Open · a plan for White

Italian Game: Scotch Invitation Declined

8/8
1.e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Bc4Nf64.d4d6
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Italian Game: Scotch Invitation Declined320k games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
60%191k60%
11%35k54%
7.7%25k63%
6.7%21k54%
6.2%20k59%
3.8%12k51%
2.2%7.2k56%
1.1%3.4k56%
0.6%1.9k49%
0.6%1.9k49%
Famous games in this line85 master games
Aronian, L. (2782)Artemiev, V. (2699)20211–0Praggnanandhaa, R. (2768)Dubov, Daniil (2674)20250–1Duda, J.. (2729)Artemiev, V.. (2709)2021½–½So, W. (2752)Yakubboev, Nodirbek (2666)20241–0Vidit, S. (2724)Nihal, Sarin (2670)20220–1Sindarov, Javokhir (2677)Bologan, V. (2598)20241–0Aronian, L. (2729)Sosa, T ARG (2515)20241–0Idani, P. (2633)Dardha, Daniel (2580)2023½–½
Heroes of this opening Aronian, L. · Dubov, Daniil · So, W. · Nihal, Sarin
Category
Open
First move
1.e4
ECO
C56
Line
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 d6
Classical
Read the guide: Italian GameExplore all 184 Italian Game lines
Keep exploring
Nearby lines in the family
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