Ruy Lopez | Crushing Victory!
#RuyLopez #JaenischGambit #ViennaGame #ZhuravlevCountergambit #BotezGambit
Game 1: https://www.chess.com/game/live/63675446611
I recently played a couple of games against an opponent who seemed very keen in the Ruy Lopez Opening idea.
In our first game, they played the Ruy Lopez (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 f5) and I responded with the Jaenisch Gambit, and we go down the Exchange Variation, and White make the common blunder of attempting to extricate their hanging pieces in the centre with a wayward queen check (4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. Nxe5 Qd4 6. Qh5+).
It became obvious to me that my opponent was an experienced intermediate chess player (ELO in the 1400s in rapid) and there are some psychological tricks can be exploited. Simply, if they were familiar with the Jaenisch Gambit, they would never go down this specific line! This line has the appearance of a common pattern where the h-pawn is seemingly pinned against the rook, which is normally very winning.
However, at the critical moment, my earlier placement of the queen on the d4 square becomes revealed in its deviousness - it controls the diagonal and has a "discovered defence" of the rook on h8! My opponent, playing on pattern recognition, captures my presumed undefended rook, only to blunder and hang their queen and lose it on move 8. Emotional damage!
They immediate resign and request a rematch to which I oblige!
Game 2: https://www.chess.com/game/live/63675476981
I had the White pieces in this game and start with the Vienna Game. They play the Zhuravlev Countergambit, which is almost a reverse Ruy Lopez Opening (1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Bb4). Recently, I've discovered and have been playing what I dub the "Giraffe-ish Counter" (https://www.chess.com/blog/vitualis/awesome-giraffe-ish-response-to-the-zhuravlev-countergambit-vienna-game) as a response to the Zhuravlev, which makes use of the Giraffe Attack ideas with (3. Qg4). Basically, I ask the immediate question of Black of what they are going to do about their g7 pawn having moved their bishop so early.
My opponent responded with what is the best move (3... Nf6) and here I paused. I could take the g7 pawn, but I wasn't sure that I wanted to play the obvious continuation of that line after Black counterattacks with their rook (Rg8). So, I made use of the Giraffe Attack idea of parking the queen (4. Qg3) to pressure the e5 pawn. Interestingly, Stockfish recommends a much more aggressive approach and to double-down and take the g7 pawn!
In this game, however, I chose a slightly more conservative approach and play the general strategic approach to the Vienna Game. That is, to launch a massive attack on the king-side, especially if Black castles to that side, and they do! I advance and trade knights (6. Nd5 Nxd5 6. Bxd5) to remove their one developed piece on the king-side, critically reducing Black's defensive resources. Next, I advance my other knight into the king-side territory to participate in the attack. Queen and knight make a formidable strike team (https://www.chess.com/blog/vitualis/winning-queen-knight-strike-team) and my opponent missed the coming storm.
On move 10, they focussed on the coordination between my bishop and knight and blocked my bishop's access to f7 with (10... d5). That was a logical move, but unfortunately a serious blunder [+6.6] as the true threat came from the knight and queen. Two moves later, my knight jumps into the fray with a devastating royal fork of the king and queen, with a second discovered attack on the queen (12. Kf7+). Emotional damage! My opponent resigns a second time. GG!
