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
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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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