Open · a plan for White

Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Dubov Italian

11/11
1.e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Bc4Bc54.c3Nf65.d4exd46.b4
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Dubov Italian80k games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
76%61k46%
14%12k49%
3.9%3.1k35%
2.7%2.1k44%
1.7%1.4k32%
0.5%36327%
0.3%27027%
0.2%16252%
0.2%15626%
0%239%
Famous games in this line197 master games
Erigaisi, Arjun (2797) – Vidit, S. (2726)2024½–½Dubov, Daniil (2702) – Karjakin, Sergey (2752)20201–0Livaic, Leon (2553) – Vitiugov, N. (2712)20240–1Khairullin, I.. (2615) – Chigaev, M.. (2631)2021½–½Pichot, A. (2641) – Gareev, T. (2597)20221–0Huschenbeth, N. (2592) – Vocaturo, D. (2630)20211–0Pechac, Jergus (2596) – Andersen, Mad (2606)2024½–½Gokerkan, Cem Kaan (2523) – Aravindh, Chithambaram VR. (2646)20231–0
Heroes of this opening Dubov, Daniil · Vitiugov, N. · Pichot, A. · Huschenbeth, N.
Family
Italian Game
Category
Open
First move
1.e4
ECO
C54
Line
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. b4
GambitClassical
★ Read the guide: Italian GameExplore all 184 Italian Game lines →
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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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