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Welcome to another episode of the “chess noob Game Review” series where the focus will be on identifying in how a game, whether I win or lose, could have been improved. This gives me an opportunity to reflect more deeply about a game and hopefully, the lessons that I draw for myself will be helpful to my fellow beginner and beginner-intermediate chess players!

I’m excited to show you this game where I lost against one of my subscribers @Bogo-IndianaJones who played with the White pieces. They play in a crackling romantic style and overwhelm me with a double brilliancy attack! Fantastic!

They led with the King’s Gambit, to which I accepted, and they then played a fascinatingly rare line, the Mason-Keres Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4). According to the Lichess community database of lower-rated games of blitz and rapid, this is played in only about 1 in 300 games of the King’s Gambit Accepted and I had never seen it before. This gambit is not especially good, but it requires the player with the Black pieces to immediately punish White for weakening the dark squares around their king with Qh4+. In this game (daily format), I was worried that there was a trap down that line so instead, played the more conservative (3… Nc6), which transposes into the Max Lange, Vienna Gambit Accepted, which I have some familiarity with (though I’m usually playing with the White pieces).

White strikes out again with (4. d4), which is known as the Steinitz Gambit in the Max Lange Vienna Gambit. I considered Qh4+ again, which was the best move, but again, was worried of a trap. So, rather than trying to hold onto the pawn on f4, I opted to give it up and play solidly and simply develop. From the perspective of the opening and my strategy of building towards a middlegame, this was arguably the correct decision. I entered the middlegame with an advantage, or after a mistake, only back to equality. White as pretty much never ahead.

However, White managed to launch a fantastic attack on my position, marshalling five pieces. On move 17, they played a very powerful (17. Qh5). In game, I thought that I must have made a mistake somewhere and assumed that they were ahead. Very interestingly on analysis, the position was actually [0.00], but it was very complicated after (17… g6), which looks like a fork, but isn’t. I thought that move wouldn’t work so didn’t play it.

Instead, I found what I thought was a very clever move (17… Nf4), a fork of White’s queen and bishop, and blocked the white rook’s access to the f-file. I had assumed that White would need to retreat their queen to defend their bishop, but in doing so and trading down, it would nerf White’s attack. Indeed, this WAS a great move giving me a significant advantage of almost [-3], but only if White didn’t find their only good response. And they did!

White sacrifices the rook (18. Rxf4), a brilliant move!! I capture back with my queen, and then White follows this up with a second brilliancy where they sacrifice the knight (19. Nxg7)!! Here, under pressure from White, I made a game ending blunder. I had assumed that I could not capture the White knight with my king as it looked like there would be a mating net forced. In the PGN, I’ve included the engine analysis of Stockfish 16 NNUE at up to about depth 60, that demonstrates that this is not the case! Somehow, the king escapes and the game trades down to a balanced rook and bishop endgame at [0.00]!

I didn’t see this and played (19. f5) thinking that I blacked White’s (non-existent) mating net. However, on the next move (20. Ng6+) – White gives a family fork check and I resign. GG!

The big takeaway from this game is that keeping the pressure with a sustained attack on your opponent’s king is a winning tactic, even when the engine doesn’t support it!

Game on chess.com: https://www.chess.com/game/daily/551905195

[Event "Let's Play!"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2023.08.19"]
[Round "-"]
[White "Bogo-IndianaJones"]
[Black "vitualis"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Timezone "UTC"]
[ECO "C25"]
[ECOUrl "https://www.chess.com/openings/Vienna-Game-Max-Lange-Steinitz-Gambit"]
[UTCDate "2023.08.19"]
[UTCTime "03:03:16"]
[WhiteElo "1105"]
[BlackElo "1182"]
[TimeControl "1/259200"]
[Termination "Bogo-IndianaJones won by resignation"]
[StartTime "03:03:16"]
[EndDate "2023.08.28"]
[EndTime "23:06:22"]
[Link "https://www.chess.com/game/daily/551905195"]
[WhiteUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/61032262.19ac7f24.50x50o.edf6b6e16e5d.jpg"]
[WhiteCountry "2"]
[WhiteTitle ""]
[BlackUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/3711094.f52a0759.50x50o.ab18600a8723.png"]
[BlackCountry "17"]
[BlackTitle ""]

1. e4 {[%clk 71:56:55]} 1... e5 {[%clk 71:55:53]} 2. f4 {[%clk 71:43:14]} 2...
exf4 {[%clk 71:53:20] King's Gambit Accepted} 3. Nc3 {[%clk 59:30:31][%c_arrow
g1f3;keyPressed;shift;from;g1;opacity;0.8;to;f3;persistent;false,f1c4;keyPressed;shift;from;f1;opacity;0.8;to;c4;persistent;false]
Mason-Keres Gambit [-1.3]. This is a fascinatingly rare line to go down.
According to the Lichess community database of lower-rated games of blitz and
rapid, it is played in only about 1 in 300 games of the King's Gambit Accepted $1
Most commonly, Nf3 and Bc4 are played.} 3... Nc6 {[%clk 71:43:42] In this game,
I transposed the position into a Max Lange, Vienna Gambit Accepted as something
that was familiar to me. I should have immediately attacked with my queen with
Qh4+ as this choice results in me losing a lot of my advantage [-0.5], and I
personally know that the Max Lange, Vienna Gambit is tricky to navigate for
Black $1} ({The best move that immediate takes advantage of White's weakened dark
squares around the king...} 3... Qh4+ 4. Ke2 {[%c_highlight
g5;keyPressed;shift;opacity;0.8;square;g5;persistent;false,e7;keyPressed;shift;opacity;0.8;square;e7;persistent;false][%c_arrow
g7g5;keyPressed;none;from;g7;opacity;0.8;to;g5;persistent;false,h4e7;keyPressed;none;from;h4;opacity;0.8;to;e7;persistent;false]
White's king is forced to bongcloud and Black has a number of very winning
options - g5 or Qe7 - with a goal of attacking down the e-file and White's
precariously exposed king}) 4. d4 {[%clk 71:43:38] This is the Steinitz Gambit,
in Max Lange Vienna Gambit, taking the full centre} 4... Bb4 {[%clk
71:48:33][%c_arrow
d8h4;keyPressed;none;from;d8;opacity;0.8;to;h4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
h4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;h4;persistent;false] Again, this was
suboptimal, giving up the f4 pawn  [0.00]. I should have immediately played
Qh4+.} 5. Bxf4 {[%clk 70:53:41]} 5... Nf6 {[%clk 67:16:15]} 6. Bd3 $6 {[%clk
71:36:08][%c_effect d3;square;d3;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
f4g5;keyPressed;none;from;f4;opacity;0.8;to;g5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
g5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g5;persistent;false] Although I didn't
punish White for their gambits, the resultant position isn't necessarily easy
for White to play. This was an inaccuracy [-0.8].} 6... Nxd4 {[%clk 71:58:02]}
7. Nf3 {[%clk 69:41:24]} 7... Ne6 {[%clk 71:56:34]} 8. Be5 $6 {[%clk
71:52:42][%c_arrow
f4d2;keyPressed;none;from;f4;opacity;0.8;to;d2;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d2;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d2;persistent;false][%c_effect
e5;square;e5;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] White presses on with the attack,
but this was an inaccuracy [-1.4]} 8... d6 {[%clk 71:51:27]} 9. Bxf6 $6 {[%clk
50:13:53][%c_arrow
a2a3;keyPressed;none;from;a2;opacity;0.8;to;a3;persistent;false][%c_highlight
a3;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;a3;persistent;false][%c_effect
f6;square;f6;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] An inaccuracy [-2.2]} 9... Qxf6
{[%clk 69:47:53]} 10. O-O $6 {[%clk 71:09:19][%c_arrow
d1d2;keyPressed;none;from;d1;opacity;0.8;to;d2;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d2;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d2;persistent;false][%c_effect
g1;square;g1;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] An inaccuracy [-3]} 10... Qg6 $2
{[%clk 71:26:14][%c_effect g6;square;g6;type;Mistake;persistent;true][%c_arrow
b4c3;keyPressed;none;from;b4;opacity;0.8;to;c3;persistent;false,c7c6;keyPressed;shift;from;c7;opacity;0.8;to;c6;persistent;false,e6f4;keyPressed;shift;from;e6;opacity;0.8;to;f4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
c3;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;c3;persistent;false] In this position,
however, I couldn't a good move. I wanted to get my queen off the f-file with
the potential discovered attack from White's rook, and I also wanted to launch
an attack on White's king. However, Qg6 was a mistake where I lose my advantage
and White gets positional attacking chances [0.00]} 11. e5 {[%clk 61:28:01]}
11... Qh6 {[%clk 71:21:53]} 12. Nd5 {[%clk 48:37:31]} 12... Bc5+ {[%clk
63:55:21]} 13. Kh1 {[%clk 64:29:44]} 13... O-O {[%clk 71:58:08]} 14. Ne7+ {[%clk
24:30:27]} 14... Kh8 {[%clk 71:55:24]} 15. Nf5 {[%clk 68:35:18]} 15... Qf4
{[%clk 71:58:31]} 16. N3h4 $2 {[%clk 41:31:23][%c_arrow
e5d6;keyPressed;none;from;e5;opacity;0.8;to;d6;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d6;persistent;false][%c_effect
h4;square;h4;type;Mistake;persistent;true] White makes an aggressive attack, but
this was a mistake according to the engine [-2.6] according to the engine.
However, I'm about the crack under the pressure $1} 16... Qxe5 {[%clk 66:52:44]}
17. Qh5 $1 {[%clk 56:05:28][%c_effect h5;square;h5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]
This is a very powerful move in a complicated position and I couldn't find a way
of navigating out of it in the game} 17... Nf4 $2 {[%clk 71:55:47][%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
f4;square;f4;type;Mistake;keyPressed;undefined;persistent;true] A mistake
[0.00]. I had assumed that g6 would be a mistake as the fork isn't actually a
fork with White's bishop on the diagonal and potentially looking a h7. As it
turns out, g6 is the best move $1 I thought that Nf4 was a very clever move, and
it does give a significant advantage to Black, except for one response...} ({The
engine recommendation at high depth...} 17... g6 18. Qh6 Bd7 19. Rae1 Qxb2 20.
Nf3 Rg8 21. Ne7 Rg7 22. a4 Bxa4 23. Nd5 Bc6 24. Rb1 {And chess continues $1}) 18.
Rxf4 $3 {[%clk 71:54:57][%c_effect
f4;square;f4;type;Brilliant;keyPressed;undefined;persistent;true] ... and White
found it $1 Brilliant move rook sacrifice $1} 18... Qxf4 {[%clk 71:55:58]} 19.
Nxg7 $3 {[%clk 64:40:10][%c_effect g7;square;g7;type;Brilliant;persistent;true]
White finds a second brilliant move and sacrifice $1} 19... f5 $4 {[%clk
70:30:21][%c_effect f5;square;f5;type;Blunder;persistent;true][%c_arrow
h8g7;keyPressed;none;from;h8;opacity;0.8;to;g7;persistent;false][%c_highlight
g7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g7;persistent;false] I miscalculated and
assumed that Kxg7 would lead to a mating net, a blunder $1} ({The king is actually
fine down this line [0.00]} 19... Kxg7 20. Qxh7+ Kf6 21. Rf1 Bf2 22. g3 Bd7 23.
gxf4 Rh8 24. Rxf2 Rxh7 25. Bxh7 Rh8 26. Be4 Rxh4 27. Bxb7 {... and somehow, the
game remains equal in a rook and bishop endgame $1}) 20. Ng6+ $1 {[%clk
71:35:54][%c_effect
h1;square;h1;type;Winner,h8;square;h8;type;ResignBlack,g6;square;g6;type;GreatFind;persistent;true][%c_highlight
f4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f4;persistent;false,f8;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f8;persistent;false,h8;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;h8;persistent;false,g6;keyPressed;alt;opacity;0.8;square;g6;persistent;false][%c_arrow
g6f4;keyPressed;none;from;g6;opacity;0.8;to;f4;persistent;false,g6f8;keyPressed;none;from;g6;opacity;0.8;to;f8;persistent;false,g6h8;keyPressed;none;from;g6;opacity;0.8;to;h8;persistent;false]
Very well played by my opponent $1 I resigned on this crushing family fork $1} 1-0