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C52 · Open · a plan for White

Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Johner Defense

14/14
1.e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Bc4Bc54.b4Bxb45.c3Ba56.d4exd47.O-Ob5
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Johner Defense141 games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
Bxb575%10559%
Bd518%2534%
Bxf7+4.3%650%
Bb32.8%450%
Bg50.7%10%
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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 b5
GambitClassical
Read the guide: Italian GameExplore all 184 Italian Game lines
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