The Vienna Game: the King's Gambit with a safety net

The key idea

Against the f4 push you don't capture: you strike in the centre with d5, which gives the pawn back and frees every piece. And against the version with the bishop on c4, taking the e4 pawn leads to a position where Black ends up giving up a rook for the initiative. It's playable, but you have to know the road by heart.

Example 1 · The right answer: don't capture, strike in the centre

White has pushed f4 and Black has replied d5 instead of taking. White to move.

1. Nf3 My f4 was a King's Gambit with the knight out first, and his answer was the good one: instead of taking my pawn, he struck in the centre with d5. A general rule for almost every wing gambit: they're answered in the centre, not by accepting the gift.
2. Bc5 He develops with a threat.
3. d4 I push with gain of time: space, his bishop chased and my centre built, all in one move.
4. Bb4 He steps aside, pinning my knight.
5. Bd2 I break the pin by developing. When a pin can be broken with a piece that also comes out, there's nothing to think about.
6. c5 He pushes on the queenside.
7. Nxe4 I trade off his advanced knight. It's been planted in the centre being a nuisance since move 4; removing it clears the position.
8. dxe4 He recaptures and the pawn returns to the centre. A balanced position, a shade better for Black — not even a fifth of a pawn. That's the result of answering a gambit properly.

Example 2 · The jungle: what happens if you take that pawn

Black did capture on e4 and White has come after him with queen and knight. Black to move, and you have to know the road.

1. g6 This position has a name of its own — the Frankenstein-Dracula Variation — and a warning inside it: I took the e4 pawn and now I have his queen and knight all over me. I start by chasing the queen, which is the only playable move.
2. Qf3 The queen steps aside and keeps eyeing f7.
3. f5 I shut the door and gain time. In a position like this there are no quiet moves: every one has to do a job.
4. Qd5 He insists, now against the knight and against f7.
5. Qf6 I defend with the queen, the only piece that reaches everything.
6. Nxc7+ And here comes the swipe: his knight takes a pawn with check and is on its way to my rook.
7. Kd8 I move the king and attack the knight. I can't save the rook any more; what I can do is make him pay dearly for it.
8. Nxa8 He takes the rook and gets stuck in the corner with not a single square to come back through. Engine verdict: White better by less than a pawn, with a whole rook extra. That's compensation taken to the extreme — and also the moral of the lesson: against the Vienna with the bishop on c4, that e4 pawn isn't touched unless you want to memorise an entire jungle.

Practice

You're playing the Vienna with White. Your opponent answered the gambit correctly. Develop with tempo, break his pin and clear the centre.

1. Natural development. Your e5 pawn takes squares from him and your knight eyes the centre. Bring the king's knight out to its usual square.
2. You push with gain of time: space, bishop chased and centre built in a single move. Push the queen's pawn two squares, attacking his bishop.
3. You break the pin while developing a piece. When it can be done this way, there's nothing to think about. Break the pin with the piece that also leaves home.
4. You trade his advanced knight and the position clears. Balance, which is exactly what you wanted. Trade off the knight that's been planted in the centre since move 4.

Keep the general rule, good for the Vienna and for almost every wing gambit: you don't answer them by capturing, you answer them by striking in the centre. As Black, against the f4 push play d5 and you'll be fine without having studied a thing. And if you're offered the e4 pawn in the Bc4 version, you now know what's on the other side: a playable position, yes, but one where you end up giving up the a8 rook and trusting that a knight trapped in the corner is worth what you paid. It can be done. It just has to be known beforehand, not discovered mid-game.