How to play the Giraffe Attack ...Nf6 line - chess noob Game Review! #6

#ViennaGame #GiraffeAttack 

This is the sixth episode of the "chessnoob Game Review" series where the focus will be on identifying in how a game, whether I win or lose, could have been improved.  This gives me an opportunity to reflect more deeply about a game and hopefully, the lessons that I draw for myself will be helpful to my fellow beginner and beginner-intermediate chess players!

This is an interesting game of the "Giraffe Attack" (https://www.chess.com/blog/vitualis/win-with-the-giraffe-attack-in-the-vienna-game), which is available when Black plays the Anderssen Defense against the Vienna Game (1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Bc5 3. Qg4).  The immediate aggressive queen development to g4 is a provocative attack against the g7 pawn, asking Black to justify their early bishop development on move 2.  This provocation is, at least in its immediacy, a bluff as the best response by Black (3... Nf6), which was played in this match, does NOT hang the g7 pawn.

In fact, it's a trap for baby giraffes as capturing the pawn with the queen results in a sad line where White can lose their queen!

One of the best follow up moves for White is to park the queen on g3 (4. Qg3) where it exerts pressure on the g7 and e5 pawns.  One of the themes of the Giraffe Attack is knowing when the g7 pawn can be captured, and in this game, neither my opponent nor I understood this well!

My opponent develops their other knight and I develop my bishop (4... Nc6 5. Bc4).  They then play a very Italian-esque developing move (5... d6) but this is a blunder!  Although the Giraffe Attack is a "bluff" on move 3, the threat is real and can be activated once the queen has some backup.  At this point, I could have launched a devastating attack on the opponent with the queen capturing the g7 pawn.  The bishop on c4, which attacks the f7 square, now creates a "Scholar's Mate" type scenario.

As neither of us saw this, Stockfish rates the next series of seven consecutive moves as either blunders or mistakes!  Me in not taking the winning advantage.  And Black for not defending against it.  However, after some jostling, on move 12, I take the g7 pawn with my queen and Black resigns a few moves later.

Game on chess.com: https://www.chess.com/game/live/59523624861