Vienna Game: the complete guide
1. e4 e5 2. Nc3
Dear to the 19th-century Viennese masters (Hamppe, then Spielmann), it delays the central strike by one move to keep the f4 option. Romantic by birth, it enjoys a second youth in modern fast chess.
How it starts, move by move
- 1. e4e4 occupies the center.
- ... e5e5 occupies the center.
- 2. Nc3Nc3 develops the knight and controls e4 and d5.
Both sides plans
White's plan
Occupy the center, develop quickly, castle, then pick a wing.
Black's plan
Contest the center before White occupies all of it.
What is actually played
Real shares of the continuations after 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3, Lichess games by Elo band.
| Continuation | Elo 1400 | Elo 1600 | Elo 1800 | Elo 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2... Nc6 | 35 % | 37 % | 40 % | 43 % |
| 2... Nf6 | 31 % | 29 % | 30 % | 37 % |
| 2... Bc5 | 10 % | 10 % | 9 % | 6 % |
| 3. f4 | 1 % | 1 % | 2 % | 2 % |
The main variations
- Vienna GameC251. e4 e5 2. Nc3
- Falkbeer VariationC261. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6
- Max Lange DefenseC251. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6
- Stanley VariationC261. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bc4
- Frankenstein-Dracula VariationC271. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Nxe4
- Vienna GambitC291. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4
- Vienna Gambit, Main LineC291. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d5
- Paulsen VariationC251. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3
- Mieses VariationC261. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3
- Vienna Gambit, Modern VariationC291. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d5 4. fxe5 Nxe4
- Hamppe-Muzio GambitC251. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 exf4 4. Nf3 g5
- Stanley Variation, Three Knights VariationC281. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6
Frequently asked questions
- What moves start the Vienna Game?
- The Vienna Game starts with 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3. Every move is explained in the interactive explorer.
- How many named variations does the Vienna Game have?
- 41 named variations, from the Lichess ECO database. The main ones are listed on this page; the full tree lives in the branch map.
- What is the most played continuation?
- Around 2000 Elo, the most frequent continuation is 2... Nc6, played in 43% of games (Lichess data).
- How can I learn the Vienna Game for free?
- The explorer, free play, review cards and the essential ★1 course of the Vienna Game are free on OpeningMate. The ★2 to ★5 levels and per-variation courses are part of Premium.
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