Vienna Game, Max Lange Attack & Vienna Gambit
Vienna Game
Definition
The Vienna Game is a King’s Pawn opening that begins with the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3. By developing the queen’s knight before the king’s knight, White keeps the central pawn duo (d2–d4 and f2–f4) flexible, aiming for rapid central expansion or a kingside attack. The ECO classification is C25–C29.
Typical Move-order and Branches
Main line position after 2…Nf6:
- 3. f4 – the aggressive Vienna Gambit (see separate entry)
- 3. g3 – the quiet Mieses Variation, preparing Bg2
- 3. Bc4 – the Classical Variation, often transposing into the Italian Game
If Black replies 2…Nc6 instead of 2…Nf6, the same ideas persist, but White may delay f2–f4 or play 3. Nf3, transposing to the Four Knights Game.
Strategic Themes
- Flexibility: By postponing Nf3, White keeps the f-pawn free, allowing either f2–f4 (gambit style) or f2–f3 (supporting e4).
- Central tension: A timely d2–d4 can seize space and open lines for the bishops.
- Piece activity: The queen’s knight may jump to b5 or d5, while the dark-squared bishop often comes to c4 or b5 to increase pressure on f7 and c6.
Historical Context
Named after the Wiener Schachgesellschaft (Vienna Chess Society), the opening became fashionable in the late 19th century, championed by Wilhelm Steinitz, Carl Hamppe, and later Savielly Tartakower. Although eclipsed by 2. Nf3 at top level, it remains a dangerous surprise weapon and is popular in rapid and club play. Contemporary grandmasters such as Alexander Shirov and Baadur Jobava have occasionally revived it.
Illustrative Miniature
Hamppe–Meitner, Vienna 1872 – a dazzling double-rook sacrifice often dubbed “the Immortal of the Vienna.”
The final position leaves Black up material but helpless against mate. The game showcases the Vienna’s attacking potential.
Interesting Facts
- Because the Vienna often transposes, many databases mis-classify games; a player can “bluff” theory-savvy opponents into unfamiliar positions.
- In Chess960, the spirit of the Vienna—early queen’s-knight development—sometimes appears even more naturally.
Max Lange (Attack)
Definition
The Max Lange Attack is a ferocious tactical system that arises after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. O-O. Named after the German master and Deutsche Schachzeitung editor Max Lange (1832–1899), it features a sacrificial lead in development, targeting f7 and the black king stuck in the center.
Move-order Nuances
The attack usually comes from the Italian Game or Two Knights Defence. After 6…dxc3 7. Nxc3, White has mobilized every minor piece and the rook on f1, while Black has undeveloped queenside forces. Two main defensive schemes are:
- 7…d6 8. Bg5 h6 9. Bh4 g5 10. Nxg5 – the Polerio Variation, ripe with fireworks.
- 7…O-O 8. e5 – leading to razor-sharp endings where material seesaws.
Strategic & Tactical Ideas
- Initiative over Material: White typically sacrifices one or two pawns (sometimes a piece) for rapid attacks on f7 and e-file pins.
- King Safety: Black must decide whether to castle into the storm (…O-O) or keep the king in the center and attempt simplification.
- Piece Coordination: The f1-rook and queen often double on the e-file; the light-squared bishop eyes f7; the knight on c3 hops to d5 or e4.
Historical Significance
Max Lange himself used the line to defeat numerous contemporaries, including Adolf Anderssen. While modern engines reveal resilient defensive resources for Black, the attack still surfaces in practical play, especially in time-scrambles where precise calculation is hard.
Famous Example
Marshall – Burn, Monte Carlo 1903.
Bursting with sacrifices and counter-sacrifices, the game epitomizes the Max Lange’s double-edged nature.
Interesting Facts
- Some authors dub the line the “Napoleon Attack,” though that name is rarely used in modern literature.
- GM Hikaru Nakamura once employed a Max Lange-style gambit in a Bullet game on stream, reviving 19th-century romance to the delight of viewers.
Vienna Gambit
Definition
The Vienna Gambit is an aggressive branch of the Vienna Game reached by 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 (or 2…Nc6) 3. f4 !? White offers the f-pawn to accelerate development and tear open lines toward Black’s king. ECO codes C29–C30.
Key Continuations
- 3…exf4 4. e5 – the main line; White drives the knight from f6 and often castles queenside.
- 3…d5 4. fxe5 Nxe4 – a sharp counter-gambit sometimes called the Frankenstein-Dracula Variation for its wild complications.
- 3…Nc6 4. Nf3 d5 – declining the pawn, leading to positions resembling the King’s Gambit Declined but with the c-knight already out.
Strategic Outlook
- Lead in Development: White accepts structural risk (isolated or doubled pawns) for swift piece activity.
- Kingside Pressure: Typical plans include Qf3, Bc4, 0-0-0, and g4–g5 to pry open f- and g-files.
- Central Counterplay for Black: …d7–d5 and …c7–c6 aim to blunt bishops and return material when convenient.
Historical Highlights
Carl Hamppe and Ernst Falkbeer analyzed the gambit extensively in Vienna during the 1850s. The line found modern advocates in GM Larry Christiansen, IM Timur Gareyev, and numerous blitz specialists on streaming platforms.
Model Game
Short – Timman, Tilburg 1991 (rapid).
Nigel Short’s enterprising Qf3 and Bb5 ideas illustrate how the gambit can disrupt even elite defenders.
Interesting Tidbits
- The nickname “Frankenstein–Dracula” was coined by Tim Harding in the 1970s because the line’s ‘monstrous’ tactics felt like a horror story for the unprepared.
- Engines evaluate the gambit around equality, but only with near-perfect defense; in human hands, White’s practical score in blitz exceeds 55 %.