Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit, Kaufmann Variation
1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d5 4. fxe5 Nxe4 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Qe2
The Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit, Kaufmann Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO C29, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d5 4. fxe5 Nxe4 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Qe2. It is a line of the Vienna Game. Black is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 31 times by this move order. White won 77%, 0% were drawn and Black won 23%. The most popular continuation is 6… Nxc3 (58% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.21 (Stockfish, depth 44; best line 6… Nxc3 7. dxc3 c5 8. h3 Be6 9. Qf2)
- ECO
- C29
- Moves
- 11 plies
- FEN
rn1qkb1r/ppp2ppp/8/3pP3/4n1b1/2N2N2/PPPPQ1PP/R1B1KB1R b KQkq - 3 6- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d5 4. fxe5 Nxe4 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Qe2
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 5 | |
| 1500-1999 | 14 | |
| 2000+ | 12 | |
| All | 31 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6… Nxc3 | 18 (58%) | |
| 6… Bxf3 | 3 (10%) | |
| 6… Nc6 | 3 (10%) | |
| 6… Ng5 | 3 (10%) | |
| 6… Bc5 | 2 (6%) | |
| 6… Bf5 | 1 (3%) | |
| 6… Nc5 | 1 (3%) |
Master games
22 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 59%, draw 27%, Black 14%). The strongest:
- IM Khazar Babazada (2499) – IM Khuyagtsogt Itgelt (2428) 1-0 · FIDE World Bl Team Pool D · 2026-06-20
- IM Bragi Thorfinnsson (2430) – Bjorgvin Viglundsson (2185) 1-0 · TCh-ISL Div 1 2016-17 · 2016-09-30
- Johnatan Bakalchuk (2273) – Alon Mindlin (2280) 1-0 · 2nd Gideon Japhet Mem Op · 2014-07-23
- FM Tomas Vanek (2132) – FM Timofey Smirnov (2368) 1-0 · Titled Tue 2nd Jan Late · 2024-01-02
- WFM Camille De Seroux (2145) – FM Adam C Taylor (2356) 1-0 · Gibraltar Masters 2019 · 2019-01-23
Search all games of the Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit, Kaufmann Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- IM MassterofMayhem (2666) – whopper211 (2698) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- Tilichkin (2406) – Semuby (2360) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- MIXXXXXXX (2398) – fso (2279) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit, Main Line 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d5
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.