- ECO code
- C26
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6
- Family
- Vienna Game
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 516
- Average game length
- 42 moves
- Years covered
- 1859–2026
Vienna Game: Falkbeer Variation is the opening filed under ECO code C26, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6. It belongs to the Vienna Game family and is known as the Falkbeer Variation; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 516 games on this line — the 205th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1859 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 194 games. An average game here lasts 42 moves.
White wins 43% of those games, 32% end in a draw, and Black wins 25%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 3 percentage points.
From this position the most popular move is 3.f4, played in 147 games, followed by 3.Bc4 (146) and 3.g3 (110). After 3.f4 White scores 44% and Black 28%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Nakamura,Hi (53 games); on the Black side, Shirov,A (18).
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Results in master games
- White 43% (222)
- Draws 32% (167)
- Black 25% (127)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.f4 | 147 | 44/28/28 | — |
| 3.Bc4 | 146 | 44/34/22 | — |
| 3.g3 | 110 | 39/36/25 | — |
| 3.Nf3 | 64 | 33/50/17 | — |
| 3.d4 | 39 | 54/10/36 | — |
| 3.a3 | 6 | 100/0/0 | — |
| 3.d3 | 3 | 67/0/33 | — |
| 3.Be2 | 1 | 0/0/100 | — |
How the position is reached
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 · 62,859 games
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 e5 · 24,632 games
- Vienna Game · 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 · 856 games
Played most often by
As White
- Nakamura,Hi 53
- Spielmann, Rudolf 32
- Alekhine, Alexander 31
As Black
- Shirov,A 18
- Giri,A 17
- Firouzja,Alireza 16
Games per decade
- 1850s 1
- 1860s 4
- 1870s 6
- 1880s 5
- 1890s 31
- 1900s 51
- 1910s 23
- 1920s 42
- 1930s 12
- 1940s 5
- 1950s 4
- 1960s 11
- 1970s 11
- 1980s 12
- 1990s 19
- 2000s 14
- 2010s 71
- 2020s 194
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gukesh,D | Deac,Bogdan-Daniel | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | GCT Super Blitz Croatia |
| Wei Yi | Giri,A | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | FIDE Candidates 2026 |
| So,W | Cahaya,Satria Duta | 0-1 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Final |
| Ivanchuk,V | Warmerdam,Max | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 18th BPB Limburg Match |
| So,W | Le Tuan Minh | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 27th Jan 2026 |
| Ivanchuk,V | Barbot,Pi1 | 1-0 | 2026 | TCh-FRA Top 16 Haute 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Vienna Game: Falkbeer Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code C26, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6. It belongs to the Vienna Game family.
Is the Vienna Game: Falkbeer Variation good for White or for Black?
In 516 master games on this line White wins 43%, 32% are drawn and Black wins 25%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is no worse than usual for White than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the Vienna Game: Falkbeer Variation?
3.f4 — played in 147 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Vienna Game: Falkbeer Variation?
On the White side Nakamura,Hi (53), Spielmann, Rudolf (32), Alekhine, Alexander (31); on the Black side Shirov,A (18), Giri,A (17), Firouzja,Alireza (16).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
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