1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Oh no! I hate this. It just doesn't seem natural. Fancy not attacking something on your second move! 2... Bc5 I'm hoping this is not a common variation. 3. f4 The Vienna Gambit. I'd better be very careful. All I know about this is that if Black doesn't know it, it can be very dangerous. I will take him out of the 'book'. 3... Bxg1 4. Rxg1 I was going to play Qh4 immediately, but this seems better. 4... exf4 5. Qf3 He'll play Bc4 soon, and hit my f7. Oh well, get in first. 5... Qh4+ 6. g3 fxg3 7. hxg3 Mission accomplished. Now get Q back and develop and defend like mad. 7... Qf6 8. Qe3 c6 To stop his N coming in. 9. Bc4 Nh6 10. d4 O-O 11. Bd2 He's going to castle Q side. Nothing I can do about it. 11... d6 12. O-O-O N or B to g4? I play the B, but afterwards I thought that maybe it should have been N. 12... Bg4 13. Rdf1 Qe7 Alternative Qg6 was dodgy after Bd3. 14. Qf2 Nd7 Bring up the reinforcements! 15. Rh1 He can get his P back by BxN, PxB RxP. 15... Be6 16. Bxh6 Bxc4 17. Qh2 This is a crucial position. My saving grace is that if Bxg7 then Qg5ch in several lines. 17... Bxf1 I crashed this move down and went for a walk. I have to be careful, but I'm convinced I'm winning now. 18. Bf4 After the game I was told that he should have played Be3, but I didn't understand why. 18... f5 I reckon this is the only saving move. His attack is stronger than I had anticipated. (Editors comment: Amazingly it looks like Black can play ...h6 and hang on. If White plays Bxh6, Black replies Bg2! and forces one of White's major pieces off the h-file - if Bg7 Black still has the lucky trick Qg5+ and Qg7) 19. Qxh7+ Kf7 20. Qh5+ Kg8 21. Qh7+ Kf7 22. exf5 He hasn't got anything. I thought about Qe1 ch, but it doesn't seem to work. Save the bishop! 22... Bg2 23. Qg6+ Kg8 24. Qh7+ Kf7 25. Qg6+ Kg8 26. Qh7+ Kf7 Drawn by perpetual. I was very disappointed. He was lucky that he had that perpetual or my material would have won easily. 1/2-1/2