Vienna Game: Stanley Variation
1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bc4
The Vienna Game: Stanley Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO C26, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bc4. It is a line of the Vienna Game. 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 10,847 times by this move order. White won 51%, 4% were drawn and Black won 45%. The most popular continuation is 3… Bc5 (32% of games).
Engine evaluation: 0.00 (Stockfish, depth 65; best line 3… Bc5 4. Nge2 d6 5. O-O O-O 6. d4)
- ECO
- C26
- Moves
- 5 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/pppp1ppp/5n2/4p3/2B1P3/2N5/PPPP1PPP/R1BQK1NR b KQkq - 3 3- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bc4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 5,111 | |
| 1500-1999 | 4,501 | |
| 2000+ | 1,235 | |
| All | 10,847 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 3… Bc5 | 3,513 (32%) | |
| 3… Nc6 | 2,709 (25%) | |
| 3… Bb4 Stanley Variation, Reversed Spanish | 1,324 (12%) | |
| 3… c6 | 970 (9%) | |
| 3… Nxe4 Frankenstein-Dracula Variation | 867 (8%) | |
| 3… d6 | 440 (4%) | |
| 3… Be7 | 394 (4%) | |
| 3… d5 | 192 (2%) |
Master games
1,401 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 44%, draw 19%, Black 37%). The strongest:
- GM Alireza Firouzja (2702) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2876) 1-0 · Chess24 Banter Blitz Cup · 2020-04-15
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2777) – GM So, W. (2780) 1/2-1/2 · chess.com Speed 3m+1spm 2018 · 2018-12-02
- GM Alexander Grischuk (2777) – GM Anish Giri (2764) 1/2-1/2 · Chessable Masters Final 8 · 2020-06-26
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2780) – GM Veselin Topalov (2749) 1/2-1/2 · Champions Showdown G20 · 2017-11-10
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2780) – GM Veselin Topalov (2749) 1-0 · Champions Showdown G30 · 2017-11-09
Search all games of the Vienna Game: Stanley Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Nana_jede_cevape (2888) – NM Andrey11976 (2795) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- FM dclasby (2773) – TacticsMan23 (2716) 1-0 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- shahruh94 (2658) – FM dclasby (2782) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Vienna Game: Falkbeer Variation 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6
Continuations
- Vienna Game: Frankenstein-Dracula Variation C27 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Nxe4
- Vienna Game: Stanley Variation, Reversed Spanish C26 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Bb4
- Bishop's Opening: Vienna Hybrid, Spielmann Attack C26 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3
- Vienna Game: Stanley Variation, Eifel Gambit C26 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. Nge2 b5
More Vienna Game lines (all)
- Vienna Game C25
- Vienna Game: Anderssen Defense C25
- Vienna Game: Fyfe Gambit C25
- Vienna Game: Giraffe Attack C25
- Vienna Game: Hamppe-Meitner Variation C25
- Vienna Game: Hamppe-Muzio Gambit C25
- Vienna Game: Hamppe-Muzio, Dubois Variation C25
- Vienna Game: Max Lange Defense C25
- Vienna Game: Omaha Gambit C25
- Vienna Game: Paulsen Variation (2… Nc6 3. g3) C25
- Vienna Game: Paulsen Variation (5. Nge2 d5) C25
- Vienna Game: Paulsen Variation, Mariotti Gambit 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.