Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Modern Line (6. e5 d5)
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. e5 d5
The Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Modern Line 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. e5 d5. 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 1,202 times by this move order. White won 45%, 6% were drawn and Black won 49%. The most popular continuation is 7. Bb5 (68% of games).
Engine evaluation: 0.00 (Stockfish, depth 62; best line 7. Bb5 Ne4 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. Be3 O-O)
- ECO
- C54
- Moves
- 12 plies
- FEN
r1bqk2r/ppp2ppp/2n2n2/2bpP3/2Bp4/2P2N2/PP3PPP/RNBQK2R w KQkq d6 0 7- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. e5 d5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 122 | |
| 1500-1999 | 720 | |
| 2000+ | 360 | |
| All | 1,202 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 7. Bb5 | 821 (68%) | |
| 7. exf6 | 203 (17%) | |
| 7. Bb3 | 51 (4%) | |
| 7. cxd4 | 43 (4%) | |
| 7. exd6 | 36 (3%) | |
| 7. Be2 | 36 (3%) | |
| 7. Bd3 | 7 (1%) | |
| 7. Bxd5 | 2 (0%) |
Master games
2,322 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 38%, draw 30%, Black 32%). The strongest:
- GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2792) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2855) 1/2-1/2 · 9th Norway Chess 2021 · 2021-09-17
- GM Levon Aronian (2773) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2863) 0-1 · Chess24 Banter Final 2020 · 2020-09-26
- GM Levon Aronian (2773) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2863) 1/2-1/2 · Saint Louis Blitz 2020 · 2020-09-19
- GM So, W. (2770) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2862) 1-0 · Opera Euro Rapid KO 2021 · 2021-02-13
- GM Anish Giri (2764) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2862) 1/2-1/2 · Skilling Open KO 2020 · 2020-11-26
Highest-rated Lichess games
- GM athena-pallada (2877) – Kruciatos (2733) 1-0 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- IM AngelitoRT (2889) – Kruciatos (2679) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- GM athena-pallada (2881) – Kruciatos (2681) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Modern Line (5… exd4 6. e5) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. e5
Continuations
- Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Anderssen Variation C54 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. e5 d5 7. Bb5 Ne4 8. cxd4 Bb4+
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.