Italian Game: Classical Variation, Center Holding Variation
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Qe7 5. d4 Bb6
The Italian Game: Classical Variation, Center Holding Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO C53, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Qe7 5. d4 Bb6. It is a line of the Italian Game. White is to move. 3 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 54 times by this move order. White won 46%, 6% were drawn and Black won 48%. The most popular continuation is 6. d5 (37% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.86 (Stockfish, depth 48; best line 6. Bg5 Nf6 7. d5 Nd8 8. Bd3 h6)
- ECO
- C53
- Moves
- 10 plies
- FEN
r1b1k1nr/ppppqppp/1bn5/4p3/2BPP3/2P2N2/PP3PPP/RNBQK2R w KQkq - 1 6- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Qe7 5. d4 Bb6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 6 | |
| 1500-1999 | 28 | |
| 2000+ | 20 | |
| All | 54 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6. d5 | 20 (37%) | |
| 6. O-O | 19 (35%) | |
| 6. dxe5 | 8 (15%) | |
| 6. Ng5 | 2 (4%) | |
| 6. Bg5 Classical Variation, Mestel Variation | 2 (4%) | |
| 6. Bd5 | 1 (2%) | |
| 6. Be3 | 1 (2%) | |
| 6. Nxe5 | 1 (2%) |
Master games
27 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 67%, draw 14%, Black 19%). The strongest:
- GM Pavlo Vorontsov (2564) – IM Justin Sarkar (2297) 1-0 · 12th Philadelphia Int · 2018-06-29
- GM Anton Smirnov (2527) – IM Andrew Brown (2293) 1-0 · ch-AUS 2018 · 2018-01-03
- GM Chongsheng Zeng (2532) – FM Zhouqiao Zhao (2223) 1/2-1/2 · ch-CHN Blitz 2018 · 2018-06-07
- FM Zaur Tekeyev (2394) – IM Zoran Novoselski (2302) 1-0 · RUDAR 9 Nesic Mem 2023 · 2023-01-25
- FM Jan Rooze (2372) – Rainer Bezler (2206) 1-0 · 31st Liechtenstein Open 2013 · 2013-05-05
Highest-rated Lichess games
- dr-tom (2299) – FM Cellini (2401) 1-0 · 2026-09-06 · 300 + 0s
- rzet (2359) – Agaraa (2302) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 2s
- CAS-2024 (2298) – Essam223 (2313) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 2s
Comes from
Italian Game: Classical Variation, Closed Variation 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Qe7
Continuations
- Italian Game: Classical Variation, Mestel Variation C53 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Qe7 5. d4 Bb6 6. Bg5
- Italian Game: Classical Variation, Eisinger Variation C53 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Qe7 5. d4 Bb6 6. d5 Nb8 7. d6
- Italian Game: Classical Variation, Tarrasch Variation C53 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Qe7 5. d4 Bb6 6. O-O d6 7. a4 a6 8. h3 Nf6 9. Re1
More Italian Game lines (all)
- Italian Game C50
- Italian Game: Anti-Fried Liver Defense C50
- Italian Game: Blackburne-Kostić Gambit C50
- Italian Game: Classical Variation, Albin Gambit C50
- Italian Game: Deutz Gambit C50
- Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo (3… Bc5 4. d3) C50
- Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo (5… d6 6. d3) C50
- Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo (5. O-O O-O) C50
- Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo (5… O-O 6. d3) C50
- Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Canal Variation C50
- Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Dubois Variation C50
- Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Italian Four Knights Variation C50
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.