Learn the Vienna Game

C25-C29 · a repertoire for white · 5 chapters · 30 annotated lines

"One complete weapon: the gambit, the traps, and everything else"

The complete Vienna Game (1.e4 e5 2.Nc3), built around its sharpest weapon — the Vienna Gambit 3.f4! Because Nc3 comes first, taking the f-pawn is already a mistake, and 4.e5! wins time against the f6 knight in every accepted line. This full course covers the crushing punishment of 3...exf4? (including the pawn that promotes on b8 by move ten), the correct main line 3...d5, the venomous 4.Qg4 attack against both 2...Nc6 and 2...Bc5 move orders, and clean plans against every other Black defense — one course, the whole Vienna.

What's inside

• Chapter 1: The Gambit Accepted — 3...exf4?
  Lines: Study 1: 3...exf4? 4.e5! — the Knight Goes Home, Study 2: 4...Qe7 — the Pawn That Became a Queen
• Chapter 2: The Main Line — 3...d5
  Lines: Study 3: 3...d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4 — 5...Be7, Study 4: 3...d5 with 5...Nxc3 — Doubled Pawns, Open Lines, Study 5: 4...dxe4?? — the Wrong Recapture
• Chapter 3: 2...Nc6 and the Qg4 Attack
  Lines: Study 6: 3...Bc5 4.Qg4! — the Queen Hunt, Study 7: 4.Qg4 g6 — the Correct Defense, Met Calmly, Study 8: 5...Qd8 — the Retreat That Loses the Rook, Study 9: 4...Bxf2+?! — the Greedy Check, Study 10: 2...Bc5 — Same Trap, New Door, Study 11: 3...Nf6 4.d3 — the Classical Vienna Squeeze, Study 12: 4...Na5 — the Bishop Hunt Comes Up Empty, Study 13: 2...Bc5 3.Bc4 Nf6 — Back Into the Squeeze
• Chapter 4: The Rest of the Vienna
  Lines: Study 14: 3...Nc6?! — the Center Steamroller, Study 15: 2...d6 — Open the Center with 3.d4, Study 16: 3...d6 — Half Measures, Wandering Bishop, Study 17: 3...Bb4 — the Pin Without a Bite, Study 18: 3...Bc5?! — Develop Into the Fork, Study 19: 2...f5?! — Punished by a Second Promotion
• Chapter 5: Main-Line Mastery — 3...d5 Deep Dive
  Lines: Study 20: 5...Bc5 — Development That Bites on Granite, Study 21: 5...Bg4 — the Pin Without a Point, Study 22: 5...Nc6 — Meet Pressure with a Pin, Study 23: 5...Bf5 — Prop the Knight, Lose the b-File

Free sample: the main line, move by move

• 1. e4 — 1.e4 — claim the center.
• 1... e5 — 1...e5.
• 2. Nc3 — 2.Nc3 — the Vienna: guard e4 first, so f4 comes without the King's Gambit's drawbacks.
• 2... Nf6 — 2...Nf6 — the most common reply, counter-attacking e4.
• 3. f4 — 3.f4! — the Vienna Gambit. Unlike the King's Gambit, Black cannot safely accept: watch what happens.
• 3... exf4 — 3...exf4? — the natural greedy capture, and already a serious mistake.
• 4. e5 — 4.e5! — the whole point. The pawn forks forward and hits the f6 knight, which has no good square: 4...Qe7 runs into 5.Qe2, and everything else just retreats.
• 4... Ng8 — 4...Ng8 — the knight goes all the way home. Black has a pawn; White has the board.
• 5. Nf3 — 5.Nf3 — develop and control d4/e5. There is no rush to grab f4 back — it's going nowhere.
• 5... d6 — 5...d6 — Black tries to chip at the cramping e5 pawn.
• 6. d4 — 6.d4 — back the pawn up with the full center. Black is three tempi behind.
• 6... dxe5 — 6...dxe5 — exchanging to relieve the cramp.
• 7. Qe2 — 7.Qe2! — the star move: don't recapture with the d-pawn (queens would come off). The queen pins the e5 pawn against the king — it falls next move with check threats looming.
• 7... Bb4 — 7...Bb4 — development with a pin, Black's best try.
• 8. Qxe5+ — 8.Qxe5+ — collect the pawn with check.
• 8... Qe7 — 8...Qe7 — forced block.
• 9. Bxf4 — 9.Bxf4! — recapture with the BISHOP, not the queen. Material is level again, but the queens stay on and the e5 queen and f4 bishop both rake Black's undeveloped kingside; the trade 9.Qxe7+ would let Black out of the vice for free.
• 9... Qxe5+ — 9...Qxe5+ — the club favorite: Black forces the trade himself, hoping a queenless position is calmer.
• 10. Bxe5 — 10.Bxe5! — take with the bishop again. Queens are off, but count the board: the e5 bishop hits c7 AND g7, White has three pieces out to Black's one, and O-O-O next puts the rook on the open d-file.
• 10... Nf6 — 10...Nf6 — Black's best (the engine's choice): the knight blocks the diagonal, because otherwise Bxg7 simply takes a second pawn.
• 11. Bxc7 — 11.Bxc7! — so the other loose pawn drops instead. A clean extra pawn, the healthier structure, and O-O-O coming with the rook onto the open d-file: the engine reads +1.5. That is what 3...exf4? costs even when Black defends the best way.

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