As White

Vienna Game

The Vienna Game is a chess opening for White that starts with 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3.

Solid, yet it can quickly turn into wild attacks (Vienna Gambit).

Reviewed on November 6, 2026 · Prepared by Josep Serrano Ballestero

Basic · Elo 400 – 600

Train this level

  1. Opponent's mistake · 4...Ng4

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 exf4 4.e5 Ng4 5.Qxg4

  2. Opponent's mistake · 4...Nh5

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 exf4 4.e5 Nh5 5.Qxh5

  3. Opponent's mistake · 4...Nd5

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 exf4 4.e5 Nd5 5.Nxd5

  4. Opponent's mistake · 5...f6

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 exf4 4.e5 Ng8 5.Nf3 f6 6.d4 fxe5 7.dxe5 d6 8.Bxf4 dxe5 9.Qxd8+ Kxd8 10.O-O-O+ Bd7 11.Nxe5 Nf6 12.Nf7+ Kc8 13.Nxh8

  5. Opponent's mistake · 4...Bc5

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 Nc6 4.Nf3 Bc5 5.fxe5 Ng4 6.d4 Nxd4 7.Nxd4 Nxe5 8.Bf4

  6. Opponent's mistake · 3...Nc6

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 Nc6 4.Nf3 exf4 5.d4

  7. Falkbeer Variation · 5.Nf3 d6

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 exf4 4.e5 Ng8 5.Nf3 d6 6.d4 dxe5 7.Bb5+ c6 8.Bc4

  8. Falkbeer Variation · 5.Nf3 Nc6

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 exf4 4.e5 Ng8 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.d4 d6 7.Bxf4 dxe5 8.Nxe5

  9. Falkbeer Variation · 4.Nf3 Bg4

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d6 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Bc4 Nc6 6.O-O

  10. Stanley Variation, Three Knights Variation · 4.d3 Bc5

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.f4 d6 6.Nf3

  11. Falkbeer Variation · 4.Nf3 Nc6

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d6 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bb5 Bd7 6.d3

  12. Stanley Variation, Three Knights Variation · 4.d3 Bb4

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bb4 5.Ne2 O-O 6.O-O

Intermediate · Elo 800 – 1000

Train this level

  1. Opponent's mistake · 4...Ng4

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 exf4 4.e5 Ng4 5.Qxg4

  2. Opponent's mistake · 4...Nh5

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 exf4 4.e5 Nh5 5.Qxh5

  3. Opponent's mistake · 4...Nd5

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 exf4 4.e5 Nd5 5.Nxd5

  4. Opponent's mistake · 5...f6

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 exf4 4.e5 Ng8 5.Nf3 f6 6.d4 fxe5 7.dxe5 d6 8.Bxf4 dxe5 9.Qxd8+ Kxd8 10.O-O-O+ Bd7 11.Nxe5 Nf6 12.Nf7+ Kc8 13.Nxh8

  5. Opponent's mistake · 4...Qe7

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 exf4 4.e5 Qe7 5.Qe2 Ng8 6.Nf3

  6. Falkbeer Variation · 4.e5 Ng8

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 exf4 4.e5 Ng8 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.d4 d6 7.Bxf4 dxe5 8.Nxe5

  7. Stanley Variation, Three Knights Variation · 5.f4 d6

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.f4 d6 6.Nf3 Bg4 7.h3 Bxf3 8.Qxf3 Nd4 9.Qg3 Nxc2+ 10.Kd1

  8. Falkbeer Variation · 4.Nf3 Nc6

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d6 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bb5 Bd7 6.d3 a6 7.Bxc6

  9. Falkbeer Variation · 4.Nf3 exf4

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d6 4.Nf3 exf4 5.d4 Bg4 6.Bxf4

  10. Stanley Variation, Three Knights Variation · 5.f4 exf4

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.f4 exf4 6.Bxf4 d6 7.Nf3

  11. Max Lange Defense

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Qg4 g6 5.Qf3 Nf6 6.Nge2 d6 7.d3

  12. 2.Nc3 d6

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 d6 3.Bc4 c6 4.d3 h6 5.f4

  13. Stanley Variation, Three Knights Variation · 4.d3 Bb4

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bb4 5.Ne2 d6 6.O-O Bg4 7.h3

Advanced · Elo 1200 – 1400

Train this level

  1. Opponent's mistake · 6...d6

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Qg4 Qf6 5.Nd5 Qxf2+ 6.Kd1 d6 7.Qxg7 Be6 8.Nxc7+

  2. Opponent's mistake · 6...Nf6

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Qg4 Qf6 5.Nd5 Qxf2+ 6.Kd1 Nf6 7.Qxg7 Nxd5 8.Qxh8+

  3. Opponent's mistake · 6...Bb6

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Qg4 Qf6 5.Nd5 Qxf2+ 6.Kd1 Bb6 7.Qxg7 d6 8.Nf3 Be6 9.Rf1 Qc5 10.Qxh8

  4. Max Lange Defense

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Qg4 g6 5.Qf3 Qf6 6.Nd5 Qxf3 7.Nxf3 Bb6 8.a4 a5 9.d4 exd4 10.b3

  5. Falkbeer Variation · 3.f4 exf4

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 exf4 4.e5 Ng8 5.Nf3 d6 6.d4 dxe5 7.Bb5+ c6 8.Bc4

  6. Vienna Gambit, Main Line · 6.bxc3 Be6

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4 5.Qf3 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Be6 7.Rb1 b6 8.Nh3

  7. Vienna Gambit, Main Line · 6.bxc3 c5

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4 5.Qf3 Nxc3 6.bxc3 c5 7.Bb5+ Nc6 8.Bxc6+ bxc6 9.Qg3

  8. Stanley Variation, Three Knights Variation · 5.f4 d6

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.f4 d6 6.Nf3 Bg4 7.h3 Bxf3 8.Qxf3 Nd4 9.Qg3 Nxc2+ 10.Kd1 Nxa1 11.Qxg7 Rf8 12.fxe5

  9. Stanley Variation, Three Knights Variation · 4.d3 Bb4

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bb4 5.Ne2 d5 6.exd5 Nxd5 7.O-O Nxc3 8.bxc3

  10. Vienna Gambit, Bardeleben Variation

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4 5.Qf3 f5 6.d3 Nxc3 7.bxc3 d4 8.Qg3

  11. Falkbeer Variation · 3.f4 d6

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d6 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bb5 Bd7 6.d3 Be7 7.Bxc6 Bxc6 8.fxe5

  12. 2.Nc3 d6

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 d6 3.Bc4 Be7 4.d3 Nf6 5.f4 exf4 6.Bxf4 O-O 7.Nf3

  13. Stanley Variation, Three Knights Variation · 5.f4 exf4

    1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.f4 exf4 6.Bxf4 d6 7.Nf3 Bg4 8.Qd2

Frequently asked questions

Is the Vienna Game good for beginners?

Yes. On OpeningCraft you learn it in these levels: Basic (Elo 400 – 600), Intermediate (Elo 800 – 1000), Advanced (Elo 1200 – 1400). It suits players who like attacks, gambits and open positions.

What traps are there in the Vienna Game?

OpeningCraft teaches 10 traps and opponent mistakes in this opening, for example: Opponent's mistake (4...Ng4); Opponent's mistake (4...Nh5); Opponent's mistake (4...Nd5).

How many lines of the Vienna Game do you need to learn?

OpeningCraft teaches 32, in blocks of 5. They come from real Lichess games at each rating band, and the traps and opponent mistakes most common at your level come first.

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