Vienna Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 · C29
Part of Vienna Game
Starting positionWhite to move
0 / 14
f4 with the knight already in play
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The idea
The Vienna with f4 — a King's Gambit where the knight is already developed on c3, giving White a faster attack but sharp central counterplay from ...d5.
Main line: 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4 5.Nf3 Be7 6.d4 O-O 7.Bd3 f5
What White wants
- Play f4 and recapture on e5 with the f-pawn, keeping the attack
- Develop with Nf3, d4 and Bd3 and castle short
- Use the f-file and the knight on c3 to press the kingside
What Black wants
- Meet f4 with ...d5, the standard central counter
- Trade queens if possible to defuse the attack
- Return the e4 pawn to reach a safe position
Key idea
Understand this and the moves stop needing to be memorised.
f4 with the knight already in play
White develops the queen's knight to c3 before playing f4, then builds an attack with Nf3, Bd3 and O-O. Nc3 supports e4, but that does not make every recapture safe: after ...d5 and ...Nxe4, taking the knight allows a queen fork. Development and central tactics must be considered together.
Common mistake
Grabbing the knight on e4 with Nxe4. The natural recapture meets ...Qh4+, forking king and knight; after g3 Qxe4+ Black regains the piece with check while White has weakened the kingside. Nf3, as in the main line, avoids the tactic.
Mistake example: Qxe4+.
Representative position
The position this opening is aiming at. Copy the FEN, or open it in the analysis board and let the engine tell you what it is worth.
rnbq1rk1/ppp1b1pp/8/3pPp2/3Pn3/2NB1N2/PPP3PP/R1BQK2R w KQ f6 0 8
Analyze this position