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Kung hei fat choy! Sun nien fai lok!

chess noob Quick Wins! is a series of short videos, to demonstrate very quick wins! As a beginner, you become aware of the Scholar’s Mate and the Fool’s Mate, but neither of these show up in real games. However, there are tricky quick checkmates and wins that occur, even at the intermediate level of chess.

Today’s game is another from Team Australia clubmate @Hippocampus_D – a lovely demonstration of the power of one of my favourite lines in the Vienna, the Meitner-Mieses Gambit! I haven’t encountered this line for quite a while now as it’s only available in the “Copycat Variation” of the Vienna Game: Max Lange Defense (1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5). Once out of the beginner levels, I find that most people with Black will take a two knights approach in the Max Lange Defense, and we end up in the Berlin-Vienna Hybrid. It’s the reason I usually go down the Max Lange, Vienna Gambit these days.

However, once you reach the copycat variation position, the Meitner-Mieses Gambit is very likely to occur (4. Qg4 Qf6 5. Nd5). From this position on move 5, Black must commit to their attack with Qxf2 as all other moves are mistakes or blunders. In this game, Black got cold feet and decided to do a reset and undevelop their queen (5… Qd8). This is basically a game-ending blunder at around [+7], as White’s attack on the g-pawn wasn’t just posing – (6. Qxg7).

Black scrambles with another backward move with (6… Nce7) trying to defend their position, but this now blunders forced checkmate with the queen and bishop’s attack on Black’s weak f-pawn. In this game, Black plays (7. Nxc7+ Qxc7 8. Qxf7+ Kd8 9. Qf8#), lovely! The knight deflection of the queen is a common tactical manoeuvre in some other Vienna Gambit lines. However, there was a slightly quicker checkmate that could have been played – (7. Nf6+ Nxf6 8. Bxf7#) – taking advantage of Black’s cramped defences. GG!

As per the aphorism, never go full copycat against the Vienna!

Game on chess.com: https://www.chess.com/game/live/95575784873

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2023.12.06"]
[Round "-"]
[White "Hippocampus_D"]
[Black "RolandGon"]
[Result "1-0"]
[CurrentPosition "r1bk1Qnr/ppqpn2p/8/2b1p3/2B1P3/8/PPPP1PPP/R1B1K1NR b KQ -"]
[Timezone "UTC"]
[ECO "C23"]
[ECOUrl "https://www.chess.com/openings/Vienna-Game-Max-Lange-Meitner-Mieses-Gambit"]
[UTCDate "2023.12.06"]
[UTCTime "04:27:17"]
[WhiteElo "1334"]
[BlackElo "1410"]
[TimeControl "600"]
[Termination "Hippocampus_D won by checkmate"]
[StartTime "04:27:17"]
[EndDate "2023.12.06"]
[EndTime "04:29:26"]
[Link "https://www.chess.com/game/live/95575784873"]
[WhiteUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/271940739.23689ee9.50x50o.a219e5de89a5.jpg"]
[WhiteCountry "17"]
[WhiteTitle ""]
[BlackUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/177041377.0d7e4715.50x50o.e4b224b7dfe1.jpeg"]
[BlackCountry "111"]
[BlackTitle ""]

1. e4 {[%clk 0:09:59]} 1... e5 {[%clk 0:09:57.7]} 2. Nc3 {[%clk 0:09:56.9]} 2...
Nc6 {[%clk 0:09:55.4]} 3. Bc4 {[%clk 0:09:56]} 3... Bc5 {[%clk 0:09:53.6] Vienna
Game: Max Lange Defense, \"Copycat Variation\"} 4. Qg4 {[%clk 0:09:54.4]} 4...
Qf6 {[%clk 0:09:44.5][%c_arrow
e8f8;keyPressed;none;from;e8;opacity;0.8;to;f8;persistent;false][%c_highlight
f8;keyPressed;shift;opacity;0.8;square;f8;persistent;false]} 5. Nd5 {[%clk
0:09:52.3] Meitner-Mieses Gambit $1} 5... Qd8 $4 {[%clk 0:09:06.7][%c_effect
d8;square;d8;type;Blunder;persistent;true][%c_arrow
f6f2;keyPressed;none;from;f6;opacity;0.8;to;f2;persistent;false][%c_highlight
f2;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f2;persistent;false] Unfortunately for
Black, their ONLY way forward is... to push forward $1 All other moves are
mistakes/blunders $1} 6. Qxg7 {[%clk 0:09:37.2]} 6... Nce7 $4 {[%clk
0:08:49.4][%c_effect e7;square;e7;type;Blunder;persistent;true][%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]} 7. Nxc7+ {[%clk
0:09:17.6]} 7... Qxc7 {[%clk 0:08:45.2]} 8. Qxf7+ {[%clk 0:09:17]} 8... Kd8
{[%clk 0:08:39.8]} 9. Qf8# {[%clk 0:09:16.3][%c_effect
e1;square;e1;type;Winner,d8;square;d8;type;CheckmateBlack] GG $1} 1-0