C28 · 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 GambitC28 4.f4 Nxe4 5.Nf3Bishop's Opening: Vienna Hybrid, Hromádka VariationC28 4.d3 Bb4 5.Ne2
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