C26 · Open · a plan for White
Vienna Game: Stanley Variation
5/5
1.e4e52.Nc3Nf63.Bc4
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Vienna Game: Stanley Variation5.8M games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
33%1.9M47%
11%662k47%
4.6%265k47%
4.4%255k45%
0.8%49k41%
0.8%44k43%
0.6%36k42%
Famous games in this line2.0k master games
Caruana, F. (2811) – Anand, V. (2797)Firouzja, Alireza (2759) – Carlsen, M.. (2847)Mamedyarov, S. (2801) – Giri, A. (2782)Mamedyarov, S. (2801) – Giri, A. (2782)Nakamura, Hi (2802) – Firouzja, Alireza (2767)Nakamura, Hi (2777) – So, W. (2780)Nakamura, Hi (2787) – Harikrishna, P. (2763)Grischuk, Alexander (2777) – Giri, Anish (2764)Heroes of this opening Firouzja, Alireza · Mamedyarov, S. · Nakamura, Hi · Harikrishna, P.
- Family
- Vienna Game
- Category
- Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- C26
- Line
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bc4
Classical
★ Read the guide: Vienna GameExplore all 41 Vienna Game lines →Keep exploring
Go deeper — named lines from here
Vienna Game: Frankenstein-Dracula VariationC27 3…Nxe4 · 4 deeper linesVienna Game: Stanley Variation, Reversed SpanishC26 3…Bb4Bishop's Opening: Vienna Hybrid, Spielmann AttackC26 3…Bc5 4.d3Vienna Game: Stanley Variation, Eifel GambitC26 3…Bc5 4.Nge2 b5
Nearby lines in the family
From the archives
Vienna's coffee-house masters of the 19th century loved 2.Nc3: it keeps every King's Gambit dream alive while dodging Black's best-prepared replies. The Vienna Gambit lines (3.f4) still score brutally in club chess — same fire, one move of patience.
Study this opening