Italian Game: the complete guide
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4
The Italian goes back to the 16th-century masters (Polerio, then Greco): the very first recorded games in history already look like it. Queen of the romantic era, eclipsed by the Spanish, it has returned to the spotlight among the modern elite.
How it starts, move by move
- 1. e4e4 occupies the center.
- ... e5e5 occupies the center.
- 2. Nf3Nf3 develops the knight and controls d4 and e5.
- ... Nc6Nc6 develops the knight and controls d4 and e5.
- 3. Bc4Bc4 develops the bishop and controls d5.
Both sides plans
White's plan
The c4-bishop eyes f7, Black's weakest point. The modern plan is patient: c3 and d3, castle, then the Nb1-d2-f1-g3 maneuver, and finally d4 when everything is ready. The slow Italian is a Spanish that owns it.
Black's plan
...Bc5 or ...Nf6 develop toward the center. Black mirrors the plan: ...d6, ...a6, ...Ba7, and prepare ...d5, the classical equalizer of every Italian game.
What is actually played
Real shares of the continuations after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4, Lichess games by Elo band.
| Continuation | Elo 1400 | Elo 1600 | Elo 1800 | Elo 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3... Bc5 | 31 % | 35 % | 40 % | 42 % |
| 3... Nf6 | 29 % | 28 % | 31 % | 40 % |
| 3... Be7 | 3 % | 4 % | 6 % | 7 % |
| 3... d6 | 7 % | 7 % | 7 % | 4 % |
| 3... h6 | 19 % | 15 % | 9 % | 3 % |
The main variations
- Italian GameC501. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4
- Giuoco PianoC501. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5
- Two Knights DefenseC551. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6
- Evans GambitC511. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4
- Classical VariationC531. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3
- Evans Gambit AcceptedC511. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4
- Classical VariationC541. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6
- Two Knights Defense, Knight AttackC571. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5
- Evans Gambit, Main LineC521. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4
- Two Knights Defense, Knight Attack, Normal VariationC571. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5
- Classical Variation, Center AttackC541. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6
- Two Knights Defense, Open VariationC561. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4
Frequently asked questions
- What moves start the Italian Game?
- The Italian Game starts with 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4. Every move is explained in the interactive explorer.
- How many named variations does the Italian Game have?
- 187 named variations, from the Lichess ECO database. The main ones are listed on this page; the full tree lives in the branch map.
- What is the most played continuation?
- Around 2000 Elo, the most frequent continuation is 3... Bc5, played in 42% of games (Lichess data).
- How can I learn the Italian Game for free?
- The explorer, free play, review cards and the essential ★1 course of the Italian Game are free on OpeningMate. The ★2 to ★5 levels and per-variation courses are part of Premium.
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