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C54 · Open · a plan for White

Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo, Albin Variation

11/11
1.e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Bc4Bc54.c3Nf65.d3d66.b4
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo, Albin Variation165k games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
Bb699%163k52%
Bxf2+0.4%65033%
Nxb40.2%41135%
Bg40.2%37026%
a60.2%29332%
Be60.1%23532%
O-O0.1%18221%
h60.1%11819%
b60%5321%
b50%4916%
Famous games in this line352 master games
Caruana, F. (2811)Anand, V. (2797)2015½–½Caruana, F. (2793)Firouzja, Alireza (2751)20240–1Caruana, F. (2764)Giri, A. (2768)2023½–½Caruana, F. (2795)Sevian, Samuel (2696)2023½–½Sindarov, Javokhir (2726)Mamedyarov, S. (2730)20250–1Gukesh, D. (2746)Tabatabaei, M. (2694)2023½–½Abdusattorov, Nodirbek (2744)Navara, D. (2667)20241–0Gukesh, D. (2718)Praggnanandhaa, R. (2690)20231–0
Heroes of this opening Firouzja, Alireza · Mamedyarov, S. · Abdusattorov, Nodirbek · Gukesh, D.
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From the archives

The Italian Game is in the Göttingen manuscript and Polerio's notebooks — chess players have been putting the bishop on c4 for more than four centuries. It fell out of top-level fashion for decades, then returned as a main weapon of Carlsen and Caruana, proving the oldest plans still bite.

Category
Open
First move
1.e4
ECO
C54
Line
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. b4
Classical
Read the guide: Italian GameExplore all 184 Italian Game lines
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