Italian Game
The classical way to open a chess game: develop, aim at f7, castle. The best first opening for most players.
| First moves | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 |
|---|---|
| ECO codes | C50-C59 |
| Character | Open, natural development, tactical chances |
| Best for | Beginners and improvers learning open-game principles |
Tap a move to see it on the board. Open any line on the analysis board, or play it out against a bot from where it ends.
Related openings
Ruy Lopez
The most important of the open games, and the most deeply analyzed. Nearly every master has played the Spanish at some point, often with both colors.
Sicilian Defense
The most analyzed answer to 1.e4, and the most popular one at master level. Black declines a symmetrical fight and plays for a win from move one.
Scandinavian Defense
Challenge the center on move one. The theory is light, the plans are clear, and the 2...Qxd5 lines keep reaching the same pawn structure.
Fried Liver Attack
A knight sacrifice on f7 that drags the black king into the middle of the board. Giulio Cesare Polerio played it before 1606, and it still wins a lot of games against the natural-looking 5...Nxd5.
Why 3.Bc4
The bishop takes the a2-g8 diagonal and eyes f7, the square defended only by Black's king in the starting position. Most tactics in the Italian run through f7, or through d5 and f7 together.
It is also about as instructive as an opening gets for a beginner: three moves in, White has developed two pieces, occupied the center and prepared castling. There is no move-order trick to remember.
The main branches
- Giuoco Pianissimo () means "the very quiet game". Modern top players prefer it: White builds slowly with c3, d3, , and , and only then breaks with d4. The play is slow maneuvering, and the fight starts later.
- Giuoco Piano ( and ) is the classical version, striking in the center at once. Sharp lines follow after .
- In the Two Knights Defense (), Black counterattacks e4 instead of mirroring with , and invites . This is the most tactical corner of the Italian.
- The Fried Liver Attack comes after : White plays , sacrificing a knight to drag the king to f7. It is dangerous below club level, especially in fast games. The simplest answer is not to recapture on d5 at all. (the Polerio Defense) hits the bishop on c4 instead. Or avoid the whole line a move earlier with , the Traxler Counterattack, which meets with .
- In the Evans Gambit (), White gives up a pawn to gain time for a big center with c3 and d4. It is still fully playable, and a lot of fun.
Two things cost beginners a lot of Italian games: the Fried Liver, and breaking off development to grab a pawn on the queenside. Learn against and you have the first one covered.
Plans after the opening
In the slow lines, White's plan is to prepare d4 under the best possible conditions, often after , , and . Black mirrors it: , , , , and looks for in one go.
Whoever manages the central break first, safely, usually gets the better game.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Italian Game good for beginners?
It is probably the best opening to start with. Every move follows a principle you can explain, and there is very little forced theory. The tactics that come up (forks on f7, pins on the a2-g8 diagonal, discovered attacks) are patterns you need to learn anyway.
What is the difference between the Italian Game and the Giuoco Piano?
The Italian Game is any position after . The Giuoco Piano is the specific line where Black answers . If Black plays instead, it is the Two Knights Defense, not the Giuoco Piano. Older books use the two names for the same opening.
How do I stop the Fried Liver Attack?
After , do not recapture with . Play , attacking the bishop on c4. Black gives up a pawn but gets quick development and the initiative, and the attack never happens.