Vienna Game: Stanley Variation, Alekhine Variation
Play any move on the board to explore from there, or step through the line with ‹ › and the arrow keys.
Statistics from Lichess
6,100 games: White 47.0% / Draw 11.3% / Black 41.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 3,8733,873 | ||
| 1,7371,737 | ||
| 490490 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.09 The position is about equal
Best play: 7... g6 8. Nxc6 bxc6 9. Qa5 O-O 10. d4 Bf6 11. O-O Bxd4 12. Bg5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Vienna Game: Stanley Variation, Alekhine Variation (ECO C27, Open Games) is a variation of the Vienna Game: Stanley Variation, Monster Declined, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Nxe4 4. Qh5 Nd6 5. Bb3 Be7 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Nxe5 (7 moves).
In 6,100 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.0%, Black 41.7% and 11.3% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 7…Nxe5, in 63% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
Write a description or report a mistake
How to play against the Vienna Game: Stanley Variation, Alekhine Variation
7…g6 scores best for Black: 54.4%, with Black winning 48.9% and White 40.0% of 1,737 games. The most played answer, 7…Nxe5, scores lowest: 43.8% in 3,873 games. Stockfish's first choice is also 7…g6.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Vienna Game: Stanley Variation, Alekhine Variation (C27)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/vienna-game-stanley-variation-alekhine-variation