About this opening
Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Steinitz Gambit, Fraser-Minckwitz Defense is an opening in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings,
classified under code C25. ECO group C (C00–C99)
covers open games (1.e4 e5) and the French Defence, including the Ruy Lopez, Italian, Scotch and King's Gambit. This particular variation is reached
after 10 half-moves from the
starting position, with the move sequence 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 exf4 4. d4 Qh4+ 5. Ke2 b6.
It belongs to the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense family.
Within that family this is a level-2 branch (the Steinitz Gambit → Fraser-Minckwitz Defense line). The immediate parent line is Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Steinitz Gambit, transitioned via 5…b6.
The opening sequence in prose form: 1.e4 e5, 2.Nc3 Nc6, 3.f4 exf4, 4.d4 Qh4+, 5.Ke2 b6. From this position the encyclopaedia records no further canonical continuations — practical play branches into unnamed transpositions or returns to the parent line for alternative ideas.
Use the interactive board above to walk through the moves position-by-position. Click any move in the navigation to step backwards, or use the keyboard arrow keys. For statistical data — how often master-level players have reached this position, White's win-rate, draw frequency, Black's score — see the panel in the right column.
Caissly's coverage of C25 extends through every named sub-variation in this line and across all four locales (English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian). Where editorial commentary exists for a specific variation it appears as the page body; otherwise the page presents the structural data, board, and statistics as shown here.