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Final position — Black is winning

Vienna Game

Vienna Game: Wins a Piece

Black wins in 7 moves with a decisive material gain. (Megatron - Wall, Internet 1996)

The moves

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.d3 Bb4 6.O-O Bxc3 7.bxc3 Nxb5
1.e4e5
2.Nc3Nc6
3.Bb5Nd4
4.Nf3Nf6
5.d3Bb4
6.O-OBxc3
7.bxc3Nxb5

How the Vienna Game: Wins a Piece works

The Vienna Game: Wins a Piece is a classic chess opening trap arising from the Vienna Game. In this line Black wins decisive material by move 7, punishing a natural-looking but losing idea from White.

The full sequence runs 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.d3 Bb4 6.O-O Bxc3 7.bxc3 Nxb5. Each move looks reasonable, which is exactly why the trap is so effective over the board — White walks into it while trying to play "normal" developing moves.

This pattern is well known from master and correspondence play (Megatron - Wall, Internet 1996). Recognising it early lets you either spring it as Black or sidestep it as White.

Practice this trap move-by-move

Open the Vienna Game: Wins a Piece in the Trapsterapp to play it out on a live board, drill it in practice mode, and learn how to avoid it when it's set for you — along with the full library of chess traps and gambits, fully offline.

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