f4 before e4 is secure
Pushing f4 while e4 hangs gives Black ...Nxe4 tricks. d3 first, then f4.
Opening guide · White, 1.e4 e5
How to play the Vienna Game and Vienna Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3
The Vienna, 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3, develops the queen’s knight first so the f-pawn stays free. The course plays Bc4 and d3, then the f4 gambit, which opens the f-file against Black’s castled king.
- Lines to play
- 4
- Trap
- 1
- Quiz positions
- 5
Learn the Vienna Gambit move by move
You play White. Each move is explained before you play it, with an arrow on the board; then you play the line from memory. When the course has more than one good move, every one of them counts.
Key ideas
Keep f4 available
- 2.Nc3 develops without blocking the f-pawn. The f4 push is the Vienna’s main attacking idea.
Bc4 and d3 first
- Against 2...Nc6, the course plays Bc4 and d3 before f4, so e4 is solid when the f-file opens.
The f-file and the c4-bishop
- After f4 and exf4, Bxf4, Nf3 and castling bring a rook to the open f-file, with the bishop aiming at f7.
Against 2...Nf6, strike with d4
- The course meets 2...Nf6 with 3.d4 rather than the classical 3.f4 gambit, and the line where Black plays it is shown below.
The main lines
Delayed gambit accepted
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.f4 exf4 6.Bxf4 O-O 7.Nf3 d6
f4 exf4 Bxf4: White castles and uses the f-file.
Black castles first
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.f4 O-O 6.Nf3 d6 7.f5
After f4 O-O Nf3, White can push f5 to gain space.
Black strikes with ...d5
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.f4 d5 6.Nxd5
Nxd5 keeps the centre under control.
2...Nf6 3.d4
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.d4 exd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Qd3
The central strike: the queen recaptures and steps to d3.
Seen from Black: 3.f4 d5
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4 5.Nf3 Bc5
How the Gladiator course meets the classical Vienna Gambit.
This line comes from the other courses: step through it with the comments.
Seen from Black: 3.f4 d5
How the Gladiator course meets the classical Vienna Gambit.
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Step through the line with the arrows.
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A trap to know
Short tactical shots that come out of these moves. More in the chess traps collection.
The 4...Nf6?? blunder
In the 3.Bc4 Vienna, after 3...Nxe4 4.Qh5, retreating to f6 loses at once.
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Step through the line with the arrows.
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Find the move
5 positions from the main lines, each with its idea. Your first try counts.
Position 1 of 5
1.e4 e5
The ideaDevelop without blocking the f-pawn.
Find the move for White.
Common mistakes
Castling into ...Bc5 pressure
With Black’s bishop on c5, the g1-a7 diagonal matters. Check for ...Ng4 and ...Bf2+ ideas before you castle.
Ignoring ...Na5
Black often chases the c4-bishop. Keep a retreat on b3 and accept the trade when it opens the a-file.
Related openings
Frequently asked questions
How do I learn the Vienna Gambit?
Play it, one move at a time. The trainer on this page explains each White move before you play it, then asks you to play the line from memory. Read the main lines and traps, test yourself in the quiz, then play it in your games. The Vienna Virtuoso teaches every line, with spaced review so the moves stay with you.
What is the Vienna Gambit?
Strictly, 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4. More broadly, any f4 push in the Vienna. The course plays it after Bc4 and d3, where it is safer.
Is the Vienna Game good for beginners?
Yes. It avoids the long theory of the Ruy Lopez and Petroff, and the choice between quiet development and the f4 attack teaches both styles.
How should Black meet the Vienna Gambit?
3...d5 is the principled answer to 3.f4: strike back in the centre while White’s king is not castled. It is the line the Gladiator 1...e5 course plays.
Learn every line of the Vienna Gambit
The Vienna Virtuoso teaches it as a repertoire: 51 lines, a note on every move read aloud, and spaced review so the moves stay with you. The first line is free.
Also covered in The Gladiator 1...e5.
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