Italian Game

The Italian Game begins with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4, targeting the f7 pawn and establishing central control early. White's strategic ideas include the Giuoco Piano (4.c3 and 5.d4) or the Giuoco Pianissimo (4.c3 d6), leading to rich positional battles over central space.

  • Variations: 28
  • Total lines: 60
  • Winrate: 53.1%

Main lines

  • Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Modern Line: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.e5 d5 7.Be2 Ne4 8.cxd4
  • Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Janowski Defense: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.O-O d6 6.Nxd4 Nxd4 7.Qxd4
  • Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Modern Line: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.e5 Qe7 7.O-O
  • Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.O-O Bc5 6.e5 d5 7.exf6
  • Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Modern Line: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.e5 Ng4 7.cxd4
  • Italian Game: Classical Variation: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 d6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3
  • Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.O-O Bc5 6.e5 Ng4 7.Bf4
  • Italian Game: Anti-Fried Liver Defense: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Nxd4 6.Qxd4
  • Scandinavian Defense: Valencian Variation: 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd8 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 e6 6.Bd3
  • Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Double Gambit Accepted: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.O-O Nxe4 6.Re1
  • French Defense: Two Knights Variation: 1.e4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+
  • Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 e5 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.Ng5
  • Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 e6 5.c3
  • Scandinavian Defense: Valencian Variation: 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd8 4.d4 e6 5.Nf3
  • Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 e6 4.d4 cxd4 5.cxd4
  • French Defense: Two Knights Variation: 1.e4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3 d4 4.Ne2 c5 5.Ng3
  • Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 e6 4.O-O Nf6 5.Re1
  • Scandinavian Defense: Main Line: 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.d3
  • Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 d6 4.d4 cxd4 5.cxd4
  • Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 g6 4.d4
  • French Defense: Two Knights Variation: 1.e4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5
  • Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Nc6 4.O-O
  • Philidor Defense: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Be7 4.d4
  • Philidor Defense: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Bg4 4.d4
  • Philidor Defense: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Be6 4.Bxe6
  • Italian Game: Paris Defense: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Nc6 4.c3
  • Philidor Defense: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 h6 4.d4
  • Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, with e6: 1.e4 e6 2.Nf3 c5 3.c3