Win with the Vienna Game Chess Opening: 1.e4 e5 2. Nc3
What you'll learn
- Ability to surprise the opponent as early as the 2nd move with 2. Nc3 instead of 2. Nf3
- Ability to get attacking positions rapidly from the Opening especially with the subsequent move f4 instead of Nf3
- Ability to know key variations of how Black can react
- Ability to appreciate key traps Black can fall into
- Ability to get a psychological edge when your opponent's expect 2. Nf3 and you play 2. Nc3 instead
- Ability to see how Rudolf Spielmann "The Master of Attack" played the Vienna game with great effect. Games full of full of sacrifices,brilliancies, beauty
- Ability to see how Alexander Alekhine played the Vienna game
- Ability to appreciate semi-open f-file dynamic possibilities more because often f4 is used like a delayed King's Gambit
- Ability to appreciate our first official world chess champion Wilhelm Steinitz was a big Vienna game fan
- Ability to appreciate than 2. Nc3 doesn't block the f-pawn and gives rise to situations like 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Bc5 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 d6 5. f4 with attack prospects
- Ability to play the Vienna game with an idea of key plans
- Ability to have a playable opening system playing on own terms and which doesn't require as much theory as the Ruy Lopez or Italian game or Petrov defence
- Ability to set the opponent early problems and traps without compromising one's position, so quite often an effective quick points scorer
- Ability to have flexibility in being able to choose between tactical and chaotic variations and more positional and solid variations depending on your style
- Ability to learn from iconic world champions in the past such as Steinitz and Alekhine as well as more modern GMs such as Adams, Short, Nakamura and many others
- Ability to learn about chess generally through detailed game annotations not just for opening but also to enhance middlegame and endgame understanding
- Ability for even Grandmaster players to become less of a fixed target of opening preparation to mix in sometimes the Vienna game as a surprise weapon of choice
- Ability to see Mamedyarov has a point with potential improved center game with Nc3 preventing d5 and often castling queenside
- Ability to see the Vienna game as a safer version of the King's Gambit where d5 is discouraged
Requirements
- Know how the chess pieces move
Description
The Vienna Game 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 is a Kingscrusher chess opening favorite, full of traps for the unprepared player with the Black pieces. Kingscrusher has played the Vienna Game many times, winning many online tournaments. It reduces the need to learn lots of opening theory for the Spanish game or Italian game which is what most players with black prepare against but not so much for 2. Nc3 - the Vienna Game.
In fact, players with Black often immediately go wrong very early with 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 exf4? which gives white a big opening advantage. Although 2. Nc3 seems fairly harmless, it can quickly turn aggressive because White has the interesting option of f4 later with some of the perks of the King's Gambit but without so much risk.
One inspiration for playing the Vienna game was when Kingscrusher personally watched Andrew Hon dismantle GM Van De Sterren at a Lloyds bank masters edition. Ever since then a curiosity was developed for this surprise opening weapon when Grandmasters are usually prepared for 2. Nf3. In fact, as of 2022, GM Paul Van De Sterren has played against 2. Nf3 115 times compared to just 7 games with 2. Nc3 shows the great surprise value, and actually White scores against him over a 42% win rate compared with 31.3% with the classical 2. Nf3. This statistical bias towards 2. Nf3 preparation leads to gaps in knowledge for very advanced players when they have to face the Vienna game.
But beginner and intermediate players also when faced with the 2. Nc3 will often be thrown off-balance mentally and completely unprepared, which can lead to quick opening disasters giving the player with the White pieces an easy quick win straight out of the opening. The use of the delayed f4 would have been impossible if 2. Nf3 had been played blocking the f4 pawn and this is a very dangerous attacking move with also a strong positional agenda of often helping White construct a strong dynamic pawn center as a basis for attacking chess later. A classic example of a disaster sequence for a completely unprepared player is the following:
1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 exf4 4. e5 Qe7 5. Qe2 Ng8 6. d4 d6 7. Nd5 Qd8 8.
Nxc7+ Qxc7 9. exd6+ and black can resign
There are many pitfalls and traps that Black can fall into and this is just one example.
Another inspiration for the Vienna Game was in the classic book "Play Better Chess" by Leonard Barden who is a very strong British player. This is one of Kingscrusher's favorite chess books and the Vienna game - especially the "Vienna Gambit" is emphasized as a great practical opening weapon, especially for tournament players who need to rack up points for prizes - a "proven points scorer".
There are some very dangerous ideas involving an early f4 which makes use of the upside of not having committed a Knight to f3 which is the usually taught move for everyone after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3
The different ways of playing the Vienna game are explored ranging from a safer King's Gambit style with f4 to more positional ways with fianchetto the King's bishop to g2.
Transpositions to the King's Gambit or Three Knights opening are not the central focus of this course and will not be discussed except in intro videos in order to achieve maximum focus on Vienna Game core variations and ideas.
Who this course is for:
- Beginner to Intermediate players
Instructor
- 4.6 Instructor Rating
- 2,763 Reviews
- 13,787 Students
- 33 Courses
Tryfon Gavriel, also known as "Kingscrusher" on the Internet. I am a FIDE Candidate Master (CM), and British Regional Chess Master, and run a popular Youtube channel for many years with over 114k+ Subs as of 2021 and a Silver Button Award.
I have done many shows on commercial chess servers. I am also the Webmaster of the correspondence-style chess server Chessworld which emphasizes game quality and research.
Playing experience
Over 35 years of playing activity both online and offline. Peak ICC blitz rating of 2625 (18-Jun-1999). Peak ICC 5 min auto-pairing of 2383 (29-Jun 2012). ECF Grading peak classical: 212 (A) ECF. Peak Rapid rating: 217 (C).
Lichess marathon top 10 finishers in 4 marathons so far. Top 50 finisher in 8 marathons so far. Top 100 finisher in 4 marathons so far. And top 500 in 2 marathons so far. Won quite a few tournaments at lichess - in fact giving me 3rd rank overall behind Lance5500 and papasi in a recent detailed statistical blog analysis titled "Lichess Marathon Statistics".
One of my earliest Over-the-board achievements in Chess was winning the Lloyds Under 18 national UK tournament in 1989. My trophy was awarded to me by Grandmaster and Ph.D. Mathematician Dr John Nunn.
Teaching experience
I have done teaching in Schools and also have done teaching online with several Lichess students on a regular basis, and have a very good coaching rating at lichess.
Other experiences
Played twice in the main British Chess championship. Many of my Youtube viewers claim big rating increases after watching my videos.
Best skills
I particularly love attacking chess, chess tactics, and combinations, and it is probably no accident that my "Complete Guide to Chess Tactics" has been a best-seller shortly after its release here at Udemy.
In general, I will try and give you greater enthusiasm for the game and in particular the dynamic attacking, aggressive tactical aspects of playing chess. My favorite heroes are mainly Attacking style tactical players: Paul Morphy, Alexander Alekhine, Mikhail Tal, Bobby Fischer, and Garry Kasparov. if you want to be a dynamic aggressive attacking style player, I may be able to encourage you and find you relevant resources on that path. The dynamic aggressive attacking players were particularly strong tactically and would often trade off pawn structure neatness and material to try and checkmate the opponent's kings. Checkmate does win the game :) They were masters of finishing combinations naturally as they sought to reduce the king's safety of the opponent in various ways including bringing the King out for often beautiful mating combinations.
Chess Openings
In terms of concrete openings to make use of potentially teaching here at Udemy through courses. I like King-Attacking aggressive openings even with the black pieces like the King's Indian Defence to 1.d4 which my heroes Fischer, Kasparov, and Tal made use of extensively.
As White, I sometimes like Solid openings on such as the London System. I also like provocative openings like the Knight's Tango systems to encourage weaknesses from opponents.
I am also at faster time controls especially, particularly fond of aggressive openings and gambits. For example, the Smith-Morra Gambit vs the Sicilian Defence, and other gambits can be used aggressively even with the black pieces such as the Albin Counter Gambit. Gambits vary of course in soundness and it is important to teach what "ticks many boxes" for use in various time controls. Also, I like surprising opponents with openings such as the Nimzo-Larsen attack, the King's Indian Attack, The London System, and Queen's Knight attack system 1. Nc3, all of which I have courses for here at Udemy.
In the search for the ideal courses to provide you, I like to search within myself for my core strengths and passions within the passion of Chess.
I truly hope you enjoy my courses and they improve your chess and your enjoyment of chess generally - and life generally :)