Vienna Game
You play White · 27 variations
Mixed practice
The machine picks a different variation every time.
Take a quiz
10 positions: find the next theory move in each. No take-backs, no hints.
Main variations · 10
- Vienna Gambit, Kaufmann VariationC291. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d5 4. fxe5 Nxe4 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Qe26 moves
- Vienna Gambit, Breyer VariationC291. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d5 4. fxe5 Nxe4 5. Nf3 Be75 moves
- Vienna Gambit, Wurzburger TrapC291. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d5 4. fxe5 Nxe4 5. d3 Qh4+ 6. g3 Nxg3 7. Nf3 Qh5 8. Nxd58 moves
- Heyde VariationC291. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d5 4. fxe5 Nxe4 5. Qf3 f5 6. d46 moves
- Stanley Variation, Frankenstein-Dracula VariationC271. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Nxe4 4. Qh5 Nd6 5. Bb3 Nc6 6. Nb5 g6 7. Qf3 f5 8. Qd5 Qe7 9. Nxc7+ Kd8 10. Nxa8 b610 moves
- Stanley Variation, Alekhine VariationC271. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Nxe4 4. Qh5 Nd6 5. Bb3 Be7 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Nxe57 moves
- Stanley Variation, Bronstein GambitC281. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. f4 Nxe4 5. Nf35 moves
- Stanley Variation, Meitner-Mieses GambitC251. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. Qg4 Qf6 5. Nd55 moves
- Paulsen Variation, Pollock GambitC261. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3 Bc5 4. Bg2 Nc6 5. Nge2 d5 6. exd56 moves
- Paulsen Variation, Mariotti GambitC251. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 Bc5 4. Bg2 h5 5. Nf3 h45 moves
Other variations · 17
- Hamppe-Allgaier Gambit, Thorold VariationC251. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. Nc3 g5 5. h4 g4 6. Ng5 h6 7. Nxf7 Kxf7 8. d48 moves
- Hamppe-Allgaier Gambit, Alapin VariationC251. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 exf4 4. Nf3 g5 5. h4 g4 6. Ng5 d66 moves
- Steinitz Gambit, Fraser-Minckwitz DefenseC251. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 exf4 4. d4 Qh4+ 5. Ke2 b65 moves
- Steinitz Gambit, Paulsen DefenseC251. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 exf4 4. d4 Qh4+ 5. Ke2 d65 moves
- Steinitz Gambit, Sörensen DefenseC251. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 exf4 4. d4 Qh4+ 5. Ke2 g55 moves
- Steinitz Gambit, Zukertort DefenseC251. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 exf4 4. d4 Qh4+ 5. Ke2 d55 moves
- Cunningham DefenseC251. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 exf4 4. Nf3 Be74 moves
- Quelle GambitC251. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 Bc5 4. fxe5 d64 moves
- Adams' GambitC271. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Nxe4 4. Qh5 Nd6 5. Bb3 Nc6 6. d46 moves
- Giraffe AttackC251. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Bc5 3. Qg43 moves
- Hamppe-Meitner VariationC251. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Bc5 3. Na43 moves
- Hamppe-Muzio, Dubois VariationC251. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 exf4 4. Nf3 g5 5. Bc4 g4 6. O-O gxf3 7. Qxf3 Ne5 8. Qxf4 Qf68 moves
- Mengarini VariationC261. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. a33 moves
- Omaha GambitC251. e4 e5 2. Nc3 d6 3. f43 moves
- Philidor CountergambitC251. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. d4 f53 moves
- Pierce Gambit, Rushmere AttackC251. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 exf4 4. Nf3 g5 5. d4 g4 6. Bc4 gxf3 7. O-O d5 8. exd5 Bg4 9. dxc69 moves
- Zhuravlev CountergambitC251. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Bb4 3. Qg4 Nf63 moves
What is the Vienna Game?
The Vienna Game begins 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3. White develops the queen's knight first and keeps the f-pawn free, so that f4 can follow like a King's Gambit with an extra developing move. It can be played quietly with a kingside fianchetto or aggressively with an early f4. It is a respected, slightly offbeat choice that is popular at club level and appears at higher levels as a surprise weapon.
Main ideas and plans
The most important reply is the knight to f6. The sharpest answer is the Vienna Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4. If Black takes on f4, e5 drives the knight back, but the principled reply is the central counter 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4 5.Nf3, the main line: your e5 pawn gives you space and the f-file for an attack, while Black's knight on e4 is strong, and lines such as the Kaufmann and Breyer Variations decide how Black develops. You can also aim the bishop at f7. After 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Qh5 Nd6 5.Bb3 Nc6 6.Nb5 g6 7.Qf3 f5 8.Qd5 Qe7 9.Nxc7+ Kd8 10.Nxa8 b6 you reach the Frankenstein-Dracula Variation, a wild line in which you win a rook but your knight on a8 is trapped and Black gets a dangerous initiative.
If Black develops the other knight with 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6, the gambit with f4 leads to wild lines such as the Steinitz Gambit, where the white king walks up the board after an early ...Qh4+, and the Hamppe-Allgaier Gambit with a knight sacrifice on f7. Calmer is the Paulsen approach: you fianchetto with g3 and Bg2, play Nge2, d3 and O-O, and only then think about f4. Your typical plan is always the same: control d5 with the knight, prepare f4 to open the f-file, and aim the bishop at f7 or along the long diagonal. Black's best antidote is usually a timely ...d5, striking at the centre before your attack gets going.
Who is it for?
The Vienna suits attacking players who like King's Gambit ideas but want a little more safety and flexibility, and it is a practical club weapon because many opponents know it less well than the Italian. Its downside is that well-prepared opponents equalise with an early ...d5, so you must be comfortable in the resulting open positions. Learn two things first: the main line of the Vienna Gambit with 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5, and the fork trick 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Nxe4 d5, where Black regains the piece and gets a free game, which is why the queen move to h5 is the critical reply.