---

Today’s chess noob Quick Wins game is a demonstration of keeping an eye out for the possibility of tactical attack patterns and being willing to follow a plan and strike! 🤩

This was a game of 15+10 rapid but ended quite quickly on move 12. I had the White pieces and my opponent responded to my usual King’s Pawn Opening with the Modern Variation of the Scandinavian (1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6), which then naturally transposes into Alekhine’s Defense: Scandinavian Variation (3. Nc3). This classical to hypermodern-ish transposition line is a rather successful way to play the Scandinavian, with the Lichess community database revealing a decent win ratio advantage for Black (50%) vs White (46%). Not bad at the end of move 2/beginning of move 3!

Historical note:
The Scandinavian Defense: Modern Variation was well known to the 19^th century romantic chess masters, though the Scandinavian would have been known as the Center Counter Defense. In the massive LumbrasGigabase there are games of this line played by luminaries including Howard Staunton, Adolf Anderssen, Emanuel Lasker, and especially Joseph Blackburne – the same “The Black Death” Blackburne of the Blackburne Shilling Gambit – who seemed to have some success with this line! For instance, in the 6^th master’s tournament organised by the DSB (Deutscher Schachbund, English: German Chess Federation), Blackburne crushed Alapin in twenty moves! (Alapin — Blackburne, 1889, Breslau, Germany)

As per the game played by Blackburne, the advantage with the Modern Variation of the Scandinavian is that Black gets to recapture the pawn with a knight rather than the early movement of the queen into the centre of the board. However, in my game, Black opted to play aggressively with (3… Bg4?!), opting for activity and potentially gambit the lost pawn. In the position, I had an opportunity to hold onto the won pawn with a line starting with (4. Bb5+). However, against the Scandinavian, I usually take the approach that I’ll give back the pawn, and to prioritise developing first.

Stockfish doesn’t think that this is the most accurate way, preferring a sharper approach, but I find that this keeps me solid in unfamiliar lines and helps avoid traps. Black made some trades in the centre, and after move 6, their initiative was gone. Black had won a concession in my doubled c-pawns, but this was hardly problematic, and I had gained an advantage in development, arguably more impactful in the opening and early middlegame!

This called for some immediate tactical play and looking for attacks! First, I played (7. Bc4) – together with my king’s knight already developed (on f3), there is a potential attack on Black’s weak f7-pawn. Black responded with (7… e6), a good move, blocking that line of attack. However, it seemed that they were setting up for kingside castling and their next move suggested the same, (8… Bd6).

I saw the possibility for a Greek Gift Sacrifice pattern! Rather than castling myself, I kept my king in the centre and pulled my light square bishop back (9. Bd3) ready to strike if Black castled! 😈

Black castled and I immediately hit with (10. Bxh7+!?). Stockfish labels this move a mistake as the evaluation changes from [+1 → 0.00]. However, my view is that this is still a great tactical move! The position is equal at best if Black plays the most accurate line, which isn’t easy to do! They capture the bishop (correct) with Kxh7 and then we have the next step with (11. Ng5+!). Black here needs to find the critical move (11… Kg6), walking their king forward, seemingly exposing it to the attack! This is not intuitive, and Black played the natural retreating (11… Kg8??), a blunder as (12. Qh5!), threatening checkmate next turn!

Indeed, in this position, Black’s only move that avoids forced checkmate is to trade their queen for my knight (12… Qxg5 13. Qxg5), which is an emotionally damaging concession to make. Instead, Black wisely opted to resign, good game, GG!

Game: https://www.chess.com/game/live/114737901391

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2024.07.14"]
[Round "?"]
[White "vitualis"]
[Black "AlinHawaii"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B02"]
[WhiteElo "1242"]
[BlackElo "1176"]
[TimeControl "900+10"]
[EndTime "16:20:13 PDT"]
[Termination "vitualis won by resignation"]
[WhiteUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/3711094.f52a0759.100x100o.671ef4f371ed@3x.png"]
[WhiteCountry "17"]
[WhiteTitle ""]
[BlackUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/31028092.f7dbec28.100x100o.f655d0edd063@3x.jpeg"]
[BlackCountry "2"]
[BlackTitle ""]

1. e4 {[%clk 0:15:10][%timestamp 1]} 1... d5 {[%clk 0:15:07.3][%timestamp 27]}
2. exd5 {[%clk 0:15:18.5][%timestamp 15]} 2... Nf6 {[%clk 0:15:14.2][%timestamp
31]} 3. Nc3 {[%clk 0:15:16.1][%timestamp 124] Alekhine's Defense: Scandinavian
Variation} 3... Bg4 $6 {[%clk 0:15:19.7][%timestamp 45][%c_arrow
f6d5;keyPressed;none;from;f6;opacity;0.8;to;d5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d5;persistent;false][%c_effect
g4;square;g4;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] Black attempting to play
aggressively, but this move is an inaccuracy/mistake [+0.2 $37 +1.0]. It is
simpler for Black to recapture the pawn on d5.} 4. Nf3 $6 {[%clk
0:15:11.7][%timestamp 144][%c_arrow
f1b5;keyPressed;none;from;f1;opacity;0.8;to;b5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
b5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;b5;persistent;false][%c_effect
f3;square;f3;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] Stockfish thinks that the best way
to take the advantage is Bb5+, and after c6, dxc6 to hold onto the pawn. I was
willing to give up the pawn and opted to develop first. [+0.3]} 4... Nxd5 {[%clk
0:15:26.5][%timestamp 32]} 5. h3 {[%clk 0:15:01.5][%timestamp 202]} 5... Nxc3
{[%clk 0:15:19.7][%timestamp 168]} 6. bxc3 {[%clk 0:15:09][%timestamp 25]} 6...
Bc8 {[%clk 0:14:47.5][%timestamp 422][%c_arrow
g4f5;keyPressed;none;from;g4;opacity;0.8;to;f5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
f5;keyPressed;shift;opacity;0.8;square;f5;persistent;false] This isn't a bad
move according to the engine, but Bf5 is better and perhaps, makes better sense
from a human tactical perspective.} 7. Bc4 {[%clk 0:15:02.1][%timestamp 169]
Setting up a potential attack on Black's weak f7-pawn} 7... e6 {[%clk
0:14:53.5][%timestamp 40]} 8. d4 {[%clk 0:14:57.9][%timestamp 142]} 8... Bd6
{[%clk 0:14:46.7][%timestamp 168] I interpreted this as Black preparing for
short castling and I saw that I had a potential Greek Gift Sacrifice $1} 9. Bd3
{[%clk 0:14:41.7][%timestamp 262][%c_arrow
e1g1;keyPressed;none;from;e1;opacity;0.8;to;g1;persistent;false][%c_highlight
g1;keyPressed;shift;opacity;0.8;square;g1;persistent;false] Stockfish think that
castling short myself is the most accurate move, but I decided to set up ready
to launch an immediate attack $1} 9... O-O {[%clk 0:14:48.5][%timestamp 82]} 10.
Bxh7+ $5 {[%clk 0:14:49.1][%timestamp 26][%c_effect
h7;square;h7;type;Interesting;persistent;true][%c_highlight
h7;keyPressed;alt;opacity;0.8;square;h7;persistent;false] Greek Gift Sacrifice $1
This is a somewhat speculative move, but very tricky for White to navigate $1
Stockfish calls this a mistake [+1 $37 0.00], but notice that despite the material
loss, the evaluation is actually equal $1 This means I have a major position
advantage $1} 10... Kxh7 {[%clk 0:14:55.6][%timestamp 29]} 11. Ng5+ $1 {[%clk
0:14:55.6][%timestamp 35][%c_effect
g5;square;g5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true][%c_highlight
g5;keyPressed;alt;opacity;0.8;square;g5;persistent;false]} 11... Kg8 $4 {[%clk
0:15:03.3][%timestamp 23][%c_effect
g8;square;g8;type;Blunder;persistent;true][%c_highlight
g8;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g8;persistent;false,g6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g6;persistent;false][%c_arrow
h7g6;keyPressed;none;from;h7;opacity;0.8;to;g6;persistent;false] In this
position, White needed to walk their king forward, which is not intuitive,
especially at the beginner-intermediate level $1} 12. Qh5 $1 {[%clk
0:15:04.5][%timestamp 11][%c_effect
h5;square;h5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true][%c_highlight
h5;keyPressed;alt;opacity;0.8;square;h5;persistent;false,h7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;h7;persistent;false][%c_arrow
h5h7;keyPressed;none;from;h5;opacity;0.8;to;h7;persistent;false,g5h7;keyPressed;none;from;g5;opacity;0.8;to;h7;persistent;false]
Checkmate threat $1 Black's only move to avoid forced checkmate is to trade their
queen for my knight, an emotionally damaging concession $1 Instead, they opted to
resign, good game, GG $1} 1-0