Vienna Game C25
C — Open games & French · Family: Vienna Game
1. e4 e5 2. Nc3
The Vienna Game (1.e4 e5 2.Nc3) postpones 2.Nf3 in favor of supporting a later f4 — a flexible blend of the King's Gambit's attacking spirit and positional soundness. A romantic-era favorite, it has been rehabilitated by modern practice as a fully respectable weapon.
Black's best is 2...Nf6, after which White chooses between the positional fianchetto 3.g3 (a reversed King's Indian with an extra tempo), the central 3.f4 and 3.Bc4 developments. The classic plan with f4, Nf3 and a kingside buildup remains the heart of the opening; romantics can head for the Vienna Gambit (3.f4 d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4) — the so-called Frankenstein–Würzburg Attack — where concrete knowledge decides.
Play through the moves on the board above, explore the variations tree below — click any move of any branch — then test yourself against the engine from the position you picked.
- Position after 3 half-moves — Black to move.
- Material is balanced.
- Family “Vienna Game” contains 41 recorded variation(s) here.
Variations tree of the Vienna Game family
Click any move to jump to that position; switch branches at any point with the alternative moves. Test your knowledge plays the shown position against the engine.
Variations of this family
| Name | ECO | Main line length |
|---|---|---|
| Vienna Game: Anderssen Defense | C25 | 4 plies |
| Vienna Game: Fyfe Gambit | C25 | 5 plies |
| Vienna Game: Giraffe Attack | C25 | 5 plies |
| Vienna Game: Hamppe-Meitner Variation | C25 | 5 plies |
| Vienna Game: Hamppe-Muzio Gambit | C25 | 11 plies |
| Vienna Game: Hamppe-Muzio, Dubois Variation | C25 | 16 plies |
| Vienna Game: Max Lange Defense | C25 | 4 plies |
| Vienna Game: Omaha Gambit | C25 | 5 plies |
| Vienna Game: Paulsen Variation | C25 | 5 plies |
| Vienna Game: Paulsen Variation | C25 | 10 plies |
| Vienna Game: Paulsen Variation, Mariotti Gambit | C25 | 10 plies |
| Vienna Game: Philidor Countergambit | C25 | 6 plies |
Related puzzles
Lichess tactics played in this opening — solve them right on the board:
Related openings
Nearby ECO codes in the C — Open games & French volume — compare the move orders: