Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit
1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 exf4 4. Nf3 g5 5. d4
The Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit is a chess opening classified as ECO C25, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 exf4 4. Nf3 g5 5. d4. It is a line of the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense. Black is to move. 1 named line continues from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 226 times by this move order. White won 43%, 3% were drawn and Black won 54%. The most popular continuation is 5… g4 (36% of games).
Engine evaluation: −1.33 (Stockfish, depth 36; best line 5… g4 6. Ne5 Nxe5 7. dxe5 Qh4+ 8. Ke2)
- ECO
- C25
- Moves
- 9 plies
- FEN
r1bqkbnr/pppp1p1p/2n5/6p1/3PPp2/2N2N2/PPP3PP/R1BQKB1R b KQkq - 0 5- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 exf4 4. Nf3 g5 5. d4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 45 | |
| 1500-1999 | 127 | |
| 2000+ | 54 | |
| All | 226 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5… g4 | 82 (36%) | |
| 5… Bg7 | 48 (21%) | |
| 5… d6 | 44 (19%) | |
| 5… h6 | 20 (9%) | |
| 5… Bb4 | 10 (4%) | |
| 5… f6 | 9 (4%) | |
| 5… Be7 | 4 (2%) | |
| 5… b6 | 2 (1%) |
Master games
17 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 29%, draw 6%, Black 65%). The strongest:
- GM Nihal Sarin (2716) – CM Georgijs Germanovs (2260) 0-1 · 2nd 3-0 Thu 1st Jan 2026 · 2026-01-01
- IM Sami Khader (2392) – GM Erald Dervishi (2552) 0-1 · World Rapid 2017 · 2017-12-27
- IM Jaroslav Polasek (2316) – IM Lukas Cernousek (2463) 0-1 · Pankrac Cup 2015 · 2015-10-20
- William Yen (2056) – GM Chithambaram VR. Aravindh (2649) 0-1 · Titled Tue 3rd Oct Late · 2023-10-03
- IM Georgios Souleidis (2410) – CM Jose Francisco Torres Boch (2173) 0-1 · Titled Tue 18th Oct Late · 2022-10-18
Search all games of the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Pierce Gambit and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- IM MassterofMayhem (2674) – unitedff (2595) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
- SLEX_ALLAINE (2460) – swynwr (2485) 1-0 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- Shubham-Singh (2379) – TrVcZ (2440) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Knight Variation 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 exf4 4. Nf3
Continuations
- Vienna Game: Pierce Gambit, Rushmere Attack C25 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 exf4 4. Nf3 g5 5. d4 g4 6. Bc4 gxf3 7. O-O d5 8. exd5 Bg4 9. dxc6
More Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense lines (all)
- Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense C25
- Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Cunningham Defense C25
- Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Hamppe-Allgaier Gambit C25
- 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
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.