Vienna Game
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- This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.
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The Vienna Game is a chess opening characterised by the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3, giving the position shown to the right.
White's second move is less common than 2.Nf3, which can lead to the Ruy Lopez, Giuoco Piano, Scotch Game and other openings. The original idea behind 2.Nc3 was to play a kind of delayed King's Gambit with an eventual f4, but in modern play White often plays more quietly, for example by fianchettoing his king bishop with g3 and Bg2. Black most often continues with 2...Nf6, but 2...Nc6 is also quite playable.
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[edit] 2...Nf6
White has three major options: 3.f4, 3.Bc4 and 3.g3. Also possible, but usually without independent significance, is 3.Nf3, when 3...Nc6 reaches a Four Knights Game.
[edit] 3.f4
3.f4 is usually met by 3...d5, striking back in the centre, since 3...exf4 4.e5 Qe7 5.Qe2 forces Black's knight to retreat. After 4.fxe5 Nxe4, either 5.Nf3, 5.Qf3 or 5.d3 usually follows. White sometimes obtains open lines and attacking chances, but black can usually hold the balance without serious trouble.
[edit] 3.Bc4
3.Bc4 leads to a position which can also be reached from the Bishop's Opening (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4). Black has several choices here; 3...Bc5 can transpose to the King's Gambit Declined after 4.d3 d6 5.f4 Nc6 6.Nf3; 3...Nc6 4.d3 and then 4...Na5, 4...Bc5 or 4...d6 are all playable; while 3...Nxe4 is also possible since 4.Nxe4 d5, forking bishop and knight, is quite good for Black. After 3...Nxe4, White normally continues instead 4.Qh5 (threatening Qxf7#) 4...Nd6 5.Bb3 when Black can either go for the relatively quiet waters of 5...Be7 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Nxe5 0-0 or the complexities of 5...Nc6 6.Nb5 g6 7.Qf3 f5 8.Qd5 Qe7 9.Nxc7+ Kd8 10.Nxa8, the so-called Frankenstein-Dracula Variation.
[edit] 3.g3
3.g3 is a quiet continuation in which White fianchettos his 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. That game continued 3...d5 4.exd5 Nxd5 5.Bg2 Be6 7.Nf3 Nc6 8.O-O Be7 9.Ne4 O-O 10.d3 Be7 11.a3 Nb6 12.b4, resulting in a position which the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings assesses as slightly better for White. The main line today, however, is considered to be 5...Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bd6 7.Nf3 O-O 8.O-O. A major alternative for Black is 3...Bc5 (3...Nc6 normally transposes into one of the other lines).
[edit] 3.a3
In addition to these lines, the late American master Ariel Mengarini advocated the whimsical 3.a3, sometimes called Mengarini's Opening. It is not a serious try for advantage, but is essentially a useful waiting move that gives White an improved version of Black's position after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6. First, the "Reversed Ruy Lopez" with 3...Bb4 is obviously ruled out. Second, after 3...d5, 4.exd5 Nxd5 5.Qh5!? gives White an improved version of the Wilhelm Steinitz Variation of the Scotch Game, since Black can never play ...Nb4, an important idea for White in the mirror-image position. Third, after 3...Bc5, 4.Nf3 gives a reversed Two Knights Defense. Then the typical 4...Ng4 may be met by 5.d4 exd4 6.Na4, when 6...Bb4+, White's usual move in the mirror-image position, is impossible. After 4...Ng4, White may also play improved versions of the Ulvestad Variation (6.b4 in the above line) and Fritz Variation (6.Nd5 c6 7.b4), since when White plays b4 his pawn is protected, unlike in the mirror-image position. If Black plays more quietly with 3...Bc5 4.Nf3 Nc6, then 5.Nxe5! Nxe5 6.d4 gives White some advantage. The best line for Black may be 3...Bc5 4.Nf3 d5 5.exd5 0-0 (better than 5...e4 6.d4, when the normal 6...Bb4 is impossible), and if 6.Nxe5, 6...Re8 7.d4 Bxd4! 8.Qxd4 Nc6, as in the mirror-image line. Also possible is 3...Bc5 4.Nf3 d6, when Black stands well after 5.Bc4 d6 6.d3 Be6, while 5.d4 cxd4 6.Nxd4 gives White little or no advantage.
[edit] 2...Nc6
White can again play 3.f4, with a type of King's Gambit, or 3.g3. In either case, 3...d5? would be a weak response losing a pawn, unlike after 2...Nf6. Most often, White plays 3.Bc4, when the solid 3...Nf6 transposes to the 2...Nf6 3.Bc4 Nc6 line. Weaker is 3.Bc4 Bc5, when 4.Qg4! is awkward to meet. 4...Kf8 and 4...g6 are thought the best moves, but neither is too appealing for Black. The natural 4...Qf6? is considered dubious because of 5.Nd5! Qxf2+ 6.Kd1, when White's king is in no real danger, and White has multiple threats: 7.Qxg7; 7.Nxc7+; and 7.Rfl (attacking along the half-open f-file) Qd4 8.d3 threatening to trap Black's queen with 9.c3.
