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Final position — Black is winning

Vienna Game

Vienna Game: Wins a Pawn (Hauwert–Welling)

Black wins in 10 moves with a decisive material gain. (Hauwert - Welling, Netherlands 1986)

The moves

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 Bc5 4.Bg2 h5 5.Nf3 h4 6.Nxe5 Nxe5 7.d4 h3 8.Bxh3 Bxd4 9.Bg2 Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 d6
1.e4e5
2.Nc3Nc6
3.g3Bc5
4.Bg2h5
5.Nf3h4
6.Nxe5Nxe5
7.d4h3
8.Bxh3Bxd4
9.Bg2Bxc3+
10.bxc3d6

How the Vienna Game: Wins a Pawn (Hauwert–Welling) works

The Vienna Game: Wins a Pawn (Hauwert–Welling) is a classic chess opening trap arising from the Vienna Game. In this line Black wins decisive material by move 10, punishing a natural-looking but losing idea from White.

The full sequence runs 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 Bc5 4.Bg2 h5 5.Nf3 h4 6.Nxe5 Nxe5 7.d4 h3 8.Bxh3 Bxd4 9.Bg2 Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 d6. 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 (Hauwert - Welling, Netherlands 1986). 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 Pawn (Hauwert–Welling) 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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