Open · a plan for White

Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Canal Variation

11/11
1.e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Bc4Bc54.d3Nf65.Nc3d66.Bg5
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Canal Variation944k games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
52%489k51%
21%201k46%
13%124k50%
7.8%74k36%
1.7%16k47%
1.5%14k55%
0.8%7.8k41%
0.5%4.4k49%
0.3%3.2k56%
0.3%2.4k36%
Famous games in this line442 master games
Harikrishna, P. (2763) – Nakamura, Hi (2787)2016½–½Harikrishna, P. (2726) – Giri, A. (2750)20141–0Macieja, Bartlomiej (2613) – Adams, Michael (2740)2004½–½Nisipeanu, Liviu Dieter (2687) – Aleksandrov, Aleksej (2659)2004½–½Short, Nigel D (2687) – Aleksandrov, Aleksej (2659)20041–0Abasov, N. (2632) – Nihal, Sarin (2688)20231–0Belozerov, A. (2528) – Yu Yangyi (2764)2018½–½Savchenko, B. (2610) – Vallejo Pons, F. (2677)20160–1
Heroes of this opening Harikrishna, P. · Short, Nigel D · Abasov, N. · Vallejo Pons, F.
Family
Italian Game
Category
Open
First move
1.e4
ECO
C50
Line
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5
Classical
★ Read the guide: Italian GameExplore all 184 Italian Game lines →
Keep exploring
Nearby lines in the family
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Slow Variation4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.O-OItalian Game: Scotch Gambit, Nakhmanson Gambit3…Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.O-O Nxe4 6.Nc3Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Lolli Attack3…Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.d4
From the archives

The Italian Game appears in the Göttingen manuscript (c. 1500) and in Polerio's notebooks — chess players have been putting the bishop on c4 for more than five hundred years. It fell out of top-level fashion for decades, then came back as White players went looking for a way round the Berlin Defence; Carlsen used the quiet Giuoco Pianissimo in the 2016 world-championship match.

Study this opening
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