At club level you can certainly expect opponents to know a lot more about 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 than they do about the Vienna. "Winning" in the opening is mostly a matter of reaching a playable position one is familiar with while the opponent isn't. However, if you aren't playing at top level (I doubt you are, simply because almost everyone on the planet isn't), then the Vienna is certainly viable. In words, this means the Vienna is not as good as 2.Nf3 at fighting for an opening advantage. The position after 1.e4 e5 is about +0.3 in favor of White, but the position after 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 is 0.0. You can try checking the cloud analysis at Lichess. The Vienna is the 3rd choice in the Masters database with also a higher variance.Īt top level, the Vienna is certainly inferior. In the Big one, the Vienna game is the second choice and compared to 2.Nf3 it offers a higher risk (more losses) but also a premium (more gains). Here are some stats about the Vienna game compared to others openings in a Big and a Masters database. which pieces to swap, which promising pawn structure to get. So, if Vienna suits you, if you like the obtained positions, if you know the main theme (e.g. Territory, and the Vienna is a perfect arena for this." Variations have been revived by players to looking into unknown It is hardly surprising that some 'forgotten' opening Theory has become so intense that some variations have been analyzed "in these days of computer databases, opening The International Master Gary Lane in his book about the Vienna game wrote in 2000 that this opening "has a long history and a bright future". I then want to ask the opinion of more experienced players than myself: do you consider the Vienna Game to be equally good to other 1.e4 lines, such as the Ruy Lopez or the Scotch? Inferior to them, but still god? Or not even good at all? My question comes from the fact that this opening is hardly ever seen in master play, and it is usually only played on blitz/rapid games as a surprise weapon. Of course, Black has the chance to equalize if he knows what he's doing, but in what opening is this not the case? It offers positional, strategical struggle in some lines, and sharp aggressive play on others, so players of all styles may find it enjoyable. My overall conclusion is that the Vienna Game is a sound, promising line for the 1.e4 player. Apart from this, I have studied quite a number of master games. The principal bifurcation comes on 2.Nf6 or 2.Nc6 by Black, which provides two quite different "systems", since 2.Nf6 allows a strong 3.f4. At this point I have become familiarized with a substantial amount of variations and main lines. I have been taking a look at 1.e4 2.e5 2.Nc3, which is known as the Vienna Game.
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