Open · a plan for White
Vienna Game: Stanley Variation, Three Knights Variation
6/6
1.e4e52.Nc3Nc63.Bc4Nf6
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Vienna Game: Stanley Variation, Three Knights Variation4.6M games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
6.9%315k54%
6.8%312k52%
3.5%158k54%
1%45k51%
1%44k51%
0.5%21k55%
0.4%19k45%
0.2%11k45%
Famous games in this line1.9k master games
Nakamura, Hikaru (2775) – Carlsen, Magnus (2868)Nakamura, Hi (2787) – Carlsen, M. (2853)Nakamura, Hi (2787) – Carlsen, M. (2853)Kasparov, G. (2812) – Caruana, F. (2795)Caruana, F. (2822) – Aronian, L. (2767)Caruana, F. (2822) – Aronian, L. (2767)Nakamura, Hi (2777) – So, W. (2780)Vachier Lagrave, M. (2779) – Nakamura, Hi (2777)Heroes of this opening Nakamura, Hi · Kasparov, G.
- Family
- Vienna Game
- Category
- Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- C28
- Line
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6
Classical
★ Read the guide: Vienna GameExplore all 41 Vienna Game lines →Keep exploring
Go deeper — named lines from here
Vienna Game: Stanley Variation, Bronstein Gambit4.f4 Nxe4 5.Nf3Bishop's Opening: Vienna Hybrid, Hromádka Variation4.d3 Bb4 5.Ne2
Nearby lines in the family
From the archives
Carl Hamppe worked out 2.Nc3 in 19th-century Vienna, and the line was called Hamppe's Game before it took the city's name in the 1890s. Steinitz, Tartakower and Spielmann all used it. The Vienna Gambit (3.f4) keeps every King's Gambit dream alive — same fire, one move of patience.
Study this opening