VIENNA GAME 1e4e5 2 Nc3 [eae i fee Wy ce tats Oa ts y Pty eae HE VIENNA IS NAMED AFTER THE AUSTRIAN CAPITAL that for centuries headed the Holy Roman Empire. This important intellectual and musical center naturally embraced chess in its culture. Steinitz, Tartakower, and Spielmann hailed from Vienna and used the opening which bears its name. After World War, the opening, like the empire, suf- fered decline. Except for a revival by the American Weaver Adams (who boldly claimed it led to a forced win for White) in the 1940s and 50s, the Vienna has moved backstage. Though not forcing, there is nothing wrong with the Vienna and so grandmasters like Shabalov and Anand use it on occasion and club or tournament players use it regularly. The idea behind 2 Nc3 is to develop while leaving open the options of f2-f4 and Qhé (or Qf3). Black’s most natural reply is 2 . . . Nf6, which is considered in columns 1-12. Against 3 Be4 Black can play 3... Nxe4 (columns 1-2), the so-called Frankenstein-Dracula Variation, with great complications. More-positional play arises from 3...Nc6, 3...Bc5, or 3... Bb4 (columns 3-6). Instead of 3 Be4 White has the slow-building 3 g3 (columns 7-8) or the old thematic 3 £4 (columns 9-12) with fairly balanced play. Black’s major second-move alternative is 2. . . Nc6 (columns 13-17). White now has 3 f4 which can lead to either the Pierce, Hamppe-Allgaier, or Steinitz Gambits, with interesting chances for both sides. 2... BcS (column 18) was played by Capablanca and is a way to avoid the usual lines. 114