Italian Game: Classical Variation, Closed Variation
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Qe7
The Italian Game: Classical Variation, Closed Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO C53, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Qe7. It is a line of the Italian Game. White is to move. 1 named line continues from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 415 times by this move order. White won 47%, 5% were drawn and Black won 48%. The most popular continuation is 5. O-O (49% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.73 (Stockfish, depth 48; best line 5. b4 Bb6 6. a4 a6 7. O-O Nf6)
- ECO
- C53
- Moves
- 8 plies
- FEN
r1b1k1nr/ppppqppp/2n5/2b1p3/2B1P3/2P2N2/PP1P1PPP/RNBQK2R w KQkq - 1 5- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Qe7
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 57 | |
| 1500-1999 | 205 | |
| 2000+ | 153 | |
| All | 415 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5. O-O | 203 (49%) | |
| 5. d4 | 116 (28%) | |
| 5. d3 | 57 (14%) | |
| 5. b4 | 24 (6%) | |
| 5. a4 | 6 (1%) | |
| 5. Qb3 | 3 (1%) | |
| 5. Qe2 | 2 (0%) | |
| 5. h3 | 2 (0%) |
Master games
229 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 52%, draw 13%, Black 35%). The strongest:
- Aziz Degenbaev (2196) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2852) 0-1 · Titled Tue 7th Mar Early · 2023-03-07
- IM Mohamed Haddouche (2440) – GM Miroljub Lazic (2464) 1-0 · 11th Kheireddine Ameyar Mem 2012 · 2012-11-19
- GM Daniel Alsina Leal (2525) – FM Daniel Taboas Rodriguez (2353) 0-1 · Portuguese Top League · 2022-07-19
- GM Felipe de Cresce El Debs (2523) – FM Ivan Kuhlmann Nogueira (2308) 1-0 · 83rd ch-BRA 2017 · 2017-02-12
- GM Daniel Alsina Leal (2512) – IM Vladimir Hresc (2256) 1-0 · 36th Pula Open 2024 · 2024-06-21
Search all games of the Italian Game: Classical Variation, Closed Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Hai_Schrei (2483) – Borzog (2482) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 2s
- CaluNazdravan (2476) – Agaraa (2280) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 2s
- Souffreensilence-stp (2365) – SergeyVarzar (2392) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 2s
Comes from
Italian Game: Classical Variation (3… Bc5 4. c3) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3
Continuations
- Italian Game: Classical Variation, Center Holding Variation C53 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Qe7 5. d4 Bb6
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.