Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Knight Variation
1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 exf4 4. Nf3
The Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Knight Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO C25, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 exf4 4. Nf3. It is a line of the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense. Black is to move. 4 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 3,478 times by this move order. White won 52%, 3% were drawn and Black won 45%. The most popular continuation is 4… d6 (19% of games).
Engine evaluation: −0.26 (Stockfish, depth 60; best line 4… g5 5. g3 d6 6. d4 Bg7 7. d5)
- ECO
- C25
- Moves
- 7 plies
- FEN
r1bqkbnr/pppp1ppp/2n5/8/4Pp2/2N2N2/PPPP2PP/R1BQKB1R b KQkq - 1 4- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 exf4 4. Nf3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 1,227 | |
| 1500-1999 | 1,788 | |
| 2000+ | 463 | |
| All | 3,478 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4… d6 | 674 (19%) | |
| 4… Nf6 | 637 (18%) | |
| 4… g5 | 626 (18%) | |
| 4… Bc5 | 418 (12%) | |
| 4… Bb4 | 348 (10%) | |
| 4… Be7 Cunningham Defense | 257 (7%) | |
| 4… h6 | 135 (4%) | |
| 4… Bd6 | 97 (3%) |
Master games
172 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 45%, draw 10%, Black 45%). The strongest:
- Stockfish 20210113 (3601) – LCZero 0.27.0d-Tilps-dje-magic_JH.94-100 (3586) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 20 Superfinal 2020 · 2021-01-18
- LCZero 0.27.0d-Tilps-dje-magic_JH.94-100 (3586) – Stockfish 20210113 (3601) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 20 Superfinal 2020 · 2021-01-18
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2837) – GM Yangyi Yu (2751) 0-1 · World Blitz 2017 · 2017-12-29
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2787) – GM Naroditsky, D. (2619) 0-1 · Bullet Chess Winners 2023 · 2023-07-19
- GM Yi Wei (2751) – GM Anton Demchenko (2619) 0-1 · Titled Tue 14th Jan Early · 2025-01-14
Highest-rated Lichess games
- IM MassterofMayhem (2674) – unitedff (2595) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
- shirokirina2010 (2526) – DTimofey (2564) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 2s
- IM Angelicanmade (2516) – heyjana (2516) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4
Continuations
- Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Cunningham Defense C25 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 exf4 4. Nf3 Be7
- Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit C25 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 exf4 4. Nf3 g5 5. d4
- Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Hamppe-Allgaier Gambit C25 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 exf4 4. Nf3 g5 5. h4 g4 6. Ng5
- Vienna Game: Hamppe-Muzio Gambit C25 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 exf4 4. Nf3 g5 5. Bc4 g4 6. O-O
More Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense lines (all)
- Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Hamppe-Allgaier Gambit, Alapin Variation C25
- Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Hamppe-Allgaier Gambit, Thorold Variation C25
- Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Hamppe-Muzio Gambit C25
- Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Quelle Gambit C25
- Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Steinitz Gambit C25
- Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Steinitz Gambit, Fraser-Minckwitz Defense C25
- Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Steinitz Gambit, Main Line C25
- Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Steinitz Gambit, Paulsen Defense C25
- Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Steinitz Gambit, Sörensen Defense C25
- Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Steinitz Gambit, Zukertort Defense C25
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.