Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo, Albin Variation
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. b4
The Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo, Albin Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO C54, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. b4. It is a line of the Italian Game. Black is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 225 times by this move order. White won 49%, 2% were drawn and Black won 49%. The most popular continuation is 6… Bb6 (97% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.02 (Stockfish, depth 34; best line 6… Bb6 7. Nbd2 O-O 8. O-O Ne7 9. Bb3)
- ECO
- C54
- Moves
- 11 plies
- FEN
r1bqk2r/ppp2ppp/2np1n2/2b1p3/1PB1P3/2PP1N2/P4PPP/RNBQK2R b KQkq - 0 6- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. b4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 73 | |
| 1500-1999 | 113 | |
| 2000+ | 39 | |
| All | 225 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6… Bb6 | 218 (97%) | |
| 6… Bxb4 | 3 (1%) | |
| 6… Bg4 | 2 (1%) | |
| 6… Bxf2+ | 1 (0%) | |
| 6… d5 | 1 (0%) |
Master games
257 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 38%, draw 25%, Black 37%). The strongest:
- GM Fabiano Caruana (2811) – GM Viswanathan Anand (2797) 1/2-1/2 · 3rd GRENKE Chess Classic · 2015-02-02
- GM Javokhir Sindarov (2776) – GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda (2739) 0-1 · GCT Super Blitz Poland · 2026-05-09
- GM Fabiano Caruana (2828) – GM David Anton Guijarro (2681) 1-0 · Chess24 October Blitz · 2020-10-01
- GM Fabiano Caruana (2795) – GM Samuel Sevian (2696) 1/2-1/2 · Saint Louis Rapid 2023 · 2023-11-16
- GM Javokhir Sindarov (2776) – GM Vladimir Fedoseev (2700) 1-0 · GCT Super Rapid Poland · 2026-05-07
Highest-rated Lichess games
- FM G0ldman (2518) – JPriest (2591) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- eugmind (2529) – gedchess (2451) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- Cachavil (2413) – Yanicale (2446) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo (5. d3 d6) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6
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.