The Vienna Game: Ideas, Principles and Common Variations · Chess Openings

The Vienna Game is a chess opening for attacking players who like tactical play, avoiding main line theory, and little chance of the game reaching an endgame.
The full Vienna study in PGN format with all the variations shown is available on / hangingpawns
Visit Chessbook to make working on your repertoire and studying the Vienna Game much easier: chessbook.com/hanging-pawns
White delays the development of the f3 knight in order to free up the f-pawn and have the possibility of launching a quick kingside attack. Similarily to the King's Gambit, white will, in most lines, like the Vienna Gambit, aim to fight e5 by black by simply offering a pawn to get central control and quick development.
In this introductory video you can find a brief overview of the most common variations and plans for both sides, and the theory will be covered in four separate detailed videos.
00:00 Introduction
01:55 Vienna Gambit; Can black accept the gambit?
05:35 Chessbook
08:39 Vienna Gambit Main Lines
13:47 Mieses Variation
14:55 Stanley Variation
16:55 Max lange Defense
👕 New chess merch!: hanging-pawns-chess-merch.myt...
💲 Support the channel: www.paypal.me/HangingPawns
#chess

[@HangingPawns]

Get the Study I made for the Vienna Game and the full PGN and visit Chessbook by following the links in the description! Also, let me know what you think of the video!

[@aadarshsaraswat4]

Is the vienna game opening good for tournament ganmes for a long term i mean till 1800 - 2000 elo??

[@luka_fn1879]

@@aadarshsaraswat4no

[@anawilliams1332]

​Its fine imo, alot of people will say no, but im a 2000 and i play these sorts of openings, not the viena specificly but the scotch​gambit@@aadarshsaraswat4

[@HangingPawns]

​@@aadarshsaraswat4definitely.

[@SVNTHR737]

​@@aadarshsaraswat4if you are talking about 2000 fide then its ok, but i think ruy lopez or italian with great preparation is better, vienna is good if you want to avoid a ton of theory

[@pointscales]

This is exactly what I wanted from the last 4 years

[@ral_4512]

LOL Same

[@Interspirituality]

ME TOO

[@calebflanders5604]

Praise the Lord, Ikr!!!??? Lol!!!

[@suhaibayub3866]

Finally the Vienna! Definitely helped me progress into the high 1800s, can't wait to dig in

[@firehood9426]

I am very glad that you decided to come back to add the vienna to the e4 series

[@P_T_W]

Fantastic to see you uploading opening videos again!

[@Tarqeted]

Great sponsor, been using them for months already but good to see them getting some more attention

[@RemolzMangoz]

It's so cool to see how far hpy has come. Now with sponsors! You love to see it 😭

[@MarioPlinplin]

Congrats on the sponsor!

[@PauloRicardo-fz9gx]

YES! Omg i remember when i first encountered your channel and wanting to see a viena video because gothamchess made one on it but i wanted to see you talk about it. Thx a lot!👍

[@vjaay6748]

Just starting to explore the vienna game, what a great timing. Thank you

[@thechessfish]

Amazing! Been waiting for your analysis of the vienna for years, and with the combo sponsor from chess book i tried it out and its actually awesome! So hype

[@daviddenton8763]

Congrats on getting sponsored!!!!

[@aidanwogan3202]

Thank you - been playing Vienna and wishing for something just like this. can't wait for in depth repertoire

[@chromatid22]

That's exactly what I wanted for the last one year

[@AndyDavisTechnicalDiving]

Been waiting for this! Great! Thanks!

[@CSRunner7]

Great overview of an opening. Love these instruction videos 👏

[@datamanager1456]

Thanks for this one sir .Plz create a long playlist on this topic like u use to do 4 years ago . Thank you sir for listening to my request❤.

[@eltiohitmalo4240]

I have been using yous scandinavian opening theory videos for months now and now you making a video on the vienna just when i wanted to get better at is is the best that i could ask for, thank you for this videos i hope you get to GM soon

[@man_uel6887]

Great series, really looking fw

[@heraldofv3379]

Wow I didn't realize the video was barely out, big thanks

[@FAiRY7ALE]

I play it for half of a year thanks!

[@refinedtalker6932]

I love the Vienna cant believe you're covering it also I already use chessbook it's amazing

[@user-li3tw4pz1x]

Your videos have helped me improve my chess a lot. I was waiting for vienna gmabit video for long time. Ots finally here Thank you Sir!

[@threefirstnames4187]

I'm here as an occasional Kings gambit player after that amazing Vienna game in Tata steel today. Was hoping you had video(s) on it!

[@BrianStone0]

Really glad you are making these. I like the Vienna but stopped playing it because so many lines I studied through various means became deeply theoretical with very long continuations that led to chaotic positions

[@Soroosh-ey2lh]

I loveeeee it :) can't wait for the next parts ❤

[@davewright8206]

the more i watch you the more interesting it becomes , maybe im learning something

[@mandelbrosfilms]

Thank you

[@sanjaysingh86]

Nice information

[@timothyboush4767]

Lets goooooooo ive been waiting for years for this!!!

[@MurreeAjebJarso]

Finally The Vienna Game!!! Thanks

[@Audio_Titan]

You’re the man, Stjepan

[@ramonsims5065]

Yes, finally!!!!

[@marcusnygaard2670]

Been waiting for this - thanks for the amazing videos. You are helping so many people & keep up the good work!

[@aryansharma9767]

i read about you in patreon bro im damn sure you're going to achieve your dream and creating these type of videos you are seriously helping us i really wanted to be patreon but i can't I'm penny less Student but reading about you makes me so happy what about a qna type video we really don't know about you that much

[@giulianogrisafi4367]

ITS HAPPENING GUYS

[@sevii9256]

Now people will know what to do when I play g3 😢. Can’t complain about more hanging pawns content though, keep it up!

[@OcteractSG]

Black can turn the Mieses Variation into a gambit by playing 3… d5 4. exd5 c6. It’s called the Eeben Gambit, and it can be played as a double gambit, similar to the Danish Gambit. Black contends that 3. g3 is not a useful tempo for white to be up, which is similar the Pickler Gambit where black argues that 2. f4 in the King’s Gambit is actually a harmful tempo for white to be up.

[@retour.allahmaison9068]

What's up with your last tournament in january ?

[@ThomasHDBass]

I'm curious what you'll recommend in the main video after Qf3 Nc6. I prepared this a couple of months ago as black against a Vienna player, and I came out of the opening a pawn up with the better position.

[@marcelobuga8103]

Hey Stjepan, thanks for the new opening theory videos! Will you be recapping your last tournament games?

[@HangingPawns]

Yes. As soon as the Vienna is over. So next week.

[@dhavalraja5362]

This and the reousse gambit [I apologise if spelling is wrong] was my earlier repertoire and I actually crossed 1900 with it but it just felt like I was playing for tricks. So I changed it at like high 1900 to london system but the players at this level were so sharp (both positionally and tactically) that my win rate got reduced by 15%. I was so distressed with my performance that I deleted my account and started new one with well known openings. Like Sicilian, London, KID. Anyways it was very fascinating to know that such good players at a high level don't know these very common tricks and traps.

[@ultrafly100]

Rousseau*, and yeah I have both in my repertoire as well. The Vienna Gambit is stronger ofc, but it’s a lot easier to make people play into the Rousseau Gambit since people don’t seem to understand that it’s just a Vienna Gambit in reverse.

[@dhavalraja5362]

​@@ultrafly100 Very true

[@donaldcreech7782]

I always just play 2... d6 and go for a Philidor set-up as black. It's super solid and avoids all of this theory and avoids all the tricks and traps.

[@loaygaming2023]

But the Philidor is a incredibly easy opening to play against none will be sad playing against it

[@donaldcreech7782]

@@loaygaming2023 But if my opponent wants to play a sharp and tactical game, then why not force them into a slower positional one? Especially if it is something that I can be fairly confident that I will be more comfortable in the resulting positions than my opponent??

[@marknieuweboer8099]

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 (Nc6) 3.Bc4 Nc6 (Nf6) 4.d3 Na5 (WCh Steinitz) is the big problem. 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 exf4 4.Nf3 g5 5.g3 is actually a King's Gambit: 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Nc3 (Quaade Gambit) Nc6. After 5.g3 Black's best is Bg7 6.d4 d6 7.d5 (7.Bb5 a6) Ne5 and White's centre has become inflexible. So I hope you'll cover these lines - on YT thus far nobody has.

[@asta-bc7]

The best opening!!!

[@julian7306]

finally :)

[@wraethcs2]

Love the video ideas. Would you consider looking into Anderssen Defense (2...Bc5) in this series sometime?

[@HangingPawns]

Yes. It will be covered.

[@wraethcs2]

@@HangingPawns thanks for replying, I look forward to it!

[@TheSherlock61]

Please do the reti opening :)

[@user-vv6nw4dx1k]

When are you going to go over the games of your latest tournament?

[@HangingPawns]

After the Vienna. They'll start next week.

[@Footballcorner96]

Can someone explain me why in Stanley variation is okay that black take on E4 with knight? Thank you

[@jadleetumbelaka7190]

Good

[@andrewcain6518]

Damn it. I play the Vienna, and counterplay has noticeably improved since this video dropped.

[@Olive243]

For someone looking for a weapon against the Vienna gambit, I really recommend 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4 5.Qf3 f5 These variations are annoying for white if black knows what they're doing. The d4 push against the white structure that is shown here 10:35 is uncomfortable when your queen is already on f3, and no matter what white does black has nice attacking chances

[@3Looy]

Niceee

[@KeenanRivers11]

This is my opening Vienna till I die

[@TheChessNutPrince]

I wonder if u know this line for black in the Vienna gambit declined after Qf3, Nxc3, Bxc3 and C5

[@TheChessNutPrince]

The idea is after C5 white plays D4 to control the center and attempt to un double pawns if takes. Line continues D4, cxd4, cxd4, Bb4+, Bd2, Qh4+ and u can see the rest of the combination from there. Very easy for white to mess up and hang a rook, queen and bishop I believe

[@user-wt1xf5yr9e]

I knew arm would be better soon

[@kuhn4163]

Levy Rozman (Gothamchess) recommends the Anderssen defense vs the Vienna (2. ... Bc5) will you be covering this? I play this with great success as people often hang Bxg1 tactics, but otherwise it's a great option for black and allows d6 incase of an immediate f4, with an active bishop for Black.

[@HangingPawns]

I will. I'll make one video on sidelines. Bc5 will be one of them.

[@magmiksch987]

this is just blah blah from the books, to watch you playing and thinking is much funnier

[@Temiraker]

He releases this for free. Stop complaining. There will be plenty of games to watch.

[@fooladoo1076]

theres no such thing as an advanced kings gambit cus kings gambit is the ultimate opening

[@HangingPawns]

True.

[@Notscalable]

I don't know how you said queen f3 as agressive, and proceeded to trade queen in every variation after that. Queen h4 is like 99% response white will get in 1000 elo range. Which leads to trade of queen, and the trade of queen means boring positional play. So the opening is not that good.

[@sanjaysingh86]

First viewer

[@michi_zava]

Why do you comment "first" in 2024 😭😭

[@user-vv6nw4dx1k]

When are you going to go over the games of your latest tournament?

[@HangingPawns]

Next week.