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This morning, I played my most enjoyable game of chess of 2025! 🤩👍

Indeed, this inspired this video and article! To keep it brief, I had the black pieces, and my opponent played an aggressive, sacrificial, Romantic game. And in doing so, I had to respond against their play with my own bold tactics. For a good part of the game, I wasn’t sure who was ahead, but then by the middle of the middlegame, I knew that I had captured the lead with a wonderfully synchronised dance with my knight pair! This was a game that was magnificently fun to play! Let’s go!

My opponent led with the very vanilla Italian Game (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4), and against my Two Knights Defense (3… Nf6), they played the offbeat rapid short castle (4. O-O), which they followed up with a very bold (5. d4)! Interesting!

I captured (5… exd4) and after (6. e5), the position had transposed into a line from a much more aggressive opening – the Scotch Gambit: Dubois Réti Defense, Advance Variation! This was just a taste of things to come. I don’t know if this is my opponent’s regular style, but they played in a fantastic Romantic approach throughout the match. I knew that I was against someone who was doubling down on the attack when they made an unsound bishop sacrifice (9. Bxf7+!?) a few turns later. Their tactic was plain to see; after (9… Kxf7), I’d lost the right to castle, and they’d won initiative and tempo with (10. Ng5+).

White had played very quickly and had GAINED time in our 5 | 5 game of blitz. In this position, I mindfully slowed down and spent over a minute on the next move. Theoretically, I knew that I was probably ahead, but theory means nothing if I can’t prove it! I was worried about the impending/potential Qh5+ as the queen and knight together can be deadly. On analysis, Stockfish was largely unworried and evaluated that all king moves were “fine”. Taken in isolation, our computer overlords can be a bit deflating with their stone-cold calculations. However, I was chuffed to have found the best move. In the position, I could choose to step back onto the back rank defensively and then navigate White’s onslaught. Instead, after a minute of contemplation, I decided that I needed to fight an attack with a bold forward movement of my own; the king is also an attacking piece especially as I’d already lost the right to castle! So, I stepped forward (9… Kg6), defending the h5 square from the infiltration of White’s queen, and putting the king on a square where White’s h5-knight would not be able to give an easy check.

White continued to try to find attacks, and in the game, I thought that they’d might have cracked it with the clever (17. Rg3). They were threatening a discovered check, and I couldn’t easily attack their rook… For a second time, I was proud to have found a clever move that set up a future counterattack, (17… Ng4) blocking the threatened discovered check!

A couple of turns later, Black attempted to dislodge that knight with the sensible looking (19. f3?), except that Stockfish evaluates this as an inaccuracy based on a single excellent response available to Black. With only 35 seconds left on the clock (my opponent still had over three-and-a-half minutes), I managed to find it, the glorious (19… Nd4!). This was the start of six consecutive knight moves, a dance between my horses! In a windmill fashion, I cleanly won White’s rook with checks (20… Ne2+! 21. Kh1 Nxg3+ 22. Kg1 Ne2+), and then a royal fork also allowed for a capture of White’s queen (23. Kf1 Ne3+ 24. Kf2 Nxd5)!

White played on for a few more turns, haemorrhaging even more material. After losing their second rook from a skewer (28… Qg1+ 29. Kxd2 Qxa1), White suffered emotional damage, and opted to resign on turn 30, down 24 points of material! Good game, GG!

Playing Romantic style games is often excellent fun for both players regardless of who is the eventual victor! Consider giving it a go before the end of the year!

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Learn how to play the best chess opening attacks in the Romantic style with my new book, “Become a Chess Assassin!” available now on your local Amazon store!

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2025.12.16"]
[Round "-"]
[White "AustinEllis97"]
[Black "vitualis"]
[Result "0-1"]
[CurrentPosition "r3r3/ppp3p1/3p2k1/3n3p/4N3/2PK1PP1/Pq2n3/8 w - - 0 31"]
[Timezone "UTC"]
[ECO "C55"]
[ECOUrl "https://www.chess.com/openings/Scotch-Game-Dubois-Reti-Max-Lange-Attack"]
[UTCDate "2025.12.16"]
[UTCTime "00:20:59"]
[WhiteElo "834"]
[BlackElo "1012"]
[TimeControl "300+5"]
[Termination "vitualis won by resignation"]
[StartTime "00:20:59"]
[EndDate "2025.12.16"]
[EndTime "00:33:20"]
[Link "https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/pgn/3TEnVmCSX8/analysis?move=59"]
[WhiteUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/97547114.85ac1bf2.50x50o.7f27a5c46bdb.jpeg"]
[WhiteCountry "2"]
[WhiteTitle ""]
[BlackUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/3711094.b9866645.50x50o.b3ba794d99f9.webp"]
[BlackCountry "17"]
[BlackTitle ""]

1. e4 {[%clk 0:05:02.3][%timestamp 27]} 1... e5 {[%clk 0:05:04.1][%timestamp 9]}
2. Nf3 {[%clk 0:05:06.7][%timestamp 6]} 2... Nc6 {[%clk 0:05:08.4][%timestamp
7]} 3. Bc4 {[%clk 0:05:11.1][%timestamp 6]} 3... Nf6 {[%clk
0:05:12.6][%timestamp 8] Italian Game: Two Knights Defense} 4. O-O {[%clk
0:05:12.5][%timestamp 36]} 4... Bc5 {[%clk 0:05:00.5][%timestamp 171]} 5. d4
{[%clk 0:05:16.2][%timestamp 13] Very aggressive approach by White  $1} 5... exd4
{[%clk 0:04:54][%timestamp 115] Interesting  $1 Essentially} 6. e5 {[%clk
0:05:19.9][%timestamp 13] Essentially transposing into a line of the Scotch
Gambit  $1} 6... Ng4 {[%clk 0:04:48.6][%timestamp 104][%c_arrow
d7d5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;d7;to;d5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d5;keyPressed;shift;opacity;0.8;square;d5;persistent;false] If played from the
usual Scotch Gambit, Dubois Reti Defense, Advance Variation line, I would have
played d5, which is also the best move in this variation. However, I didn't
entirely notice that the position was the same until after making the move  $1 I
was trying to play quickly having lost on time in the previous match  $1} 7. h3 $2
{[%clk 0:05:23.1][%timestamp 18][%c_arrow
c1f4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;c1;to;f4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
f4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f4;persistent;false][%c_effect
h3;square;h3;type;Mistake;persistent;true] This kick isn't accurate as I was
planning on Nxe5 anyway} 7... Ngxe5 $1 {[%clk 0:04:51.6][%timestamp
20][%c_highlight
e5;keyPressed;alt;opacity;0.8;square;e5;persistent;false][%c_effect
e5;square;e5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 8. Re1 $6 {[%clk
0:05:26.3][%timestamp 18][%c_arrow
f3e5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;f3;to;e5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e5;persistent;false][%c_effect
e1;square;e1;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] I'd anticipated this  $1} 8... d6 $1
{[%clk 0:04:37.9][%timestamp 187][%c_highlight
d6;keyPressed;alt;opacity;0.8;square;d6;persistent;false][%c_effect
d6;square;d6;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] And I get a nice solid defensive
position} 9. Bxf7+ $5 {[%clk 0:05:22.2][%timestamp 91][%c_effect
f7;square;f7;type;Interesting;persistent;true] My opponent decided to play this
bishop sacrifice  $1 I knew that it wasn't accurate, but they get an initiative
that made the rest of the game extremely enjoyable  $1 Thank you White  $1} 9...
Kxf7 {[%clk 0:04:29.3][%timestamp 136]} 10. Ng5+ {[%clk 0:05:20.1][%timestamp
71]} 10... Kg6 {[%clk 0:03:19.4][%timestamp 749][%c_arrow
f7g8;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;f7;to;g8;persistent;false][%c_highlight
g8;keyPressed;shift;opacity;0.8;square;g8;persistent;false,g6;keyPressed;alt;opacity;0.8;square;g6;persistent;false]
White's attack forced me to spend considerable time considering my move. I was
worried about Qh5 in particular. I was proud to have found this confident and
assertive move, though Stockfish evaluates that all the king moves were
\"fine\". From this point on, there were a series of relatively complicated
moves to defend against White's attack and initiative $1} 11. h4 {[%clk
0:05:05.3][%timestamp 198]} 11... h5 {[%clk 0:02:48.9][%timestamp 355] This
block and prevent h5+} 12. c3 {[%clk 0:05:02.3][%timestamp 80]} 12... Bg4 {[%clk
0:02:47.2][%timestamp 67] Developing pieces with a counterpunch $1} 13. Qc2+
{[%clk 0:05:01.3][%timestamp 60]} 13... Bf5 {[%clk 0:02:39.3][%timestamp
129][%c_arrow
d4d3;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;d4;to;d3;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d3;keyPressed;shift;opacity;0.8;square;d3;persistent;false] d3 would have been
better, but I didn't see it in game} 14. Qb3 {[%clk 0:04:52.1][%timestamp 142]}
14... d3 {[%clk 0:02:05.2][%timestamp 391]} 15. Be3 {[%clk 0:04:25.4][%timestamp
317] Good move by White $1} 15... Bxe3 {[%clk 0:01:32.1][%timestamp 381]} 16. Rxe3
{[%clk 0:04:24.4][%timestamp 60]} 16... Qf6 {[%clk 0:01:17.1][%timestamp 200]}
17. Rg3 {[%clk 0:04:10.7][%timestamp 187][%c_arrow
g3g5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;g3;to;g5;persistent;false,g5g6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;g5;to;g6;persistent;false][%c_highlight
g3;keyPressed;alt;opacity;0.8;square;g3;persistent;false] Very clever move by
White, who is a tactical romantic style player $1 They are threatening a
discovered check.} 17... Ng4 {[%clk 0:00:57.7][%timestamp 244] It took me a
third of my remaining time, but I'm proud that I found this move $1 I block the
discovered check possibility, and positioned my knight forward for a potential
attack $1} 18. Nd2 {[%clk 0:04:01][%timestamp 147]} 18... Rhe8 {[%clk
0:00:56.8][%timestamp 59] Positioning my rook for a potential future back rank
checkmate} 19. f3 $6 {[%clk 0:03:35.3][%timestamp 307][%c_effect
f3;square;f3;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] This move makes a lot of sense,
but it is evaluated as inaccurate because of the subsequent move...} 19... Nd4 $1
{[%clk 0:00:35][%timestamp 268][%c_highlight
d4;keyPressed;alt;opacity;0.8;square;d4;persistent;false,b3;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;b3;persistent;false,e2;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e2;persistent;false][%c_arrow
d4b3;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;d4;to;b3;persistent;false,d4e2;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;d4;to;e2;persistent;false,e2g1;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;e2;to;g1;persistent;false][%c_effect
d4;square;d4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] Another move that I'm proud to have
found $1 However, I only have 35 seconds left on the clock $1 The knights are the
MVPs in this match and they are about to shred White's position with a dance.
This is the first of six consecutive knight moves $1} 20. Qd5 $4 {[%clk
0:02:29.4][%timestamp 709][%c_highlight
d5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d5;persistent;false][%c_effect
d5;square;d5;type;Blunder;persistent;true] White needed to play cxd4 and accept
Qxd4+ $1} 20... Ne2+ $1 {[%clk 0:00:31.2][%timestamp 88][%c_highlight
e2;keyPressed;alt;opacity;0.8;square;e2;persistent;false,g1;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g1;persistent;false,g3;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g3;persistent;false][%c_arrow
e2g1;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;e2;to;g1;persistent;false,e2g3;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;e2;to;g3;persistent;false][%c_effect
e2;square;e2;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] I cleanly win White's rook $1} 21.
Kh1 {[%clk 0:02:17.4][%timestamp 170]} 21... Nxg3+ {[%clk 0:00:33.8][%timestamp
24][%c_arrow
g3h1;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;g3;to;h1;persistent;false][%c_highlight
h1;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;h1;persistent;false] Almost like a
windmill $1} 22. Kg1 {[%clk 0:02:17.4][%timestamp 50]} 22... Ne2+ {[%clk
0:00:24.5][%timestamp 143]} 23. Kf1 {[%clk 0:02:15.3][%timestamp 71]} 23... Ne3+
{[%clk 0:00:27.2][%timestamp 23][%c_arrow
e3f1;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;e3;to;f1;persistent;false,e3d5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;e3;to;d5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
f1;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f1;persistent;false,d5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d5;persistent;false]
Royal fork $1 So beautiful...} 24. Kf2 {[%clk 0:02:12.6][%timestamp 77]} 24...
Nxd5 {[%clk 0:00:30.9][%timestamp 13]} 25. Nde4 {[%clk 0:02:03.2][%timestamp
144]} 25... Bxe4 {[%clk 0:00:33.8][%timestamp 21]} 26. Nxe4 {[%clk
0:02:05.1][%timestamp 31]} 26... Qxh4+ {[%clk 0:00:36][%timestamp 28] Now just
mopping up $1} 27. g3 {[%clk 0:02:06.5][%timestamp 36]} 27... Qh2+ {[%clk
0:00:37.9][%timestamp 31]} 28. Ke1 {[%clk 0:02:09.3][%timestamp 22]} 28... Qg1+
{[%clk 0:00:35.8][%timestamp 71]} 29. Kd2 {[%clk 0:02:13.7][%timestamp 6]} 29...
Qxa1 {[%clk 0:00:39.4][%timestamp 14]} 30. Kxd3 {[%clk 0:02:18.2][%timestamp 5]}
30... Qxb2 {[%clk 0:00:42.1][%timestamp 23][%c_effect
g6;square;g6;type;Winner;animated;true,d3;square;d3;type;ResignWhite;animated;true]
Emotional damage, White resigns $1 What an exciting game $1 Thank you to White for
playing Romantic style chess $1} 0-1