---

Welcome to another chess noob Quick Wins! We’re up to #110 and this game also happened to be my LAST game of 2025! I played it in the evening of New Year’s Eve, recorded the video at night, and wrote this article with less than a couple of hours to go before midnight, 1^st of January, 2026! 🤩👍

This was a very lovely Romantic style win in thirteen moves, that made use of the Fishing Pole Attack! Check out my video and article explaining it in some detail!

In this game of 5 | 5 blitz, I had the Black pieces, and interestingly, my opponent led with an uncommon Vienna Game variant, the Stanley Variation.

A historical digression:

Who is this opening named after? Charles Henry Stanley (1819-1901) is surprisingly, not a well-known historical figure, but he was the first US Chess Champion holding the title from 1845-1857! In one of his games in the match against Eugène Rousseau for the US championship, he played this opening, though transposing to it from the Bishop’s Opening. Why is it that Stanley is a relatively obscure figure in chess? Well, Rosseau’s second in the match was Ernest Morphy… yes, the uncle of Paul Morphy, who was only 8 years old at the time and attended the match! In 1857, the still young Paul Morphy crushed poor Stanley and all other competitors in the first American Chess Congress in such a dominating fashion, that his historical legacy has overshadowed all who came before him.

* * *

Back to the game! I usually respond to these sorts of Vienna variants with a two knights approach, so (3… Nc6), and this usually transposes the game back to a more closed, more positional Italian-esque, or Three-/Four Knights type game.

My opponent indeed seemed to have had an opening preference for closed, defensive, and positional games. After they played yet another slower move with (6. h3), I decided to make a forthright move with (6… h5!?), committing to a possible future Fishing Pole! This is technically inaccurate, especially if White changes their opening approach – i.e., retaliating with an immediate counterattack. However, my hunch was that they would continue to keep everything closed and then castle kingside.

I was correct! 😏

They played (7. Nge2) and then (8. O-O?!) which allowed for the devious move (8… Ng4!?). Now, Stockfish will evaluate this move as an inaccuracy/mistake, with an apparent advantage to White at around [+1.5]. However, if one reviews the Lichess Community Database from the position, Black has an overwhelming win likelihood advantage, with an odds ratio of almost 2 to 1! The reason is that White has a problem with the g4-knight. It looks like it is hanging, but capturing the “bait” is practically a game-ending blunder. However, if the knight isn’t captured, it looks like it is in a dangerous position with an attack on White’s king, and it isn’t immediately obvious how it can be dislodged. White’s f-pawn is pinned to the king along the dark square diagonal by Black’s dark square bishop on c5.

After the game, I looked up my opponent’s games using OpeningTree.com, and curiously, they were quite a devoted Vienna: Stanley Variation player and so had reached the same position on turn 8, where they castled short, many times before. However, they had never had someone play Ng4. In the modern age of chess, even recreational chess, there seems to be an avoidance and diminishing of the earlier tradition of playing in the Romantic style. Avoiding playing opening attacks oneself can result in a vulnerability to such attacks from a lack of experience!

My opponent captured the knight (9. hxg4??) and evaluation on Stockfish flips to a game-ending [-7]! The Fishing Pole Tactic is that after (9… hxg4), Black controls a fully opened h-file with their h8-rook, and after Qh4 forming an incredibly powerful rook-queen battery, checkmate can usually only be avoided/delayed through a massive sacrifice of material. White played a single further inaccurate move (10. Ng3??) and there was now a forced line of checkmate in no more than 8 moves, with most of these through single turn piece sacrifices.

White spent some time trying to find a way out of the trap: (11. Bxf7+) took 46 seconds, (12. Nh5) took 1 min 16 seconds. However, after losing their queen and final hope (13. Qf3+ gxf3), they were resigned to their fate [-M1], and resigned the game. Good game, GG!

Happy New Year! I hope you had a great 2025 and best wishes for 2026! 🤩👍

* * *

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 "2025.12.31"]
[Round "-"]
[White "salimth"]
[Black "vitualis"]
[Result "0-1"]
[CurrentPosition "r1b5/1pp2kp1/p1np4/2b1p2r/4P2q/P1NP1p2/1PP2PP1/R1B2RK1 w - - 0 14"]
[Timezone "UTC"]
[ECO "C25"]
[ECOUrl "https://www.chess.com/openings/Vienna-Game-Max-Lange-Defense-3.Bc4-Nf6"]
[UTCDate "2025.12.31"]
[UTCTime "07:43:50"]
[WhiteElo "1087"]
[BlackElo "1018"]
[TimeControl "300+5"]
[Termination "vitualis won by resignation"]
[StartTime "07:43:50"]
[EndDate "2025.12.31"]
[EndTime "07:48:14"]
[Link "https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/pgn/2NPQSXNY1k/analysis?move=25"]
[WhiteUrl "https://www.chess.com/bundles/web/images/noavatar_l.84a92436.gif"]
[WhiteCountry "69"]
[WhiteTitle ""]
[BlackUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/3711094.b9866645.50x50o.b3ba794d99f9.webp"]
[BlackCountry "17"]
[BlackTitle ""]

1. e4 {[%clk 0:05:00.9][%timestamp 41]} 1... e5 {[%clk 0:05:04.1][%timestamp 9]}
2. Nc3 {[%clk 0:05:04.2][%timestamp 17] My opponent attempts a Vienna Game on
me $1 Nice.} 2... Nf6 {[%clk 0:05:05.1][%timestamp 40] I will usually play the
Falkbeer Variation, hoping to bait White to play the Vienna Gambit and we enter
the Main Line.} 3. Bc4 {[%clk 0:05:07.6][%timestamp 16] Interesting $1 This
relatively conservative move in the Vienna is named the Stanley Variation, after
Charles Henry Stanley, the first US Chess Champion $1 In fact, in one of the games
that he played against Eugene Rosseau of New Orleans in 1845 to claim the title,
he played this opening, though, he led with the Bishop's Opening rather than the
Vienna.} 3... Nc6 {[%clk 0:05:06.4][%timestamp 37] And as White has played in
this way, I usually play the Two Knights and we effectively transpose into more
closed and positional Italian-esque, or Three-/Four Knights type games in the
Vienna.} 4. a3 {[%clk 0:05:10.6][%timestamp 20][%c_arrow
d2d3;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;d2;to;d3;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d3;keyPressed;shift;opacity;0.8;square;d3;persistent;false] My Indian opponent
playing defensively $1} 4... Bc5 {[%clk 0:05:08.4][%timestamp 30][%c_arrow
f6e4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;f6;to;e4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e4;keyPressed;shift;opacity;0.8;square;e4;persistent;false] There's an
opportunity to immediately strike with Nxe4, as after Nxe4 we have d5 $1} (4...
Nxe4 {This opening tactical motif is available in the position $1} 5. Nxe4 d5
{[%c_arrow
d5c4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;d5;to;c4;persistent;false,d5e4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;d5;to;e4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
c4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;c4;persistent;false,e4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e4;persistent;false,d5;keyPressed;alt;opacity;0.8;square;d5;persistent;false]})
5. d3 {[%clk 0:05:13.5][%timestamp 21]} 5... d6 {[%clk 0:05:11.4][%timestamp
20]} 6. h3 {[%clk 0:05:16.8][%timestamp 17] White continues to play
conservatively and defensively} 6... h5 $5 {[%clk 0:05:12][%timestamp
44][%c_effect h5;square;h5;type;Interesting;persistent;true][%c_arrow
a7a6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;a7;to;a6;persistent;false,a6a5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;a6;to;a5;persistent;false,c8e6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;c8;to;e6;persistent;false][%c_highlight
a5;keyPressed;shift;opacity;0.8;square;a5;persistent;false,a6;keyPressed;shift;opacity;0.8;square;a6;persistent;false,e6;keyPressed;shift;opacity;0.8;square;e6;persistent;false]
At this point, I decided to make this forthright move, technically an inaccuracy
at almost +1, so effectively a gambit, to commit to the possibility of a Fishing
Pole Attack $1} 7. Nge2 {[%clk 0:05:17.8][%timestamp 40][%c_arrow
c1g5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;c1;to;g5;persistent;false,c3a4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;c3;to;a4;persistent;false,b2b4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;b2;to;b4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
g5;keyPressed;shift;opacity;0.8;square;g5;persistent;false,a4;keyPressed;shift;opacity;0.8;square;a4;persistent;false,b4;keyPressed;shift;opacity;0.8;square;b4;persistent;false]
Not quite accurate. One of the tactical ideas in these positions is to hold
back, but immediately retaliate when your opponent makes an aggressive forward
move. White had the opportunity to accurately play a counterattack of their own,
but continues their slower defensive approach. This isn't wrong per se, but they
do give up an opportunity and some of their advantage.} 7... a6 {[%clk
0:05:07.6][%timestamp 94] A tentative move of my own, as I want White to commit
to short castle, so I can play the Fishing Pole $1} 8. O-O $6 {[%clk
0:05:07.5][%timestamp 153][%c_effect
g1;square;g1;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
c1g5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;c1;to;g5;persistent;false,b2b4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;b2;to;b4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
g5;keyPressed;shift;opacity;0.8;square;g5;persistent;false,b4;keyPressed;shift;opacity;0.8;square;b4;persistent;false]
Yes $1 My waiting paid off $1 This is the most natural looking move in the position,
and around half of people will castle from the position. However, it walks in my
planned tactic $1} 8... Ng4 $5 {[%clk 0:05:10.8][%timestamp 18][%c_effect
g4;square;g4;type;Interesting;persistent;true][%c_highlight
g4;keyPressed;alt;opacity;0.8;square;g4;persistent;false] Stockfish calls this a
mistake at around +1.5, but the Lichess community database demonstrates that the
odds of winning for Black are around 2 to 1 $1 The knight is clearly offside, but
White can't actually do anything about the knight. The hook is set; the bait has
been cast $1} 9. hxg4 $4  {[%clk 0:05:10.2][%timestamp 23][%c_effect
g4;square;g4;type;Blunder;persistent;true][%c_highlight
g4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g4;persistent;false,d4;keyPressed;shift;opacity;0.8;square;d4;persistent;false,b4;keyPressed;shift;opacity;0.8;square;b4;persistent;false][%c_arrow
e2d4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;e2;to;d4;persistent;false,b2b4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;from;b2;to;b4;persistent;false]
After the game, I looked at all of my opponent's games on Chess.com via Opening
Tree and they'd never seen this specific position before. So not surprisingly,
they took the bait, and massive blunder at -7 $1} 9... hxg4 {[%clk
0:05:14.3][%timestamp 15]} 10. Ng3 $4 {[%clk 0:05:10.8][%timestamp 44][%c_arrow
g2g3;keyPressed;shift;opacity;0.8;from;g2;to;g3;persistent;false][%c_effect
g3;square;g3;type;Blunder;persistent;true][%c_highlight
g3;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g3;persistent;false] This is a mistake,
but the best move g3 is not necessarily the easiest to find. Even with perfect
play, there is a checkmate-in-8 moves from the position.} 10... Qh4 $1 {[%clk
0:05:17.9][%timestamp 14][%c_effect
h4;square;h4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true][%c_highlight
h4;keyPressed;alt;opacity;0.8;square;h4;persistent;false,h2;keyPressed;alt;opacity;0.8;square;h2;persistent;false][%c_arrow
h8h4;keyPressed;shift;opacity;0.8;from;h8;to;h4;persistent;false,h4h2;keyPressed;shift;opacity;0.8;from;h4;to;h2;persistent;false]
And the logic of the Fishing Pole Attack is made clear $1} 11. Bxf7+ {[%clk
0:04:30.1][%timestamp 457] This delays things} 11... Kxf7 {[%clk
0:04:49.9][%timestamp 330]} 12. Nh5 {[%clk 0:03:18.2][%timestamp 769] This
delays a turn again} 12... Rxh5 {[%clk 0:04:43.4][%timestamp 115]} 13. Qf3+
{[%clk 0:03:13.1][%timestamp 101] White sac their queen for a turn...} 13...
gxf3 {[%clk 0:04:46][%timestamp 24][%c_effect
f7;square;f7;type;Winner;animated;true,g1;square;g1;type;ResignWhite;animated;true]
But decide to resign rather than than face the inevitable next turn. Good game,
GG $1 Happy New Year and I hope you have a great 2026 $1} 0-1