Max Lange Vienna Gambit | AMAZING WINNING!
#vienna #maxlangedefense #viennagambit
I realised while going through my YouTube channel playlists that it has been over a year since I played the Max Lange version of the Vienna Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 4. f4). Compared to a year ago, I'm relatively a rather more experienced and sophisticated Vienna Game player, so I thought that I should revisit this line. A year ago, I had decided to play (4. Bc4) against the Max Lange Defense as there is the possibility of the "full copycat" variation and the possibility of one of my favourite lines, the Mietner-Mieses Gambit (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5X_LrdT7hCVqlmwFBaLDw3Uh-oZz2q4A). However, one of the triggers of me reviewing this is that as I've entered the 1300s and 1400s, the most common line I enter is the Berlin-Vienna Hybrid (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5X_LrdT7hCWllqK_yCcBbh3edfB0VtJu). And while I do well in this line, it isn't a line I especially enjoy in the Vienna.
Interestingly, according to the Lichess community database of lower-rated games of blitz and rapid, the move with the best win ratio against the Max Lange Defense is indeed, the Vienna Gambit (Max Lange) at 54% (white) vs 42% (black). So in this game, which I played on my Chessnut PRO (https://youtu.be/Rjqq649PFj4), when my opponent played the Max Lange Defense, I decided to go against my inclination of developing the bishop, and revisited the Vienna Gambit (Max Lange)! And I'm so glad I did because I've just found a major new appreciation for this AMAZING line!
Black accepted the gambit, which is the correct move, and the most common move. Stockfish believes that Black is substantially ahead here [-0.5] and technically, this line is worse than the Falkbeer version (i.e., the "normal" version) of the Vienna Gambit. However, this line is definitely more obscure compared to the Falkbeer Vienna Gambit, and it is more difficult for Black to exploit. In the Falkbeer, the more knowledgeable player with the Black pieces will WANT to go down the Main Line as White will often be in trouble. There isn't a "simple" equivalent in the Max Lange Vienna Gambit, despite the worse Stockfish evaluation.
This game demonstrates how things can go very wrong, very quickly for Black!
On move 5, Black tries to hold onto their pawn, now on f4 with a "reverse King's Gambit" type move (5... g5). This IS a good move. However, there is now a thematic idea in this position with (6. h4), which in a slightly different move order, is known as the Hamppe-Allgaier Gambit (has a Hamppe-Allgaier Gambit (https://www.chess.com/blog/vitualis/the-marvelous-hamppe-allgaier-gambit-in-the-vienna-game). This narrows the line down to one good move (6... g4), and White now has a forcing and aggressive forward knight move with (7. Ng5). The knight will be trapped with (7... h6) but the idea here is to sacrifice the knight for the pawn on f7. Although Stockfish is bemused calling this a bit dumb [-1], the accurate move for Black from this position is hard to find, hard to play, and just plain obscure. On move 9, the only good moves for Black are the human incomprehensible Kg7 and Rh7, and this practically will never happen. In fact, it has only occurred in only 4 games ever in the Lichess database of lower rated games of blitz and rapid!
In this game, Black played (9... Qf6), which makes sense with an attack on my bishop on f4. However, Stockfish calls this a mistake at [+0.5]. Consider, that Black is currently UP two points in material! It indicates the major trouble that Black is in regarding their position!
The compensation that White gets with this line is that Black's king is "stuck" in the centre, having lost their right to castle. They have also lost their e- and f-pawns, while their king is stuck. White is almost full developed, with control of the centre with both pieces and pawns. We will see how devastating this becomes!
On move 10, my bishop develops to its natural square (10. Bc4+) with tempo. Move 11, my knight goes into its thematic attacking square (11. Kd5), winning more tempo. Move 12, I short castle, putting additional pressure on the full open f-file with my rook. Black attempts to develop their bishop, a mistake, and the evaluation is now [+3.9], again, despite Black being UP two points of material!
On move 15 after (15. Qe2), pinning Black's only developed piece, their knight, other than the queen, Black attempts to plug the weak light square diagonal with (15. Kd7). However, it's not enough. I can play (16. Bb5+) anyway. There is a logic to blocking with the pawn (16... c6), but a mating net has now formed [+M21] even with perfect play. The queen now infiltrates (17. Qe6+) pushing the king back to the back rank. With (18. dxc6), Black resigns, seeing multiple possible checkmates approaching. GG!
The big takeaway from this game is to try the Vienna Gambit against the Max Lange Defense! It does take some learning, but it's stupendously fun and difficult for Black to play against!
Game on chess.com: https://www.chess.com/game/live/86758780455
