Vienna Game: Stanley Variation, Meitner-Mieses Gambit
The Meitner-Mieses Gambit is 3...Bc5 4.Qg4 Qf6 5.Nd5, where White's knight attacks Black's queen and c7 at once. Black's best is ...Qxf2+, grabbing a pawn and forcing White's king to d1, but White gets a strong attack.
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Qg4 Qf6 5.Nd5
- ECO
- C25
- Engine
- +1.09 · a clear edge for White (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
- Played
- 538 games in our lichess sample
- White scores
- 65.7%
Key ideas for both sides
White
- After ...Qxf2+, play Kd1; the threats of Qxg7 and Nxc7+ remain in the air.
- Bring the knight to h3 with tempo on the queen, then Qg5 to push Black's pieces back.
- Play d3 to open the c1 bishop and threaten to trap Black's queen.
- If Black plays ...Qg6 or ...Bxf2+, the fork on c7 wins the a8 rook.
Black
- ...Qxf2+ is the engine's first choice; it wins a pawn and forces the king to d1.
- After Kd1, play ...Kf8 to protect g7 and avoid the knight fork on c7.
- Use ...h5 to chase White's queen and ...Qd4 to centralize the queen safely.
- Avoid ...Qg6 and ...Bxf2+: both drop the a8 rook to the knight fork.
Plans and pawn structure
After ...Qxf2+ Kd1 Kf8, both kings have lost castling rights. White's plan is Nh3, Qg5 and d3 to hunt Black's queen and use active pieces. Black's plan is to get the queen safe on d4, play ...d6 and ...Nf6 to trade the d5 knight, and use the extra pawn later. White's pieces are more active, and in this sample White scored 65.7%. Black must defend precisely.
Where the engine's main line heads: Open game: e4 against e5. An open game: e4 against e5. Development, the f7 and f2 squares, and the d4 or d5 break are what count.
What the engine plays from here
Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position +1.09: a clear edge for White. Its three top choices for Black:
- +1.09 5...Qxf2+ 6.Kd1 Kf8 7.Nh3 h5 8.Qg5
- +3.33 5...Qg6 6.Nxc7+ Kd8 7.Qxg6 hxg6 8.Nxa8
- +3.43 5...Bxf2+ 6.Kf1 Qh4 7.Qxh4 Bxh4 8.Nxc7+
Pawns, from White's side.
How it scores on lichess
538 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 65.7%.
Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.
How to play against it
As Black, play ...Qxf2+ and ...Kf8, then ...h5 and ...Qd4. Do not play ...Qg6 or ...Bxf2+, which lose the a8 rook to the fork. Keep g7 and c7 covered, and trade White's active d5 knight with ...Nf6 as soon as possible.
Questions
What are the moves of the Vienna Game: Stanley Variation, Meitner-Mieses Gambit?
The Vienna Game: Stanley Variation, Meitner-Mieses Gambit starts 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Qg4 Qf6 5.Nd5. Its ECO code is C25.
Is the Vienna Game: Stanley Variation, Meitner-Mieses Gambit good for White?
Stockfish 17.1 rates the position +1.09 at depth 20, which is a clear edge for White. In 538 lichess games from our sample, White scored 65.7%. A dangerous trap line for White players who like tricks, and Black must know ...Qxf2+ and ...Kf8 to survive.
What is the main idea of the Vienna Game: Stanley Variation, Meitner-Mieses Gambit?
White attacks Black's queen and c7 with Nd5. Black's best is ...Qxf2+ to force the king to d1, but White keeps a strong initiative with Nh3 and Qg5.
What should Black play next?
The engine's first choice is Qxf2+, with Qg6 and Bxf2+ close behind. ...Qxf2+ grabs a pawn with check and gets the queen out of the knight's attack.
Related lines
- Vienna Game: Stanley Variation
- Three Knights Variation
- Reversed Spanish
- How to beat the Vienna Gameguide
Updated October 2026. Sources and method.