Vienna Gambit (Max Lange) | TACTIC: Queen's Knight to d5!
#vienna #maxlange #viennagambit #openingtactics
Those of you following my channel will know that I've recently started playing the Vienna Gambit in the Max Lange Defense (1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4). It's a bit unsound, but quite winning and often unsettling for the player with the black pieces. Previously, I would have always played (3. Bc4). The advantage of that line is that it's completely solid, and there is the possibility that Black will play the full "copycat variation" with (3... Bc5) which ends up being a very fun line. However, more recently in the 1300s and 1400s, we would often end up in the Berlin-Vienna Hybrid. While I'm okay down that line, I don't necessarily find the more positional games that fun.
In this game, Black responded with the rather curious and aggressive (3... Qf6)! I was quite motivated to win this game as it was the second match against this Indonesian opponent. I was completely winning in the first game, having won their queen, but arrogant carelessness on my part allowed them to create a rather clever and unexpected checkmate!
Now, this game gives a good example of one of the tactical ideas described in my just released book, "50+2 Chess Quick Wins: Tactical ideas for exciting chess for beginner players"! On page 38, I describe the "Queen's knight on d4/5". This tactic is an opening tactic that is especially available in openings when the queen's knight develops early, as in the Vienna Game for White!
I immediately played (4. Nd5) in this game, attacking Black's misplaced queen on f6, but also attacking the c-pawn on c7, which would come with an absolute fork of the king and rook! This move was somewhat inaccurate, as Black could salvage the position by simply undeveloping their queen to d8, their best move. However, psychologically, it's often a safe bet that Black will refuse to retreat their queen! As expected, Black attempted to keep their queen in play with (4... Qd6), an inaccuracy as we now have a good chance of trapping the queen!
Notice that on move 6, almost all escape squares for the black queen are covered after d4. Black, not sensing the danger, develops their other knight (6... Nf6), a blunder as the queen is trapped! I recapture the pawn with (7. Bxf4) attacking the black queen! Notice how incredibly strong the white knight on d5 is, commanding the centre of the board! The black queen moves to the seemingly only safe square (7... Qe6), but it's an illusion as my powerful knight has (8. Nxc7+) a family fork, winning the queen!
A few more moves are played but I'm completely winning at around [+8]. On move 14, Black makes a further one move blunder of their rook and resigns the next turn with emotional damage. GG!
The big takeaway from this game is to keep an eye out for this tactical pattern and opportunity - the queen's knight to d5 with White, or d4 with Black.
Game on chess.com: https://www.chess.com/game/live/90224998537
