Vienna Game


The Vienna Game is an opening in chess that begins with the moves:
White develops the queen's knight instead of immediately committing to Nf3, White's most common second move. Black usually responds with either 2...Nf6 or 2...Nc6. The original idea behind the Vienna Game was to play a delayed King's Gambit with f4, but in modern play White often adopts a more approach, such as by playing 3.Bc4 or 3.g3.
The opening became popular in the 19th century. A book reviewer wrote in the New York Times in 1888 that "... since Morphy only one new opening has been introduced, the 'Vienna'." Weaver W. Adams famously claimed that the Vienna Game led to a for White. Nick de Firmian concludes in the 15th edition of Modern Chess Openings, however, that the opening leads to with by both sides.

Analysis

Black's most common response is 2...Nf6, which usually continues with 3.f4, 3.Bc4, 3.g3, or 3.Nf3. 2...Nc6 is also quite common. The opening features many transpositional opportunities, such as to the King's Gambit. Some lines listed below are sometimes assigned to the Bishop's Opening, but to the Vienna Game by ECO. Some lines are reached without any dominant method, such as the Berlin-Vienna Hybrid Variation, commonly reached by all of 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nc6 4.d3, 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3, and 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 Nc6 4.Nc3.
Examined in this article are the following common variations:
  • 2...Nf6
  • * 3.f4
  • ** 3...d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4
  • *** 5.Nf3
  • *** 5.Qf3
  • *** 5.d3
  • ** 3...d5 4.exd5
  • ** 3...d5 4.d3
  • * 3.Bc4
  • ** 3...Nxe4 4.Qh5
  • ** 3...Nxe4 4.Nf3
  • ** 3...Nc6 4.d3
  • ** 3...Bc5
  • ** 3...Bb4
  • * 3.g3
  • ** 3...d5 4.exd5 Nxd5 5.Bg2 Nxc3 6.bxc3
  • * 3.Nf3 Nc6
  • * 3.Nf3 Bb4
  • * 3.d4 exd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6
  • * 3.a3
  • 2...Nc6
  • * 3.f4 exf4
  • ** 4.Nf3 g5 5.h4 g4 6.Ng5
  • ** 4.Nf3 g5 5.Bc4 g4 6.0-0
  • ** 4.Nf3 g5 5.d4
  • ** 4.d4
  • * 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3
  • * 3.Bc4 Bc5
  • * 3.g3
  • * 3.Nf3
  • * 3.d4
  • 2...Bc5
  • * 3.Nf3 d6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4
  • * 3.Nf3 d6 4.Na4
  • * 3.Bc4
  • * 3.f4 d6 4.Nf3
  • 2...d6
  • * 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3
  • * 3.f4
  • * 3.Nf3
  • 2...Bb4

    Falkbeer Variation: 2...Nf6 3.f4

This sharp line is named after Ernst Falkbeer. Black usually plays 3...d5, striking back in the center with a similar idea to the Falkbeer Countergambit of the King's Gambit. Black should not accept the gambit as 3...exf4 4.e5 forces Black to retreat with 4...Ng8. Black may also transpose to the King's Gambit Declined with 3...d6.
Anthony Santasiere and Weaver W. Adams, among others, have advocated the gambit, but it also receives criticism. Raymond Keene wrote that the gambit is considered too risky at the grandmaster level. White usually responds with 5.Nf3, 5.Qf3, or 5.d3.

Main line: 3...d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4 5.Nf3

This is the most common continuation. White obtains open lines and attacking chances, but Black can usually hold the balance with correct play. Black's most common reply is 5...Be7, the Breyer Variation. Other options include 5...Nc6, 5...Bc5, and 5...Bg4, usually continuing 6.Qe2, the Kaufmann Variation.
In the Breyer Variation, the most common line continues 6.Qe2 Nxc3 7.dxc3 c5 8.Bf4 Nc6 9.0-0-0 Be6. Common deviations include 6.d4, 6...f5, and 7.0-0. White then often launches an attack on the kingside, most often playing 10.h4. Black often attempts to counterattack on the queenside, frequently playing...Qa5 at some point.

Paulsen Attack: 5.Qf3

This develops White's queen aggressively and is also quite common. It has been advocated by Ben Finegold. Black usually responds with 5...Nxc3, 5...Nc6, or 5...f5.
After 5...Nc6, play most often continues 6.Bb5 Nxc3 7.dxc3 Qh4+ 8.g3 Qe4+ 9.Qxe4 dxe4, followed by either 10.Bxc6, inflicting doubled pawns on Black before the knight can be reinforced with 10...Bd7, or alternatively 10.Ne2, allowing 10...Bd7 and often continuing 11.Bxc6 Bxc6 anyway. A less common alternative is 6.Nxe4. Black usually responds with 6...Nd4, with the knight threatening both White's queen and a fork of White's king and rook with...Nxc2+. The line typically continues 7.Qc3 dxe4 8.Ne2, with Black regaining the knight.

Oxford Variation: 5.d3

This most often continues 5...Nxc3 6.bxc3 d4 7.Nf3 Nc6. Black also commonly plays 7...c5 or 7...dxc3. 6...Be7 and 6...c5 are also seen, as well as 6...Nc6, which typically transposes to the main line after 7.Nf3 d4. It can lead to the Würzburger Trap following 5...Qh4+.

4.exd5

This is White's most notable alternative to 4.fxe5. Black usually continues with 4...Nxd5, 4...exf4, or 4...e4.
After 4...Nxd5, 5.Nxd5 Qxd5 is fine for Black, while 5.fxe5 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Qh4+ forces White either to give up a rook with 7.g3 Qe4+ or to play 7.Ke2. White can also play 5.Nf3.
4...exf4 transposes to the Modern Defense of the King's Gambit Accepted after 5.Nf3, a line also frequently reached from the Schallopp Defense.
4...e4 enters the old main line of the Falkbeer Countergambit.

Other lines

  • 3...d6 is the only sound alternative for Black. It most often continues 4.Nf3, followed by 4...Nc6, 4...Nbd7, 4...Bg4, 4...exf4, or 4...Be7. A frequent continuation is 4...Nc6 5.Bb5 Bd7 6.d3. The threat of Bxc6 followed by fxe5 leaves Black with no better option than 6...exf4 7.Bxf4, leaving White with a pleasant position.
  • 3...Nc6? is weak due to 4.fxe5! Nxe5 5.d4, when both 5...Nc6 and 5...Ng6 are met by 6.e5 with a strong attack available for White.
  • 4.d3 is the Steinitz Variation, usually continuing 4...exf4 or 4...d4.

    Mieses Variation: 2...Nf6 3.g3

The move 3.g3, the Mieses Variation, is a quiet continuation in which White fianchettoes the king's bishop, a line played by Vasily Smyslov on a few occasions, most notably in a win over Lev Polugaevsky in the 1961 USSR Championship.
The main line of the variation begins with 3...d5, usually continuing 4.exd5 Nxd5 5.Bg2 Nxc3 6.bxc3, followed by 6...Bd6, 6...Nc6, or 6...Bc5. Black also has the more alternatives 3...Bc5 and 3...Nc6, which normally transposes into one of the other lines. White often plays 4.Bg2 and 5.Nge2.

Stanley Variation: 2...Nf6 3.Bc4

The move 3.Bc4 leads to a position which can also be reached from the Bishop's Opening. Black's main choices are 3...Nxe4; 3...Bc5, which transposes to the King's Gambit Declined after 4.d3 d6 5.f4 Nc6 6.Nf3; 3...Nc6, usually continuing 4.d3, entering the Berlin-Vienna Hybrid Variation, followed by 4...Na5, 4...Bc5, or 4...Bb4; and 3...Bb4, after which 4.f4 Nxe4 5.Qh5 0-0 leads to wild but probably equal play, or White may play 4.d3, 4.Nge2, or 4.Nf3.
After 3...Nxe4, White usually plays 4.Qh5, and Black almost always replies with 4...Nd6. After 5.Bb3, Black can either go for the relatively quiet waters of 5...Be7 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Nxe5, known as the Alekhine Variation, or the complexities of 5...Nc6 6.Nb5 g6 7.Qf3 f5 8.Qd5 Qe7 9.Nxc7+ Kd8 10.Nxa8 b6, which the Irish correspondence chess player and theorist Tim Harding extravagantly dubbed "the Frankenstein–Dracula Variation". White can also instead trade queens with 5.Qxe5+ Qe7 6.Qxe7+ Bxe7.
If White instead plays 4.Nxe4, this permits the fork 4...d5,. 4.Bxf7+ is considered weak, though after 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Qf3+ Kg8 7.Ng5 (hoping for 7...Qxg5?? 8.Qxd5+ and mate the next move, Qd7!, with a large advantage for Black in view of having the and a strong pawn center. 4.Nf3 is another option, entering the Boden–Kieseritzky Gambit.

Vienna Gambit: 2...Nc6 3.f4 exf4

White sacrifices a pawn to gain control of the center, with a similar idea to the King's Gambit. The term "Vienna Gambit" is frequently used incorrectly to refer to the equivalent move in the [|Falkbeer Variation].

Steinitz Gambit: 4.d4

The Steinitz Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 exf4 4.d4, was a favourite of Wilhelm Steinitz, the first World Champion. White allows Black to misplace White's king with 4...Qh4+ 5.Ke2, hoping to prove that White's pawn center and the exposed position of Black's queen are more significant factors. Unlike Steinitz, who famously opined that, "The King is a fighting piece!", few modern players are willing to expose their king this way, and the Steinitz Gambit is rarely seen today.

Hamppe–Muzio Gambit: 4.Nf3 g5 5.Bc4 g4 6.0-0

This extremely gambit is usually followed by gxf3 7.Qxf3. As with its close relative in the King's Gambit, the Muzio Gambit, White sacrifices the knight on f3 in return for a powerful attack against the black king. It is named after Austrian theoretician Carl Hamppe and classified under ECO code C25. The Dubois Variation continues 7...Ne5 8.Qxf4 Qf6.

Hamppe–Allgaier Gambit: 4.Nf3 g5 5.h4 g4 6.Ng5

This is another extremely line that resembles the Allgaier Gambit of the King's Gambit. Unlike in that line, after 5...g4, White cannot play 6.Ne5, which would be the equivalent of the Kieseritzky Gambit, due to Black's knight on c6. Black's knight is not particularly useful in defending against White's attack after 6.Ng5, however.

Pierce Gambit: 4.Nf3 g5 5.d4

The Pierce Gambit, 3...exf4 4.Nf3 g5 5.d4, usually continues 5...g4 6.Bc4, and is also often reached by transposition with 5.Bc4 g4 6.d4. It is also frequently reached from the Quaade Gambit of the King's Gambit. After this, the most common continuation is 6...gxf3, followed by 7.0-0 or 7.Qxf3, with White sacrificing a knight for activity. Black's main fifth move alternative is 5...d6, a line also frequently reached from the Fischer Defense of the King's Gambit. 5...Bg7 is also played but is less well regarded.

Paulsen Variation: 2...Nc6 3.g3

played 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 four times with the white pieces – games against Meitner, Rosenthal, Gelbfuhs, and Bird in the Vienna 1873 chess tournament. Three wins with the variation 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 named the "Paulsen Variation" of the Vienna Game, and the fourth win after 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Bc5 3.Nf3 vs. Henry Bird.