- ECO code
- C25
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3
- Family
- Vienna Game
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 856
- Average game length
- 41 moves
- Years covered
- 1851–2026
Vienna Game is the opening filed under ECO code C25, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3. It belongs to the Vienna Game family; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 856 games on this line — the 125th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1851 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 308 games. An average game here lasts 41 moves.
White wins 43% of those games, 29% end in a draw, and Black wins 28%. That is close to the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%). Draws are less common here than usual, by 6 points.
From this position the most popular move is 2...Nf6, played in 516 games, followed by 2...Nc6 (266) and 2...Bc5 (62). 2...Nf6 leads into Vienna Game: Falkbeer Variation. After 2...Nf6 White scores 43% and Black 25%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Nakamura,Hi (75 games); on the Black side, Marshall, Frank James (21).
1 named variation branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Vienna Game: Falkbeer Variation.
Reading about an opening is not the same as knowing it. Play this line against the Katuranga bot, then let the engine mark your brilliant moves, mistakes and blunders in Analysis — the fastest way to find out which of these moves you actually understand.
Results in master games
- White 43% (370)
- Draws 29% (249)
- Black 28% (237)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2...Nf6 | 516 | 43/32/25 | Vienna Game: Falkbeer Variation |
| 2...Nc6 | 266 | 44/23/33 | — |
| 2...Bc5 | 62 | 34/32/34 | — |
| 2...Bb4 | 3 | 34/33/33 | — |
| 2...c6 | 3 | 100/0/0 | — |
| 2...d6 | 3 | 67/33/0 | — |
| 2...f5 | 2 | 100/0/0 | — |
| 2...g6 | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
Variations from this position
- Falkbeer Variation · 2...Nf6 · 516 games
How the position is reached
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 · 62,859 games
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 e5 · 24,632 games
Played most often by
As White
- Nakamura,Hi 75
- Steinitz, William 57
- Spielmann, Rudolf 50
As Black
- Marshall, Frank James 21
- Firouzja,Alireza 20
- Nakamura,Hi 19
Games per decade
- 1850s 4
- 1860s 17
- 1870s 35
- 1880s 20
- 1890s 46
- 1900s 89
- 1910s 39
- 1920s 57
- 1930s 23
- 1940s 9
- 1950s 5
- 1960s 19
- 1970s 13
- 1980s 20
- 1990s 29
- 2000s 22
- 2010s 101
- 2020s 308
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 | Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son | 1-0 | 2026 | Chess.com Open PlayIn1 |
| Shandrygin,Nikita | Erigaisi,Arjun | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 3rd Feb 2026 |
| So,W | Cahaya,Satria Duta | 0-1 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Final |
| Ivanchuk,V | Naiditsch,A | 1-0 | 2026 | FIDE World Rapid Team |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Vienna Game?
It is the opening with ECO code C25, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3. It belongs to the Vienna Game family.
Is the Vienna Game good for White or for Black?
In 856 master games on this line White wins 43%, 29% are drawn and Black wins 28%. 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?
2...Nf6 — played in 516 of the master games on this line, which leads into Vienna Game: Falkbeer Variation.
Which grandmasters play the Vienna Game?
On the White side Nakamura,Hi (75), Steinitz, William (57), Spielmann, Rudolf (50); on the Black side Marshall, Frank James (21), Firouzja,Alireza (20), Nakamura,Hi (19).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
Try this line on the board
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