Italian Game

Italian Game

a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h
Moves	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4
ECO	C50–C59
Origin	15th or 16th century
Parent	King's Knight Opening
Synonym	Italian Opening[1]

The Italian Game is a chess opening beginning with the moves:

1. e4 e5

2. Nf3 Nc6

3. Bc4

White develops the bishop to the active square c4 (the so-called "Italian bishop"), where it attacks Black's pawn on f7, protected only by the king. Black usually responds with 3...Bc5 (the Giuoco Piano) or 3...Nf6 (the Two Knights Defense).

The Italian is one of the oldest recorded chess openings, being played by players such as Pedro Damiano and Giulio Polerio in the 16th century, and later by Gioachino Greco in the 17th century, who developed the opening's classical main line. It has been extensively analyzed for more than 300 years.

In the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings, the Italian Game is assigned ten codes: C50 covers Black's third move alternatives as well as White's fourth move alternatives after 3...Bc5, C51–C52 covers 3...Bc5 4.b4 (the Evans Gambit), C53-C54 covers 3...Bc5 4.c3 (the main line of the Giuoco Piano), and C55–C59 covers 3...Nf6 (the Two Knights Defense).

Terminology

The term Italian Game was not commonly used in English until the late 20th century. Originally, it was interchangeable with the more common term Giuoco Piano ('Quiet Game' in Italian) and referred to play after 3...Bc5,^[2] while Black's third move alternatives such as the Two Knights Defense (3...Nf6) were considered separate openings. Reuben Fine's influential 1948 book lacked a term for 3.Bc4 in general.^[3]

The typical modern usage of Italian Game refers to all play beginning with 3.Bc4, a meaning advocated by Harding and Botterill in 1977, who discouraged the use of Giuoco Piano on the grounds that the name was inappropriate given the sharp tactics present in many lines.^[4] Additionally, the broader scope is regarded as illustrative of the diminished importance of the Italian today compared to the 19th century,^[5] when 1.e4 e5 was the predominant pair of opening moves, and the Ruy Lopez (3.Bb5) was not as popular.

The term Giuoco Piano traditionally refers only to play after 3...Bc5. It can also refer to all play after 3.Bc4, with the same meaning as Italian Game,^[6] continuing the traditional interchangeability between Italian Game, Italian Opening, and Giuoco Piano. Some authors use Giuoco Piano for play after 3...Bc5 4.c3, without 5.d3, contrasting with Giuoco Pianissimo ('Quietest Game') for lines with d3.^[7][8] Other terms used to describe this distinction are Slow Italian for lines with d3^[1] and Classical Italian for lines without d3.^[9]

History

The Italian Game has a very long history of play. It is one of the openings analyzed in the Göttingen manuscript, the earliest known work on modern chess. According to recorded games from around 1620, Gioachino Greco met 3...Nf6 with 4.Ng5^[10] and 3...Bc5 with 4.c3;^[11] consistently playing 4.c3 while other players tended to play 4.0-0.^[12] He developed the old main line 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+, and particularly the sharp variation 7.Nc3,^[13] which is still occasionally seen today.

The Italian was employed in some of the great victories of the 19th century.^[14] Many of these games took place in the Evans Gambit (4.b4), which became very common in the 1830s. Frequently played by the likes of Paul Morphy, it remained popular until the decline of Romantic chess in the 1880s. The old line with 4.c3 and 5.d4 was also still used.

In the 1880s, Henry Bird had already written that 3.Bc4 was "not quite so much in favor with the leading players as it formerly was",^[14] and this trend continued; the Italian was much less played at the top level than the Ruy Lopez (3.Bb5) in the 20th century, though it was the most common of White's early deviations after 1.e4 e5. Paul Keres wrote that the move 3.Bc4 was "too calm to give White advantage".^[15] Some masters like Rudolf Spielmann continued to employ it regularly.^[16]

In the late 20th century, the opening's popularity recovered somewhat as the Giuoco Pianissimo (the lines where White plays 4.d3 or 5.d3) became more played, especially by younger players,^[17] as well as by Anatoly Karpov, who played it twice in the World Chess Championship 1981.^[18] The recovery continued in the 21st century due to the emergence of the Berlin Defense (3.Bb5 Nf6) to the Ruy Lopez after the Classical World Chess Championship 2000 between Vladimir Kramnik and Garry Kasparov, which led White players to search for new ideas in the Italian, which avoids the Berlin.

Giuoco Piano: 3...Bc5

Main article: Giuoco Piano

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Giuoco Piano: 3...Bc5

3...Bc5 is traditionally Black's main reply to 3.Bc4, though 3...Nf6 has been about as common for decades. By developing the bishop, 4...Nf6 5.Ng5 can be met with 5...0-0, whereas 3...Nf6 4.Ng5 requires Black to sacrifice a pawn or accept an unsafe king. Traditionally dubbed the Giuoco Piano, translating as "Quiet Game", the line actually has many aggressive continuations, though openings with very early aggression such as the King's Gambit (2.f4) were common at the time, contributing to the origin of the name.

The main move for White is 4.c3, which was played as early as 1512 by Damiano.^[13] After 4...Nf6, Greco's move 5.d4 was the main line for centuries. The most common alternative to 4.c3 is 4.d3, the Giuoco Pianissimo ("Very Quiet Game"), a positional line where White gives up the possibility of playing d2–d4 in one move; moreover, the modern main line after 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 is 5.d3, transposing to the Giuoco Pianissimo. In the 4.d3 move order, White may opt to avoid c3 in favor of Nc3 (a line also frequently reached via 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.d3), though this is relatively uncommon.

Alternative continuations for White include the aggressive Evans Gambit (4.b4), a popular opening in the 19th century which is still occasionally played. 4.0-0 will usually transpose into the Giuoco Pianissimo after 4...Nf6 5.d3, or White can play a gambit with 5.d4. The Italian Gambit (4.d4) may transpose into the Scotch Gambit after 4...exd4; however, this move order allows Black the option of 4...Bxd4, so if White wants a Scotch Gambit, 3.d4 is usually preferred. The Jerome Gambit (4.Bxf7+) is unsound.

Classical Variation: 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4

Classical Italian

a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h After 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h After 5...exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h After 5...exd4 6.e5 d5

For centuries, the central strike 5.d4, almost always met with 5...exd4, was the dominant move.^[19] The line remained common into the 20th century, being played by Wilhelm Steinitz in the World Chess Championship 1894 and World Chess Championship 1896-1897,^[16] and experiencing a burst of popularity after the discovery of the Møller Attack around the turn of the century, but eventually came to be considered harmless.^[19]

White's traditional reply to 5...exd4 is 6.cxd4, where 6...Bb4+ is Black's only good reply. White traditionally responds with 7.Nc3, gambiting a pawn, or 7.Bd2, a drawish line. In the late 2010s and 2020s, 7.Nbd2 emerged as a frequent alternative, and 7.Kf1 is also possible, though rare.

Instead of 6.cxd4, the modern main line after 5.d4 exd4 is 6.e5, a line popularized by Evgeny Sveshnikov, though it has a long history, being played several times by Wilhelm Steinitz. 6...d5 is effectively forced, typically continuing 7.Bb5 Ne4 8.cxd4 Bb6. 8...Bb4+, frequently played by Adolf Anderssen, and 7.Be2, advocated by Baadur Jobava, are also possible. Also occasionally seen are the gambit lines 6.b4, sometimes called the Dubov Italian,^[20] and 6.0-0.

Modern Variation: 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3

Modern Italian

a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h After 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h After 5...d6 6.0-0 a6 a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h After 5...0-0 6.0-0 d5

White playing both 4.c3 and 5.d3 comprises the modern main line of the Italian, which appeared in many top-level games in the 21st century. As a more positional alternative to the old main line, it resists computer-assisted preparation when compared to more tactical lines like those following 5.d4.^[19] It is also frequently reached via 4.d3 Nf6 5.c3 or from the Two Knights Defense via 3...Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3.

Black most often plays d7-d6, typically planning ...a6 or ...a5. A frequent alternative is for Black to castle, preparing d7-d5, opening the game.

Black's fourth move alternatives

Black has several more passive alternatives to 4...Nf6:

• 4...d6
• 4...Qe7
• 4...Bb6 (typically transposing to the 4...d6 or 4...Qe7 line)

Four Knights Variation: 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.d3

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After 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.d3

4.Nc3 is usually met with 4...Nf6, after which play tends to continue 5.d3 d6, a perfectly symmetrical position. It is also often reached via 4.d3 Nf6 5.Nc3 or 3...Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Nc3. The line can be considered to transpose to the Four Knights Game (3.Nc3 Nf6), but because 4.Bc4 can be met with 4...Nxe4 in that move order, it is more reliably reached via 3.Bc4.

Evans Gambit: 4.b4

Main article: Evans Gambit

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Evans Gambit: 4.b4

In the Evans Gambit (4.b4), White sacrifices a pawn for quick development and attacking chances. The main line continues 4...Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 (5...Be7 is a sound alternative) 6.d4, and now Black's main options are 6...d6 and 6...exd4. After achieving widespread popularity in the 1830s, the gambit remained very popular until the end of the era of Romantic chess. Perhaps the most famous game in the Evans Gambit is the Evergreen Game, a spectacular win by Adolf Anderssen against Jean Dufresne, probably played in Berlin in 1852.

Italian Gambit: 4.d4

Main article: Italian Gambit

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Italian Gambit: 4.d4

4.d4 is the Italian Gambit^[21] or Rosentreter Gambit. 4...exd4 transposes into the Scotch Gambit. 4...Nxd4 is well met by 5.Nxe5. 4...Bxd4 is generally considered the best reply.

4.0-0 Nf6 5.d4

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4.0-0 Nf6 5.d4

The line 4.0-0 Nf6 5.d4 has no standard name, though it has been called the Max Lange Gambit^[22] and the Deutz Gambit. Black can reply 5...exd4, which allows White to play the Max Lange Attack (6.e5). Instead, the most common continuation is 5...Bxd4 6.Nxd4 Nxd4, followed by 7.f4 or 7.Bg5.

Two Knights Defense: 3...Nf6

Main article: Two Knights Defense

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Two Knights Defense: 3...Nf6

3...Nf6, the Two Knights Defense is a more aggressive option for Black. David Bronstein even went so far as to propose that "Chigorin Counterattack" would be a more appropriate name.^[23] White's three common replies are 4.Ng5, 4.d4, and 4.d3.

4.Ng5

4.Ng5 is motivated by White attempting to exploit the weakness of Black's f-pawn, and is known for leading to wild positions with little margin for error for either side. After the usual 4...d5 5.exd5, recapturing with 5...Nxd5 is usually discouraged, as it allows 6.Nxf7, the Fegatello or Fried Liver Attack, or 6.d4, the Lolli Variation, both of which are difficult to defend under practical conditions. Instead, the main line is 5...Na5, sacrificing a pawn for an active position. Other possibilities include the Fritz Variation (5...Nd4) and the closely related Ulvestad Variation (5...b5). Instead of 4...d5, Black may also try the Traxler Counterattack (4...Bc5!?), well met by 5.Bxf7+.

4.d4

4.d4, which can be considered to transpose to Scotch Gambit after the usual reply 4...exd4, has the classical sacrificial continuation 5.0-0. Black's best move is to accept the offered pawn with 5...Nxe4. The main alternative is 5...Bc5, which allows the Max Lange Attack (6.e5). The modern main continuation is instead 5.e5, which can be met with 5...d5, 5...Ne4, or 5...Ng4.

4.d3

A quieter option for White is 4.d3, when Black's main options are 4...Bc5, transposing into the Giuoco Pianissimo; 4...Be7, a solid move; 4...h6, which may intend a kingside attack with ...g5; and the risky 4...d5.

Black's third move alternatives

• 3...Be7 (Hungarian Defense). A solid, drawish defense which is occasionally seen in tournament play to avoid the complexities and risks of the other lines.
• 3...d6 (Semi-Italian Opening). Another solid positional line, popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but rarely seen today. Transposition to the Hungarian Defense (e.g. after 4.0-0 Be7) or Scotch Game (after 4.d4 exd4) is common. The main independent lines begin 4.d4 Bg4 and 4.c3. 4.c3 f5 is a delayed Rousseau Gambit.
• 3...g6. This allows White to attack with 4.d4 (4.d3 has also been tried) 4...exd4 5.c3! (5.Nxd4 and 5.Bg5 are also possible) 5...dxc3 6.Nxc3 Bg7 and now 7.Qb3 (Unzicker) or 7.Bg5 (O'Kelly).
• 3...Nd4 (Blackburne Shilling Gambit). This ostensibly weak third move is a false gambit expectant upon White falling into the trap of capturing Black's undefended pawn (4.Nxe5?! Qg5). While generally considered time-wasting against more experienced players due to 4.Nxd4! exd4 5.c3, it has ensnared many chess novices and can provide a quick and easy mate against players unfamiliar with the line.
• 3...f5 (Rousseau Gambit). White does best to avoid the pawn offer with 4.d3 or 4.d4.
• 3...Qf6. After 3...Qf6?! 4.Nc3 Nge7 5.Nb5 White has a clear advantage (Unzicker).
• 3...h6. Neglects Black's development and is generally considered a waste of time;^[24] however, the move has no immediate refutation and has been tried by Czech grandmaster Pavel Blatny.^[25]

See also

• Chess opening
• Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings
• List of chess openings
• List of chess openings named after places

References

Notes

Citations

1. Souleidis & Müller 2017.
2. Harding & Botterill (1977), p. Preface: "In Europe this complex [1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4] is known as the Italian Game, but Anglo-Saxon readers may be more familiar with the term Giuoco Piano for the lines where Black replies 3...Bc5."
3. Fine 1948, p. 93.
4. Harding & Botterill 1977, p. Pref..
5. van der Sterren 2009, p. 301.
6. Emms 2006, p. 47.
7. Flear 2010, p. 71.
8. Kalinin & Kalinichenko 2021, p. 13.
9. "CBM 199 Booklet" (PDF). ChessBase. January–February 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
10. "Gioachino Greco vs NN, c. 1620". Chessgames.com. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
11. "Gioachino Greco vs NN, c. 1620". Chessgames.com. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
12. Hoffmann 1900, p. 1-45.
13. Gufeld & Stetsko 1996, p. 5.
14. Soltis 1992, p. 8.
15. Pinski 2005, p. 5.
16. Harding & Botterill 1977, p. 2.
17. Soltis 1992, p. 5.
18. Karpov 1988, p. 101.
19. Kravtsiv 2025.
20. Gustafsson, Jan (2024). "Aggressive 1.e4 Repertoire Part 1". Chessable. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
21. Acers & Laven 2003.
22. Hansen 2010, p. 47.
23. 200 Open Games, David Bronstein, p. 60, Batsford, 1973
24. Tim Harding, Better Chess for Average Players, p 156, Courier 2012, ISBN 9780486133690
25. "Svidler vs. Blatny, Gausdal 1992". Chessgames.com.

Bibliography

• Acers, Jude; Laven, George (2003). The Italian Gambit (and) A Guiding Repertoire for White–1.e4!. Trafford Publishing. ISBN 1-55369-604-2.
• Botterill, George (1986). Open Gambits. Batsford. ISBN 0-7134-5085-1.
• Bronstein, David (1991). 200 Open Games. Dover Publications (Reprint). ISBN 0-486-26857-8.
• Burgess, Graham (2000). The Mammoth Book of Chess (2nd ed.). Carroll & Graf. ISBN 978-0-7867-0725-6.
• Emms, John (2006). Discovering Chess Openings: Building Opening Skills from Basic Principles. London: Everyman Chess. ISBN 978-1-85744-419-3.
• Estrin, Yakov (1983). The Two Knights' Defence. ISBN 0-7134-3991-2.
• Fine, Reuben (1948). Practical Chess Openings. New York: David McKay Company.
• Flear, Glenn (2010). Starting Out: Open Games. Everyman Chess. ISBN 9781857446302.
• Gufeld, Eduard; Stetsko, Oleg (1996). The Giuoco Piano. London: Batsford. ISBN 9780713478020.
• Hansen, Carsten (2010). Back to Basics: Openings. Milford, CT: Russell Enterprises. ISBN 9781888690446.
• Harding, Tim; Botterill, G. S. (1977). The Italian Game. Batsford. ISBN 0-7134-3261-6.
• Hoffmann, Louis (1900). The Games of Greco. George Routledge and Sons.
• Kalinin, Alexander; Kalinichenko, Nicolai (2021). The Modernized Italian Game for White. Thinkers Publishing. ISBN 9789464201079.
• Karpov, Anatoly (1988). The Open Game in Action. Macmillan Chess Library. ISBN 9780020218111.
• Kasparov, Garry; Keene, Raymond (1989). Batsford Chess Openings 2 (2nd ed.). London: Batsford. ISBN 0-7134-6099-7.
• Kravtsiv, Martyn (2025). PCO: Practical Chess Openings. Gambit Publications. ISBN 9781805041047.
• Levy, David; O'Donnell, K. (1981). Oxford Encyclopaedia of Chess Games Vol I (1485–1866). ISBN 0-19-217571-8.
• Matanović, Aleksandar, ed. (1981). Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings. Vol. C. Yugoslavia: Chess Informant. ISBN 0-7134-2697-7.
• Moret, Vincent (2016). My First Chess Opening Repertoire for White: A Turn-key Package for Ambitious Beginners. New In Chess. ISBN 978-90-5691-633-6.
• Pinski, Jan (2005). Italian Game and Evans Gambit. Everyman Chess. ISBN 978-1-85744-373-8.
• Regis, David. Four opening systems to start with: A repertoire for young players from 8 to 80 (PDF).
• Soltis, Andrew (1992). Winning with the Giuoco Piano and the Max Lange Attack. Chess Digest. ISBN 0-87568-201-4.
• Souleidis, Georgios; Müller, Karsten (2017). Winning with the Slow (but Venomous!) Italian: An Easy-to-Grasp Chess Opening for White. New In Chess. ISBN 978-90-5691-674-9.
• van der Sterren, Paul (2009). Fundamental Chess Openings. Gambit Publications. ISBN 978-1906454135.

Further reading

• Collins, Sam (2005). Understanding the Chess Openings. Gambit Publications. ISBN 1-904600-28-X.
• Zagorovsky, Vladimir (1982). Romantic Chess Openings. ISBN 0-7134-3623-9.

External links

• Italian Game on Chess.com
• Italian Game on lichess.org