Vienna Game
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| Moves | 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ECO | C25–C29 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Named after | Vienna, Austria | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parent | Open Game | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Vienna Game is an opening in chess that begins with the moves:
White develops the queen's knight instead of immediately committing to Nf3, White's most common second move. Black usually responds with either 2...Nf6 or 2...Nc6. The original idea behind the Vienna Game was to play a delayed King's Gambit with f4, but in modern play White often adopts a more quiet approach, such as by playing 3.Bc4 or 3.g3.
The opening became popular in the 19th century. A book reviewer wrote in the New York Times in 1888 that "... since Morphy only one new opening has been introduced, the 'Vienna'." Weaver W. Adams famously claimed that the Vienna Game led to a forced win for White. However, Nick de Firmian concludes in the 15th edition of Modern Chess Openings that the opening leads to equality with best play by both sides.