Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Greco Variation
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Nxe4 8. O-O Nxc3
The Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Greco Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO C54, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Nxe4 8. O-O Nxc3. It is a line of the Italian Game. White is to move. 2 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 1,028 times by this move order. White won 63%, 3% were drawn and Black won 34%. The most popular continuation is 9. bxc3 (90% of games).
Engine evaluation: 0.00 (Stockfish, depth 46; best line 9. bxc3 d5 10. cxb4 dxc4 11. Re1+ Ne7)
- ECO
- C54
- Moves
- 16 plies
- FEN
r1bqk2r/pppp1ppp/2n5/8/1bBP4/2n2N2/PP3PPP/R1BQ1RK1 w kq - 0 9- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Nxe4 8. O-O Nxc3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 426 | |
| 1500-1999 | 568 | |
| 2000+ | 34 | |
| All | 1,028 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 9. bxc3 | 928 (90%) | |
| 9. Re1+ | 63 (6%) | |
| 9. Qe1+ | 18 (2%) | |
| 9. Qb3 | 7 (1%) | |
| 9. Bxf7+ | 6 (1%) | |
| 9. d5 | 3 (0%) | |
| 9. b3 | 1 (0%) | |
| 9. Qd2 | 1 (0%) |
Master games
37 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 65%, draw 5%, Black 30%). The strongest:
- FM Babageldi Annaberdiyev (2146) – GM Kirill Alekseenko (2696) 1-0 · Titled Arena Mar 6th 2021 · 2021-03-06
- IM Oleg Boricsev (2343) – IM Pavel Sevostianov (2248) 1/2-1/2 · 33rd Mukachevo Rating IM · 2017-03-23
- FM Aleksa Petrovic (2237) – FM Sterre Dauw (2287) 1-0 · Titled Tue 25th Oct Late · 2022-10-25
- Aleksei Ganichev (1873) – GM Sergei Azarov (2595) 0-1 · European Rapid 2015 · 2015-12-19
- FM Cristian Sanhueza (2216) – CM Leonardo Vincenti (2244) 1-0 · Titled Tue 14th May Early · 2024-05-14
Highest-rated Lichess games
- FM AlexVerzhansky (2422) – Warmaster1 (2426) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- Best_Player-13 (2539) – Chess_Hunter_Live_In (2245) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 900 + 15s
- nikolion (2287) – Jamesdg408 (2273) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 600 + 0s
Comes from
Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Greco's Attack 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3
Continuations
- Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Aitken Variation C54 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Nxe4 8. O-O Nxc3 9. bxc3 Bxc3 10. Ba3
- Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Bernstein Variation C54 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Nxe4 8. O-O Nxc3 9. bxc3 Bxc3 10. Qb3 d5
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.