The Vienna Game | Chess Openings Explained 

1:32 vienna gambit taken but missplayed by white 4:02 gambit taken and well played by white 4:59 punishing defending the e5 pawn 7:05 black correctly give up the e5 pawn 9:22 Nc6 copy cat variation 16:05 3.Bc4 d6 16:54 3.Bc4 Nf6 18:44 3. Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 21:10 interesting middlegame tactic after Bg4 24:53 Ng4 26.43 promising position for black! 27:40 3. g3 (fight over d5 square) 28:48 Black saved his bishop pair 30:13 3. f4 30:44 2. ... d6 31:44 vienna gambit denied. D6 defending the pawn 32:17 vienna gambit denied. Nc6 defending the pawn 33:20 vienna gambit denied. Bd6 defending the pawn 34:18 vienna gambit denied correctly 35:08 correct play follow up Nc6 38:36 correct play follow up f5 41:12 correct play follow up Nxc3 44:01 draw by repetition

This guy obviously did his homework and preparation for the lecture seriously. Once again proof that you don't need a high rating to be a good teacher. Nice flow to the presentation and delivery. Good job dude!

I needed this... as a 900 rated player, I’ve chosen the Vienna as my opening for white. I appreciate this upload. Lol

finally an opening video at a pace I can actually take information in

I love the Vienna game. Makes for so many interesting positions and most players don't know what to do.

The opening music for these videos is so funny, it sounds like some hard rap beat is about to begin and then it's just a dude teaching chess

I love this tutorial! It's been hard to find an openings video that explained things not like a Chess 100% glitchless speedrun, but rather a well-explained walkthrough. I've learnt a lot of the Vienna Opening with this and can recite up to like move 29 of a branch of this theory. Thanks a lot!

In the line where black accepts the gambit (a deep error), we should look at Qe7 instead of Ng8 initially. It’s a bad move but white can punish it immediately with Qe2, Ng8, Nf3, d6?? and Nd5! Wins on the spot! So black can lose realistically lose in the Vienna gambit after 6 moves. Also in the copycat variation black can play Nd4 after Qg4, which after Qxg7, Qf6 and black isn’t so bad here.

Mr Risko, you just make my evening much much much more enjoyable ! From the start to the finish, A +++

Such a great guide! As a beginner I'm really interested in how to play against Andersen's defence, which is 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Bc5

Thank you. No silly jokes. Just serious chess teaching. You are awesome.

My friend, that was a very instructive dive into the Vienna. No picking out the most obscure lines, no clickbait. Just real-world-applicable positions and their best moves. Thank you kindly for uploading it. Oh, and your name sounds like an 80s action movie B-lister. :)))) Love it!

Beautifully explained Nick. Loved watching this!

it's amazing how one seemingly small move can change the entire game

That was super helpful, much thanks. I've been plateaued in the 1100s for a while now and looking to understand some other openings besides my routine Ruy Lopez, so this is helping me branch out and hopefully rank up.

29:44 If black plays Nf6, Bg5 would be a mistake because: Bxf2+ runs into Kxf2, Ng4+, Ke1, Qxg5 and engine gives -2.6. But great video with in depth explanation, well done.

13:47 Very easy development for white ( ...and a full rook ;) ). Great stuff - thank you.

Gracias homie. This is amazing and you’re the only one who did it. Good work bro.

I'm 800 Elo and have a friend about the same level who I play with a lot, and he plays 1...e5 probably 90% of the time, and I have tried this opening on him quite a few times since watching this lecture, and won them all, thanks!!

Excellent job-well done Nick!

This was so in depth! Thank you so much

FYI, I'm a 1,200 rated player with very little opening experience. Here's my input. 2:05 - This needs a little more weight. You aren't just developing normally, this is an absolutely crucial knight move to cover Qh4#. If you make absolutely any other move, you're suddenly in a horrible position. 6:50 - The only thing I've come across not covered is Qe7 to defend the pawn. The best move against this is to move the knight up to Nd5, attacking the queen and threatening the classic fork on C6. After Qd6 (only move), you take the pawn with your queen, force a queen trade, and black has to move his king manually out of check to avoid the fork. 16:00 - I've played the copycat a few times. Just remember that if they respond with Nf6 to attack your queen, giving up the pawn and letting you capture, THEN capturing the knight you put on D5, you need to remain VERY careful of the bishop protecting against checkmate, as well as protecting the G2 pawn. This is overwhelmingly winning for white, as long as you DO NOT take the knight with your E4 pawn. After scooping the free rook, you need to bring the queen back (with Qg8 to prevent a queen trade that allows him to save the knight) to diffuse the checkmate, protect your rook, and liquidate pieces. If they pressure your bishop in any way, you'll immediately lose the game, and if they take the G2 pawn you will lose your rook and probably the game. (I'll update this for my own sake as I make my way through the video)

Me, an 850, here trying not to lose a game in 10 moves

Thanks. I love playing the Vienna. Great posting.

I love how you broke down both sides, several options, just everything about your presentation. Almost every video I watched so far goes from white's perspective only and ignores the possibility of you ever having to defend.

Nice detailed presentation Steady pacing unlike some RU-vidrs that rush through lines

Great video, you really stepped up my Vienna Game!

that line that begins around 20:55 when Black plays Ne5 and white sacs the queen is fascinating, I'd love to get that on the board. 2 rooks and 2 bishops vs a bad knight, bad queen and a rook would be a very wild middle/end game

It’s crazy that 1 opening has this many variations and theory

Thanks, man and greetings from Vienna!

the viena game is simply my favorite, Not many play it which makes it a nice surprise in turnaments.

Im 1500 Viena and Rousseau gambits are the love of my life. But lately i started to get opponents which actually know what they are doing so i came to review the lines

Thankyou for the guidance Keep the good work Saint Louis chess club kudos 🎀 in good luck from India!

Fantastic analysis. Nice and thorough.

17:00 probably also important to note that Nf3 in this position runs into Nxe4, and if white plays Nxe4 there's d5 forking the bishop and knight. Doesn't win for black but gives them a slight edge. People at the 1500 level still fall into this

Very clear and thoughtful presentation! Thanks

Your the best teacher on RU-vid

For the Vienna Game, I like F4, Fx4, NF3, G4, BC4, G5, 0-0, Fx3, Qx3. White is down material but has an amazing position

I win so many games with the Vienna gambit. It’s so good

This is my favorite opening, even more so that people accept the Vienna Gambit and I have made a massive in-depth lichess study for the Vienna Game

This is so good classical explanation with master and good classical chess music 🎶 👌👍👍👍 Long well all of you 🙏

*sigh* no one develops their peices when i pin the pawn they just unpin it with the queen

Excellent presentation and discussion. Thank you. I look forward to more of your chess lessons .😇

thank you alot for this great lesson! :) I love playing the vienna

I’ve been playing the London a lot on white but I don’t really enjoy it too much so I’m thinking of switching it up and play the Vienna.

The video was really great and comprehensive! I've been watching it again to keep learning different positions. One position that wasn't covered was 2....f4 by Black, protecting the E5 square. Should this be treated conceptually similar to the 2...d4 opening where White should look for a lead in development? Or is there another continuation which is winning for White.

When folks face me online in chess, as white, I open with the Vienna the most. It is easy to remember and the moves seem natural anyway. If I'm black and my opponent opens with the king's pawn, I play the Karo Cann. I just don't know a whole lot of openings.

Wow didn't know Morata could play chess!!

Excellent explanation - thanks very much

21:56 there is a very interesting situation there. If Black doesn't capture the knight with the rook, instead moves the queen to e7, computer evaluation shows +2.2. However, the only moves that don't send the evaluation into negative territory are discovered check, then come back with the knight and repeat, basically resulting in a draw! How does White win from that position?

Really enjoyed this!

I just watched the Gotham Chess tutorial on the same opening and yours in much more informative. You’re a much better teacher. Gotham is too fast and you explain everything. Just subscribed and will probably unsubscribe to Gotham.

23:20 if they don't move their king, Rf5 but they would probably move their king because its a sensible move

oh my god, another hot chess nerd, SLCC is really hiring the finest of them

11:09 i literally had the exact same position BUT it doesn´t win the queen... my opponent put his knight on f6 attacking my queen.. i just took his queen, he took mine and then i recaptured on g4 and was up a full piece.. he resigned regardless.. so thank you very much for this great video

What an opening🐐

3:13 Why didn't the knight on f3 take the pawn on e5, instead of taking it with d4 pawn

In the Vienna Gambit, you looked only at lines if black plays Qf6 after white Qg4. What does white do when black plays g6? That's the move I encounter most.

Good teaching!!!

I'm also the same rating now wanting to learn the opening how did it turn out

@37:15' "this position should be fairly equal". You gotta be joking: White is a pawn down, and that passed & extra e4 pawn is extremely dangerous. And of course instead of the mechanical 18...0-0 Black can simply play 18...Rf8 and keep his king centralized, which looks like being close to winning. The generic concept is allowing one white rook on the seventh, centralize the king further and create an unstoppable pawn duo by ...g5 and ...f4. Instead of 10.Be3?! white can play 10.Ne2 which is a better move, although I do not think white can claim an advantage.

@21:18 i can just hear Eric Rosen saying "oh no my queen!"

6:12 why is queen to e5 not an option here? Edit: now that I look at it again its probably cause the other option is much better

At 30:25, 4...f5? is very strange, when 5. exf5 has to favor White. Surely 4...g5 was intended.

This opening makes me wanna talk about a parents love in an orphanage

Thank You for this walkthrough

Thank you Nick.

Great breakdown! After playing the Vienna Gambit and they play pawn to D5 and you both take pawns.. I've heard play queen to F3 before as well but I still don't really understand it.. Especially since even if knight takes knight on c3 the engine recommends taking back with a pawn anyways

Thanx a lot fornthis video, a great guide for me as 1400 player.

Wow great video thank you!

Amazing video. Thanks for making it :)

Excellent lecture.

Why not Bd4 discovered check and win the queen after? instead of bishop takes g7+?

In the Copy Cat Variation @ 9:36 when White plays Qg4, why didn't you explain the Black response d5? Sure... White plays Qxg7, but you explained everything else. Wasn't this a beginner's class?

Sir, can you point to videos where you explain openings with the c3 knight after black has moved only one square up?

6:40 can't the bishop go to d4 to win the queen?

25:30 why don't you take with the knight? It would make a fork with the Queen and the rook. Knight can't be taken because of the bishop

Great topic and lecture!

I know this video is a year old, but at minute 6:55 he could've won the queen. If the opponent moves the queen on that dark square, take it with Bd7 discovered check

Vienna Game (Positional Variation)- 27:30

I haven't watched the video till the end when writing this but in the copycat variation black usually plays g6 after after Q move. And it's unclear why it is bad in this case

i mean there was a mistake at 6:55 where he should've attacked queen with discovered check to win the queen

at 6:30, why not Q - h4 ch? if p - g3, Q - e7, Same for B - g3 Dis. ch., Q -e7.

@2:00 What if black plays Qe7 pinning the pawn. I'm around 1300 and my opponents keep playing this.

This is interesting opening

3:02 is this not a missed opportunity to bishop b5 if they pawn to c6 bishop to c4 then most times I see pawn takes on e5 push pawn to d4 against almost always they take on d4 then bishop takes f4 of they're greedy and take knight on c3 bishop to e7 check if they take with king bye bye queeny if not you still have a ton of options including putting queen on e file moving knight up and discovery check while putting queeny in danger with knight and again bye bye queeny?

great video, thanks

Hey does Levy know about this? 🤔

Good analysis thanks

Why didn’t you cover g6 in the copycat variation

Omg can I please redo yall's music

Extraordinary!!

Started using Vienna at 900 jumped straight to 1100

6:37 Take Rook instead of the Queen?

@24:23 why is Rd2 worse then the suggested Rb1? Rd2 protects the b2 pawn the same and preps white for Rb6 (pinning black’s knight if black went b6). I’m sure I’m missing something but I don’t see it.

at 25:33 what if the knight forks the queen and the rook?

Ummmm Ng4 also threatens fried liver so Bf2+ is bad

6:36 Qxb6 should be followed by bxd4 discovered check on the king winning the queen. Forget the rook!

But I do advise engines have advance and there is better moves so if you wanna study this video use engines to find better moves

at 6:43 the best move was bishop d4