatar_l.84a92436.gif"]
[TimeControl "600"]
[Termination "Guest8490343559 won by checkmate"]
[WhiteCountry "17"]
[WhiteTitle ""]
[BlackCountry "225"]
[BlackTitle ""]

1. e4 {[%clk 0:09:57.8][%timestamp 22]} 1... e5 {[%clk 0:09:58.2][%timestamp
18]} 2. Nc3 {[%clk 0:09:57.1][%timestamp 7]} 2... Nc6 {[%clk
0:09:56.6][%timestamp 16] Vienna Game: Max Lange Defense} 3. Bc4 {[%clk
0:09:55.1][%timestamp 20]} 3... Nf6 {[%clk 0:09:54.6][%timestamp 20]} 4. d3
{[%clk 0:09:43.5][%timestamp 116]} 4... h6 {[%clk 0:09:52.4][%timestamp 22]} 5.
f4 {[%clk 0:09:38.4][%timestamp 51]} 5... Bc5 {[%clk 0:09:50.1][%timestamp 23]}
6. Bb3 $6 {[%clk 0:09:11.7][%timestamp 267][%c_arrow
g1f3;keyPressed;none;from;g1;opacity;0.8;to;f3;persistent;false][%c_highlight
f3;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f3;persistent;false][%c_effect
b3;square;b3;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] Here, I had an idea to make fxe5
possible. Stockfish calls this a suboptimal move [-0.4] as it can be foiled by
d6 and my usual approach to this position (Nf3) is apparently best.} 6... a6 $4
{[%clk 0:09:48][%timestamp 21][%c_effect
a6;square;a6;type;Blunder;persistent;true][%c_arrow
d7d6;keyPressed;none;from;d7;opacity;0.8;to;d6;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d6;persistent;false] However, Black misses
the tactic and blunders [+2.8]} 7. fxe5 $1 {[%clk 0:09:10.6][%timestamp
11][%c_effect e5;square;e5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 7... Nh7 {[%clk
0:09:29.5][%timestamp 185] The knight is pushed to the edge of the board} 8.
Nf3 $6 {[%clk 0:09:02.8][%timestamp 78][%c_effect
f3;square;f3;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_highlight
h5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;h5;persistent;false,g4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g4;persistent;false][%c_arrow
d1g4;keyPressed;none;from;d1;opacity;0.8;to;g4;persistent;false,g4h5;keyPressed;none;from;g4;opacity;0.8;to;h5;persistent;false]
Stockfish calls this an inaccuracy [+1.8] as there were a number of more
aggressive options which were good $1} 8... O-O {[%clk 0:09:27.2][%timestamp 23]}
9. Nd5 {[%clk 0:08:08.2][%timestamp 546]} 9... Na5 {[%clk 0:09:18.4][%timestamp
88]} 10. d4 {[%clk 0:07:40.6][%timestamp 276]} 10... Nxb3 {[%clk
0:09:14.1][%timestamp 43]} 11. axb3 {[%clk 0:07:35][%timestamp 56]} 11... Ba7
{[%clk 0:09:00.3][%timestamp 138] A rather curious geometric pattern. Black's
two developed pieces are pushed to the edge of the board and I control the
centre [+1.3]} 12. h4 $6 {[%clk 0:06:34][%timestamp 610][%c_effect
h4;square;h4;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
e1g1;keyPressed;none;from;e1;opacity;0.8;to;g1;persistent;false][%c_highlight
g1;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g1;persistent;false] Stockfish didn't like
this [+0.5] preferring the immediate short castle. However, I wanted an extra
attacker on the critical g5 square with my impending attack to crack open
Black's king's defences $1} 12... d6 {[%clk 0:08:57.8][%timestamp 25]} 13. Bxh6 $5
{[%clk 0:05:27.2][%timestamp 668][%c_effect
h6;square;h6;type;Interesting;persistent;true] Stockfish thinks this is an
inaccuracy [-0.4] but it is now difficult for Black to navigate $1} 13... gxh6
{[%clk 0:08:55.5][%timestamp 23]} 14. Qd2 {[%clk 0:04:22.9][%timestamp 643]}
14... Kg7 {[%clk 0:08:44.6][%timestamp 109]} 15. Qf4 $2 {[%clk
0:03:55.7][%timestamp 272][%c_effect
f4;square;f4;type;Mistake;persistent;true][%c_arrow
e1c1;keyPressed;none;from;e1;opacity;0.8;to;c1;persistent;false][%c_highlight
c1;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;c1;persistent;false] Stockfish can see
that this is a mistake [-2.2]. For my attack to work, I need to be able to
defend the f5 square and if Black plays perfectely, I'm one step of tempo too
slow. I don't see this, and as it turns out, neither did Black during the game.}
15... c6 $1 {[%clk 0:08:37.8][%timestamp 68][%c_effect
c6;square;c6;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 16. Qg3+ {[%clk
0:03:31][%timestamp 247]} 16... Kh8 {[%clk 0:08:36.2][%timestamp 16]} 17. Qf4 $5
{[%clk 0:02:13][%timestamp 780][%c_arrow
d5e3;keyPressed;none;from;d5;opacity;0.8;to;e3;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e3;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e3;persistent;false][%c_effect
f4;square;f4;type;Interesting;persistent;true] I offer to sacrifice my knight,
seemingly to for tempo to infiltrate with my queen. Stockfish sees this as a
mistake [-4.4] as the position can be defended and thus, I just lose my knight.
But what of my human opponent $2} 17... cxd5 {[%clk 0:08:20.5][%timestamp 157]}
18. Qxh6 {[%clk 0:02:10.5][%timestamp 25]} 18... Kg8 $4 {[%clk
0:07:47.8][%timestamp 327][%c_effect
g8;square;g8;type;Blunder;persistent;true][%c_arrow
d5e4;keyPressed;none;from;d5;opacity;0.8;to;e4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e4;persistent;false] And this was a
critical blunder [+M10]. By spending a turn unpinning the knight, Black will be
forced to trade their queen for my knight with the forward advance, and even
then, only delaying checkmate. The move dxe4 was needed for Bf5 to defend the
knight.} 19. Ng5 $1 {[%clk 0:01:57.8][%timestamp 127][%c_effect
g5;square;g5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 19... Nxg5 {[%clk
0:07:45.8][%timestamp 20]} 20. hxg5 {[%clk 0:01:54.7][%timestamp
31][%c_highlight
g2;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g2;persistent;false,g5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g5;persistent;false,e5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e5;persistent;false,e4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e4;persistent;false,b3;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;b3;persistent;false,b2;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;b2;persistent;false]
Just take a look at this crazy attacking game where I invested everything into
the attack $1 I'm down two pieces, and I have three sets of doubled pawns $1} 20...
f5 {[%clk 0:06:40.8][%timestamp 650]} 21. Qh7# {[%clk 0:01:48.2][%timestamp
65][%c_effect e1;square;e1;type;Winner,g8;square;g8;type;CheckmateBlack] GG $1}
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