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C52 · Open · a plan for White

Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Compromised Defense, Potter Variation

21/21
1.e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Bc4Bc54.b4Bxb45.c3Ba56.d4exd47.O-Odxc38.Qb3Qf69.e5Qg610.Nxc3Nge711.Rd1
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Compromised Defense, Potter Variation43 games · Black to move
Only 43 games reach this position at this level — read it loosely.
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
O-O79%3462%
Bxc312%520%
Bb64.7%20%
Nf52.3%10%
b52.3%1100%
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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
C52
Line
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O dxc3 8. Qb3 Qf6 9. e5 Qg6 10. Nxc3 Nge7 11. Rd1
GambitClassical
Read the guide: Italian GameExplore all 184 Italian Game lines
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