is the Vienna game sound?

[victorgrant]

Hello,


I've been advised by my trainer to stop playing the same openings and try other lines until I get better.
I looked at e4 and found the Vienna appealing
how come it isnt played that much at Grandmaster level?
Is there something unsound about it?
Any responses are greatly appreciated

Thanks
Please help


I didn't find the right solution from the Internet


References:
www.ecforum.org.uk/chess-viewtopic.php?b72dd1bdef92c33
Online banking examples

[Big Lin]

Feb 20, 2018 4:34:13 GMT victorgrant said:

Hello,


I've been advised by my trainer to stop playing the same openings and try other lines until I get better.
I looked at e4 and found the Vienna appealing
how come it isnt played that much at Grandmaster level?
Is there something unsound about it?
Any responses are greatly appreciated

Thanks
Please help


I didn't find the right solution from the Internet


References:
www.ecforum.org.uk/chess-viewtopic.php?b72dd1bdef92c33
Online banking examples

Hello, Victor.

Many classical openings (like the Vienna) are no longer in vogue.

Generally at Grandmaster level the openings tend to be extremely cautious and positional. More Queen's Pawn and Indian-style openings; more Reti and English openings.

For King's Pawn games it's generally the Sicilian or Ruy Lopez that get played; sometimes the Giuco Piano or Two Knight's Defence.

But the Vienna, like the King's Gambit, is rarely played nowadays. In its classical form (with the various Gambit lines) it's not been seen for years in masterplay (though I've used it sometimes when I used to play for a chess club.)

Generally Black will reply to 2 Nc3 with 2..Ng3 and that makes the Gambit lines pretty hard to play in practice.

But I'd recommend surprising Black players by responding to 2..Ng3 not with 3f4 but with 3Qf3 or 3Qe2. It always surprises club players and it would probably surprise a few online ones too!

Or you could try instead of the Vienna trying another opening I like as White - the Bishop's Opening.

1e2-e4 e-7-e5 2 Bc4.

There are all kinds of possibilities from that position (especially for an attacking player) and I tend to like (if as usually happens Black plays 2..Ng3 playing 3Q-e2 as a follow up.

Some surprisingly strong attacking lines for White can result from that opening.