Chess lessons › Chess openings
The Vienna Game
White develops the queen’s knight before choosing a quiet set-up or the sharp Vienna Gambit.
The idea
White develops the queen’s knight before choosing a plan.
- White’s knight on b1 is ready to defend the pawn on e4.
- It develops to c3, keeping both a quiet and a sharp plan open.
- The pawn on e4 is now defended, so White can decide later.
In a game: Spot it when White meets 1...e5 with 2.Nc3 rather than 2.Nf3.
How the lesson begins
Find the move
White to move. Instead of 2.Nf3, develop the other knight first. This keeps both a quiet game and a gambit (a pawn offered for quick play) available.
A hint
The knight on b1 can defend e4 from c3.
Show the answer
2. Nc3
Nc3 defends the pawn on e4 and develops a piece, without yet choosing between quiet development and the sharp f4. This is the Vienna Game. Among players rated 1200 to 1599 on Lichess, White scored 53% after it.
A question
Black to move. Which reply to 2.Nc3 is the most popular among players rated 1200 to 1599 on Lichess?
Show the answer
2...Nc6, developing a knight.
Right. It is the most played reply here, chosen in 37% of these games.
In numbers
How often it is played
| Rating | Value |
|---|---|
| Under 800 | 18 |
| 800 to 1199 | 17 |
| 1200 to 1599 | 15 |
| 1600 to 1999 | 11 |
| 2000 and up | 5.2 |
How the games ended
White won 52%, 4% were drawn and Black won 44%, over 23,312 games that start this way, in a sample of rated Lichess games from 2026.