C58 · Open · a plan for White
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Yankovich Variation
19/19
1.e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Bc4Nf64.Ng5d55.exd5Na56.d3h67.Nf3e48.Qe2Nxc49.dxc4Bc510.Nfd2
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Yankovich Variation1.3k games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
90%1.2k66%
3.6%4642%
3.5%4561%
2%2658%
1%1373%
0.2%350%
0.2%250%
Famous games in this line21 master games
Zeng, C. (2561) – Vidit, S. (2707)Spitz, Patrick (2491) – Rubinas, Pavel (2562)Spitz, Patrick (2491) – Butnorius, Algimantas (2550)Zeng, C. (2561) – Kojima, S. (2400)Nabaty, Tamir (2417) – Hebden, Mark (2530)Sosna, Jan (2375) – Bernasek, Jan (2444)Druska, J. (2355) – Biolek, R1. (2429)Popa, Florin (2216) – Godena, Michele (2550)Heroes of this opening Vidit, S. · Zeng, C. · Nabaty, Tamir · Bernasek, Jan
- Family
- Italian Game
- Category
- Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- C58
- Line
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5 6. d3 h6 7. Nf3 e4 8. Qe2 Nxc4 9. dxc4 Bc5 10. Nfd2
Classical
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Nearby lines in the family
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.
Study this opening