Vienna Game: Anderssen Defense: what to play after Bc5?

In the Vienna Game: Anderssen Defense (ECO C25), White's most effective continuation is Nf3, which develops a kingside piece, applies immediate pressure to the e5 pawn, and holds an engine evaluation of +0.40. Selected in 58.8% of the 5,853,782 recorded games in the database, it yields a 51.6% scoring rate for White.

The Strategic Value of Nf3

Choosing Nf3 transposes play into familiar King's Pawn territory while naturally building toward control over the center. An illustrative engine continuation demonstrates central expansion: Nf3 d6 d4 exd4 Nxd4 Nf6. By forcing Black to safeguard the e5 outpost, White coordinates development efficiently and prepares for an active d-pawn thrust.

Alternatives: Bc4 and Qh5

White's second most common try is Bc4, chosen in 39.5% of games (2.31M recorded), scoring 52.3% with an evaluation of +0.06. This bishop development can lead into Bc4 Nf6 Nf3 d6 d4 exd4. A more aggressive alternative is the early queen sortie Qh5, evaluated at +0.10, which aims at Black's f-pawn and can transition into Qh5 Nc6 Bc4 Qf6 f4 Nge7.

Minor Tries

Other approaches include Na4, evaluated at +0.03, where White targets the Black bishop via Na4 Bd6 Nf3 Nc6 Bc4 Nd4. Finally, a3 represents a quiet waiting move with a neutral +0.00 evaluation, played in 1.7% of games (101K recorded) with a 47.1% score, which can be followed by a3 d6 Nf3 Nf6 d4 exd4.