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This was a very satisfying game for the beginning of the year! This was an inter-club tournament match between “The Great British Empire” and “Team Australia”. Obviously, I played for Australia! I had the White pieces and had a beautiful Vienna Game!

Black responded to the Vienna with the uncommon c5 (1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 c5), which while isn’t a mistake per se, it is a bit suboptimal [+0.8] and doesn’t stop the usual Vienna Game tactics. So, I developed my king’s bishop (3. Bc4) and the structure I want to play is f4, and then develop the king’s knight behind the pawn. To do this in a solid manner, d3 needs to be played first. So, (4. d3) and then (5. f4).

Black didn’t want to take my f-pawn, and so, I captured instead (6. fxe5). This creates a semi-open f-file that is often advantageous for White in these positions.

On move 9, we both castle kingside and enter the middlegame. The strategy for White in this position is simple – attack the Black king with pieces. Importantly, White has the bishop pair, knight, queen, and rook on the f-file well placed for an attack. I played one more preparatory move (10. Qe1), which gives the white queen access to the g- and h-files, and we’re ready!

I suspect Black wasn’t expecting my next move – a bishop sacrifice (11. Bxh6)! It was very gratifying to see after the match that the chess.com engine rated this move a brilliancy! This bishop sacrifice punches a hole in Black’s king’s defences on the g-file, which immediately gave an opportunity for an attack by White’s queen down the file (12. Qg3+). Black responds by snuggling their king towards their pieces (12… Kf8), but this was a mistake. Kh8 was better, but not easy to see.

Next, (13. Qh4) which attacked Black’s hanging and undefended h-pawn and Black played a sensible-looking backwards knight move (13… Ng8) which defended that pawn and opened a diagonal allowing the queens to see each other, inviting a queen trade. However, this was another mistake [+7.5] and the end was nigh after (14. Qh5). Between my bishop on c4, rook on f1, and queen on h5, I had piled on overwhelming pressure on Black’s f-pawn on f7 – an immediate checkmate threat!

Black defended valiantly but after (17. Rxf6), Black had to either sacrifice their queen or lose by checkmate. They played correctly with (17… Qxf6), but all hope was lost with (18. Nh7+), possibly unexpected, a royal fork at the end of the trade sequence! Emotional damage, Black resigned, GG!

The big takeaway from this game is the recognise this strategic motif in the Vienna Game/Vienna Gambit lines, especially if Black castles kingside.

Game: https://www.chess.com/game/daily/605702879

[Event "TCMAC U1400 LEGIONNARES 2023/24 GA R2 The Great British Empire. vs Team Australia - Board 21"]

[Site "Chess.com"]

[Date "2024.01.05"]

[Round "-"]

[White "vitualis"]

[Black "dusha83"]

[Result "1-0"]

[Match "https://www.chess.com/club/matches/1562409"]

[Timezone "UTC"]

[ECO "C25"]

[ECOUrl "https://www.chess.com/openings/Vienna-Game"]

[UTCDate "2024.01.05"]

[UTCTime "11:04:03"]

[WhiteElo "1237"]

[BlackElo "1264"]

[TimeControl "1/259200"]

[Termination "vitualis won by resignation"]

[StartTime "11:04:03"]

[EndDate "2024.01.12"]

[EndTime "07:15:30"]

[Link "https://www.chess.com/game/daily/605702879"]

[WhiteUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/3711094.f52a0759.50x50o.ab18600a8723.png"]

[WhiteCountry "17"]

[WhiteTitle ""]

[BlackUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/4764438.7b59dace.50x50o.03ed093a1103.jpg"]

[BlackCountry "141"]

[BlackTitle ""]



1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 {Vienna Game} 2... c5 {Interesting, if a somewhat suboptimal

response to the Vienna [+0.8]} 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 h6 5. f4 {Setting up a Vienna

Game/Vienna Gambit type structure} 5... Bd6 $2 {[%c_effect

d6;square;d6;type;Mistake;persistent;true][%c_arrow

e5f4;keyPressed;none;from;e5;opacity;0.8;to;f4;persistent;false][%c_highlight

f4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f4;persistent;false] Stockfish considered

this a mistake [+3]...} 6. fxe5 $2 {[%c_arrow

c3b5;keyPressed;none;from;c3;opacity;0.8;to;b5;persistent;false][%c_highlight

b5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;b5;persistent;false][%c_effect

e5;square;e5;type;Mistake;persistent;true] ... however, only with a somewhat

complicted line with Nb5 [+1.2]. Nonetheless, I still have a good advantage and

notice that the f-file is now semi-open.} 6... Bxe5 7. Nf3 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 d6 9.

O-O O-O {And we enter the middlegame [+1.8]. White's strategy is now quite

simple - attack the Black king $1 Notice that White's bishop part, knight, rook

and queen are well placed to strike Black's kingside position.} 10. Qe1 {One

last preparatory move before the attack $1} 10... Re8 $6 {[%c_effect

e8;square;e8;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow

b8c6;keyPressed;none;from;b8;opacity;0.8;to;c6;persistent;false][%c_highlight

c6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;c6;persistent;false] Somewhat inaccurate

[+2.4]} 11. Bxh6 $3 {[%c_effect

h6;square;h6;type;Brilliant;persistent;true][%c_highlight

h6;keyPressed;alt;opacity;0.8;square;h6;persistent;false] Brilliant move $1 This

bishop sacrifices smashes open Black's king's defences $1} 11... gxh6 12. Qg3+

Kf8 $2 {[%c_arrow

g8h8;keyPressed;none;from;g8;opacity;0.8;to;h8;persistent;false][%c_highlight

h8;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;h8;persistent;false][%c_effect

f8;square;f8;type;Mistake;persistent;true] A mistake [+5.1]} 13. Qh4 $6

{[%c_arrow

f3h4;keyPressed;none;from;f3;opacity;0.8;to;h4;persistent;false][%c_highlight

h4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;h4;persistent;false][%c_effect

h4;square;h4;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] Stockfish identifies that Nh4 was

the more accurate way to play the attack [+5.1 $37 3.4] but this works too} 13...

Ng8 $2 {[%c_arrow

f8g7;keyPressed;none;from;f8;opacity;0.8;to;g7;persistent;false][%c_highlight

g7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g7;persistent;false][%c_effect

g8;square;g8;type;Mistake;persistent;true] This move seems to make sense for

Black - the knight defends h6 and invites a queen trade, which would end the

attack. However, it's a mistake [+7.5] and Black's most accurate move is the

difficult to see Kg7. Notice: all of Black's pieces are on their back rank $1} 14.

Qh5 {[%c_arrow

c4f7;keyPressed;none;from;c4;opacity;0.8;to;f7;persistent;false,h5f7;keyPressed;none;from;h5;opacity;0.8;to;f7;persistent;false,f1f7;keyPressed;none;from;f1;opacity;0.8;to;f7;persistent;false]

Black is now in serious trouble with massive pressure piled onto the f7 square,

which is a checkmate threat $1} 14... Be6 15. Bxe6 Rxe6 16. Ng5 $1 {[%c_effect

g5;square;g5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true][%c_arrow

f1f7;keyPressed;none;from;f1;opacity;0.8;to;f7;persistent;false,g5f7;keyPressed;none;from;g5;opacity;0.8;to;f7;persistent;false,h5f7;keyPressed;none;from;h5;opacity;0.8;to;f7;persistent;false][%c_highlight

f7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f7;persistent;false] The knight move

amazing reveals a triple attack on the f-pawn on f7 again $1} 16... Rf6 17. Rxf6

{Checkmate is threatened again $1} 17... Qxf6 18. Nh7+ {[%c_effect

g1;square;g1;type;Winner,f8;square;f8;type;ResignBlack][%c_arrow

h7f8;keyPressed;none;from;h7;opacity;0.8;to;f8;persistent;false,h7f6;keyPressed;none;from;h7;opacity;0.8;to;f6;persistent;false][%c_highlight

f8;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f8;persistent;false,f6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f6;persistent;false]

Royal fork, emotional damage, and Black opts to resign. GG $1} 1-0