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Vienna Game

White develops the queen's knight first and then strikes with f4, like a safer King's Gambit.

Beginner · Open games (1.e4 e5) · 14 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine.

Step 1

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

Vienna Game (C29). You play White. White develops the queen's knight first and then strikes with f4, like a safer King's Gambit.

Step 2

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1.e4

White plays pawn to e4. It takes a centre square (e4). It opens a line for the queen on d1. It opens a line for the bishop on f1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 46% of 3.9 million games.

Step 3

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1...e5

Black plays pawn to e5. It takes a centre square (e5). It opens a line for the queen on d8. It opens a line for the bishop on f8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 21% of 1.8 million games.

Step 4

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2.Nc3

White plays knight to c3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 4% of 384k games.

Step 5

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2...Nf6

Black plays knight to f6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 68% of 14k games.

Step 6

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3.f4

White plays pawn to f4. It controls the centre (e5). It challenges the opponent's pawns. It offers a pawn (a gambit) to win time or the centre. It attacks the pawn on e5. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 23% of 11k games.

Step 7

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3...d5

Black plays pawn to d5. It takes a centre square (d5). It opens a line for the bishop on c8. It opens a line for the queen on d8. It challenges the opponent's pawns. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 93% of 2536 games.

Step 8

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4.fxe5

White plays pawn takes e5. It captures the pawn on e5. It takes a centre square (e5). It gains space. It attacks the knight on f6. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 92% of 2253 games.

Step 9

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4...Nxe4

Black plays knight takes e4. It captures the pawn on e4. It takes a centre square (e4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 100% of 2155 games.

Step 10

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5.Nf3

White plays knight to f3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 42% of 2073 games.

Step 11

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5...Be7

Black plays bishop to e7. It develops the bishop into the game. Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 43% of 905 games.

Step 12

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6.d4

White plays pawn to d4. It takes a centre square (d4). It opens a line for the bishop on c1. It opens a line for the queen on d1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 23% of 375 games.

Step 13

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6...O-O

Black castles. Castling puts the king in safety and brings the rook toward the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 47% of 96 games.

Step 14

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position

This is the main position of the Vienna Game. Now practise it against the engine: choose a strength and play on from here.

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More lessons in Open games (1.e4 e5)

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