Open · a plan for White

Italian Game: Paris Defense

6/6
1.e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Bc4d6
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Italian Game: Paris Defense8.2M games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
22%1.8M55%
17%1.4M53%
17%1.4M55%
16%1.3M52%
14%1.1M54%
12%961k54%
1.2%94k52%
0.4%35k34%
0.3%22k46%
0.2%14k54%
Famous games in this line701 master games
Gukesh, D. (2752) – Carlsen, M. (2839)20250–1Niemann, Hans Moke (2738) – Caruana, F. (2789)20250–1Anand, V. (2786) – Ivanchuk, V. (2738)2017½–½Aronian, L. (2782) – Artemiev, V. (2699)20211–0Duda, J.. (2729) – Artemiev, V.. (2709)2021½–½Ding Liren (2734) – Van Foreest, Jorden (2693)20250–1So, W. (2752) – Yakubboev, Nodirbek (2666)20241–0Van Foreest, Jorden (2701) – Artemiev, V.. (2709)2021½–½
Heroes of this opening Carlsen, M. · Caruana, F. · Aronian, L. · Van Foreest, Jorden
Category
Open
First move
1.e4
ECO
C50
Line
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 d6
Classical
★ Read the guide: Italian GameExplore all 184 Italian Game lines →
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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.

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