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Italian Game

ECO code
C50
Moves
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About the Italian Game

The Italian Game (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4) aims the bishop at f7, Black's weakest square, and develops quickly towards castling.

It suits players at every level, from sharp gambits such as the Evans Gambit to the slow Giuoco Pianissimo favored by grandmasters. Black's main replies are 3...Bc5 and 3...Nf6, the Two Knights Defense.

Main ideas

For White

  • Aim the c4 bishop at f7, the weakest point in Black's camp at the start of the game.
  • In the modern Giuoco Piano, play slowly with c3, d3, castling and Re1, prepare d4, and keep the bishop with a4 or Bb3 and Ba2.
  • Re-route the queenside knight with Nbd2-f1-g3 (or e3) to support a kingside attack.
  • For a sharper game, try the Evans Gambit (4. b4) or 4. Ng5 against the Two Knights Defense.

For Black

  • Develop quickly and challenge the center: ...Bc5 or ...Nf6, then ...d6 or ...d5.
  • In the slow lines, mirror White's set-up and fight for the d4 square; ...a6 and ...Ba7 keep the bishop from being traded.
  • Against 4. Ng5 in the Two Knights, 4...d5 5. exd5 Na5 is the reliable main line.
  • Watch f7 until the king has castled: many early traps in the Italian land there.

Pawn structure

After 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 the position is open and classical. In today's slow Giuoco Piano both sides keep pawns on e4 and e5, White's c3 and d3 prepare d4 for later, and the game is decided by maneuvering rather than by early tactics. If White plays an early d4 instead, the center opens and both sides get active piece play.

Traps and common mistakes

The Fried Liver Attack

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Nxd5 6. Nxf7 Kxf7 7. Qf3+

In the Two Knights Defense, 5...Nxd5?! lets White sacrifice a knight on f7. After 7. Qf3+ the black king is dragged into the open and has to defend for a long time. That is why 5...Na5 is the main line.

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nd4 4. Nxe5 Qg5 5. Nxf7 Qxg2 6. Rf1 Qxe4+ 7. Be2 Nf3#

Against 3...Nd4, grabbing a pawn with 4. Nxe5?! is risky: 4...Qg5 hits both e5 and g2, and the greedy 5. Nxf7? Qxg2 6. Rf1 Qxe4+ 7. Be2 Nf3 is mate. Simply 4. Nxd4 or 4. O-O leaves White better.

Who should play the Italian Game?

Players with White who want classical development and a choice between a slow positional game and, with the gambits, quick attacks. It is one of the best openings for learning the basics, and the slow lines are popular at the very top.

History

One of the oldest recorded openings: the Giuoco Piano, Italian for 'quiet game', was analyzed by Italian players including Gioachino Greco in the 1600s. It was overshadowed by the Ruy Lopez for most of the 20th century, then came back strongly in the 2010s when top players adopted the slow c3 and d3 set-up.

Italian Game statistics

The Italian Game was reached in 451.6K master games (2.1% of all master games), and White scored 52% from there.

Master games

451.6K

2.1% of games between players rated 2500+

White wins Draws Black wins

Most common next moves in master games

MoveGamesPlayedResults
3... Bc5222.1K49%
3... Nf6204.7K45%
3... Be710,7902.4%
3... d65,9241.3%
3... g62,2270.5%

Master games from the Chessmont database (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Main variations

  • Giuoco Piano

    C50 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5

    Black answers with 3...Bc5, mirroring White's bishop. White can play c3 and d4 for a quick fight over the center.

  • Giuoco Pianissimo

    C50 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3

    White plays a slow d3 instead of d4, keeping the tension and maneuvering before acting. It is the main line at the top level today.

  • Two Knights Defense

    C55 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6

    Black plays 3...Nf6 and counterattacks e4. White's most direct try, 4. Ng5, leads to the sharp lines around the Fried Liver Attack.

  • Evans Gambit

    C51 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4

    White offers a pawn with 4. b4 to gain time for c3 and d4. It is a romantic gambit that Kasparov revived in the 1990s.

Related openings

  • Ruy Lopez

    C60 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5

    The Ruy Lopez, or Spanish Opening (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5), is one of the oldest and most deeply analyzed openings in chess.

  • Scotch Game

    C44 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4

    The Scotch Game (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4) opens the center straight away instead of building up slowly as in the Ruy Lopez.

  • Vienna Game

    C25 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3

    The Vienna Game (1. e4 e5 2. Nc3) develops the queen's knight first so White can follow up with f4.