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Those of you following my channel will know that I’ve recently started playing the Vienna Gambit in the Max Lange Defense (1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4). It’s a bit unsound, but quite winning and often unsettling for the player with the black pieces. Previously, I would have always played (3. Bc4). The advantage of that line is that it’s completely solid, and there is the possibility that Black will play the full “copycat variation” with (3… Bc5) which ends up being a very fun line. However, more recently in the 1300s and 1400s, we would often end up in the Berlin-Vienna Hybrid. While I’m okay down that line, I don’t necessarily find the more positional games that fun.

In this game, Black responded with the rather curious and aggressive (3… Qf6)! I was quite motivated to win this game as it was the second match against this Indonesian opponent. I was completely winning in the first game, having won their queen, but arrogant carelessness on my part allowed them to create a rather clever and unexpected checkmate!

Now, this game gives a good example of one of the tactical ideas described in my just released book, “50+2 Chess Quick Wins: Tactical ideas for exciting chess for beginner players“! On page 38, I describe the “Queen’s knight on d4/5”. This tactic is an opening tactic that is especially available in openings when the queen’s knight develops early, as in the Vienna Game for White!

I immediately played (4. Nd5) in this game, attacking Black’s misplaced queen on f6, but also attacking the c-pawn on c7, which would come with an absolute fork of the king and rook! This move was somewhat inaccurate, as Black could salvage the position by simply undeveloping their queen to d8, their best move. However, psychologically, it’s often a safe bet that Black will refuse to retreat their queen! As expected, Black attempted to keep their queen in play with (4… Qd6), an inaccuracy as we now have a good chance of trapping the queen!

Notice that on move 6, almost all escape squares for the black queen are covered after d4. Black, not sensing the danger, develops their other knight (6… Nf6), a blunder as the queen is trapped! I recapture the pawn with (7. Bxf4) attacking the black queen! Notice how incredibly strong the white knight on d5 is, commanding the centre of the board! The black queen moves to the seemingly only safe square (7… Qe6), but it’s an illusion as my powerful knight has (8. Nxc7+) a family fork, winning the queen!

A few more moves are played but I’m completely winning at around [+8]. On move 14, Black makes a further one move blunder of their rook and resigns the next turn with emotional damage. GG!

The big takeaway from this game is to keep an eye out for this tactical pattern and opportunity – the queen’s knight to d5 with White, or d4 with Black.

Game on chess.com: https://www.chess.com/game/live/90224998537

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2023.10.05"]
[Round "-"]
[White "vitualis"]
[Black "hjdojwiaio"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Timezone "UTC"]
[ECO "C25"]
[ECOUrl "https://www.chess.com/openings/Vienna-Game-Max-Lange-Vienna-Gambit"]
[UTCDate "2023.10.05"]
[UTCTime "06:09:35"]
[WhiteElo "1310"]
[BlackElo "1099"]
[TimeControl "900+10"]
[Termination "vitualis won by resignation"]
[StartTime "06:09:35"]
[EndDate "2023.10.05"]
[EndTime "06:18:40"]
[Link "https://www.chess.com/game/live/90224998537"]
[WhiteUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/3711094.f52a0759.50x50o.ab18600a8723.png"]
[WhiteCountry "17"]
[WhiteTitle ""]
[BlackUrl "https://www.chess.com/bundles/web/images/noavatar_l.84a92436.gif"]
[BlackCountry "70"]
[BlackTitle ""]

1. e4 {[%clk 0:15:08.5]} 1... e5 {[%clk 0:15:07.3]} 2. Nc3 {[%clk 0:15:17.1]}
2... Nc6 {[%clk 0:15:12.3]} 3. f4 {[%clk 0:15:24.9] Vienna Game: Max Lange
Defense, Vienna Gambit [-0.5]} 3... Qf6 $2 {[%clk 0:15:14.5][%c_effect
f6;square;f6;type;Mistake;persistent;true] A curious aggressive move, that is a
mistake [+2.3]} 4. Nd5 $5 {[%clk 0:15:04][%c_effect
d5;square;d5;type;Interesting;persistent;true][%c_arrow
f4e5;keyPressed;none;from;f4;opacity;0.8;to;e5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e5;persistent;false] I decide to
immediately attack the queen, with the queen's knight, which also attacks the c7
pawn. Stockfish thinks that this is less optimal [+0.9] than fxe5, but only if
Black retreats the queen.} 4... Qd6 $6 {[%clk 0:14:47.6][%c_effect
d6;square;d6;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
f6d8;keyPressed;none;from;f6;opacity;0.8;to;d8;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d8;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d8;persistent;false] However,
psychologically, the early queen mover is unlikely to retreat [+1.7] $1 There is a
good chance that we can trap the queen.} 5. Nf3 {[%clk 0:14:52.3]} 5... exf4 $2
{[%clk 0:14:53.4][%c_effect f4;square;f4;type;Mistake;persistent;true][%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] A mistake [+4.5]} 6.
d4 {[%clk 0:14:22.7][%c_arrow
d5e7;keyPressed;none;from;d5;opacity;0.8;to;e7;persistent;false,d5b4;keyPressed;none;from;d5;opacity;0.8;to;b4;persistent;false,d4c5;keyPressed;none;from;d4;opacity;0.8;to;c5;persistent;false,b2a3;keyPressed;none;from;b2;opacity;0.8;to;a3;persistent;false,d4e5;keyPressed;none;from;d4;opacity;0.8;to;e5;persistent;false,d5f6;keyPressed;none;from;d5;opacity;0.8;to;f6;persistent;false][%c_highlight
b4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;b4;persistent;false,c5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;c5;persistent;false,a3;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;a3;persistent;false,e5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e5;persistent;false,f6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f6;persistent;false,e7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e7;persistent;false]
Notice that a trap is closing in around the Black queen...} 6... Nf6 $4 {[%clk
0:14:16.3][%c_effect f6;square;f6;type;Blunder;persistent;true][%c_arrow
d6g6;keyPressed;none;from;d6;opacity;0.8;to;g6;persistent;false][%c_highlight
g6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g6;persistent;false] A natural move, but a
blunder as Black's queen is now lost [+6.1]} 7. Bxf4 {[%clk 0:14:05.6] The queen
has now no escape...} 7... Qe6 {[%clk 0:14:04] This seemingly is the only safe
square, except it's not [+8.3]... Remember the knight on d5 $2 It's a
super-powerful knight.} 8. Nxc7+ {[%clk 0:14:12.1][%c_arrow
c7e8;keyPressed;none;from;c7;opacity;0.8;to;e8;persistent;false,c7e6;keyPressed;none;from;c7;opacity;0.8;to;e6;persistent;false,c7a8;keyPressed;none;from;c7;opacity;0.8;to;a8;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e6;persistent;false,e8;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e8;persistent;false,a8;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;a8;persistent;false]
Family fork $1} 8... Kd8 {[%clk 0:13:58.7]} 9. Nxe6+ {[%clk 0:14:20.8]} 9... fxe6
{[%clk 0:14:02.6]} 10. Bd3 {[%clk 0:13:20.1]} 10... Bb4+ {[%clk 0:13:44.7]} 11.
c3 {[%clk 0:13:24.4]} 11... Be7 {[%clk 0:13:49.8]} 12. Ne5 {[%clk 0:13:18.3]}
12... Rf8 {[%clk 0:13:32.7]} 13. Nxc6+ {[%clk 0:13:11.8]} 13... bxc6 {[%clk
0:13:36]} 14. O-O {[%clk 0:13:00.6]} 14... Rb8 $4 {[%clk 0:13:10.2][%c_effect
b8;square;b8;type;Blunder;persistent;true] A one move blunder [+13]} 15. Bxb8
{[%clk 0:12:52.9][%c_effect
g1;square;g1;type;Winner,d8;square;d8;type;ResignBlack] Emotional damage, GG $1}
1-0