Caissa Codex
C25

Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Hamppe-Allgaier Gambit, Thorold Variation

Chess diagram: Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Hamppe-Allgaier Gambit, Thorold Variation after 8. d4

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Statistics from Lichess

3,686 games: White 57.5% / Draw 3.8% / Black 38.7%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
1,4431,443
524524
407407
282282
266266
257257
233233
158158

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026

Engine evaluation

−1.24 Black is better

Best play: 8... f3 9. gxf3 d5 10. fxg4 Be7 11. g5 hxg5 12. Nxd5 g4 13. Nxe7

Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.

Overview

Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Hamppe-Allgaier Gambit, Thorold Variation (ECO C25, Open Games) is a gambit in the King's Gambit Accepted: MacLeod Defense, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. Nc3 g5 5. h4 g4 6. Ng5 h6 7. Nxf7 Kxf7 8. d4 (8 moves).

In 3,686 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 57.5%, Black 38.7% and 3.8% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 8…d6, in 39% of those games.

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How to play against the Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Hamppe-Allgaier Gambit, Thorold Variation

8…f3 scores best for Black: 51.6%, with Black winning 49.4% and White 46.3% of 257 games. The most played, 8…d6, scores 40.9% in 1,443 games, and 8…h5 scores lowest: 30.5%. Stockfish's first choice is also 8…f3.

Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 4. Nc3 g5 5. h4 g4 6. Ng5 h6 7. Nxf7 Kxf7 8. d4, the position after King's Gambit Accepted: MacLeod Defense also goes on to:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Hamppe-Allgaier Gambit, Thorold Variation (C25)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/vienna-gambit-with-max-lange-defense-hamppe-allgaier-gambit-thorold-variation

https://chesscodex.org/openings/vienna-gambit-with-max-lange-defense-hamppe-allgaier-gambit-thorold-variation