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)20190–1Spitz, Patrick (2491) – Rubinas, Pavel (2562)2011½–½Spitz, Patrick (2491) – Butnorius, Algimantas (2550)2011½–½Zeng, C. (2561) – Kojima, S. (2400)20191–0Nabaty, Tamir (2417) – Hebden, Mark (2530)20081–0Sosna, Jan (2375) – Bernasek, Jan (2444)20080–1Druska, J. (2355) – Biolek, R1. (2429)2014½–½Popa, Florin (2216) – Godena, Michele (2550)20050–1
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
★ Read the guide: Italian GameExplore all 184 Italian Game lines →
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Nearby lines in the family
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Fraser Attack3…Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Bc5 6.d4 …Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Göring Attack3…Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Bc5 6.d4 …Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Aitken Variation3…Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 …
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
Videos on YouTube ↗Wikipedia: Italian Game ↗