Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Moeller-Therkatz Attack
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Nxe4 8. O-O Bxc3 9. d5
The Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Moeller-Therkatz Attack 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 Bxc3 9. d5. It is a line of the Italian Game. Black is to move. 2 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 450 times by this move order. White won 49%, 9% were drawn and Black won 42%. The most popular continuation is 9… Bf6 (40% of games).
Engine evaluation: −0.23 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 9… Ne5 10. Qe2 O-O 11. bxc3 Nxc4 12. Qxc4)
- ECO
- C54
- Moves
- 17 plies
- FEN
r1bqk2r/pppp1ppp/2n5/3P4/2B1n3/2b2N2/PP3PPP/R1BQ1RK1 b 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 Bxc3 9. d5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 31 | |
| 1500-1999 | 218 | |
| 2000+ | 201 | |
| All | 450 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 9… Bf6 | 182 (40%) | |
| 9… Ne5 | 101 (22%) | |
| 9… Na5 | 63 (14%) | |
| 9… Ne7 | 45 (10%) | |
| 9… O-O | 28 (6%) | |
| 9… Bxb2 | 8 (2%) | |
| 9… Nd6 | 6 (1%) | |
| 9… Nb8 | 5 (1%) |
Master games
374 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 32%, draw 15%, Black 53%). The strongest:
- GM Jorden Van Foreest (2688) – GM Levon Aronian (2782) 1-0 · Chessable Masters Prelim · 2021-07-31
- GM Vasif Durarbayli (2606) – GM Gata Kamsky (2665) 0-1 · Titled Tuesday 23rd Feb · 2021-02-23
- GM Thomas Beerdsen (2496) – GM Erwin L'Ami (2627) 0-1 · Bundesliga 2023-24 · 2024-02-23
- IM Qi b Chen (2485) – GM Pengxiang Zhang (2564) 0-1 · TCh-CHN DivA Rapid · 2022-09-16
- IM Richard G Pert (2410) – GM Eric Hansen (2609) 0-1 · Titled Tue 26th Sep Late · 2023-09-26
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Gary_Oldmen (2442) – eugmind (2557) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- Flcosta (2365) – yr111 (2495) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 2s
- Cassius5171 (2362) – FM sergeikim2003 (2489) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Main Line 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Nxe4 8. O-O Bxc3
Continuations
- Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Moeller-Bayonet Attack 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 Bxc3 9. d5 Bf6 10. Re1 Ne7 11. Rxe4 d6 12. g4
- Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Therkatz-Herzog 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 Bxc3 9. d5 Bf6 10. Re1 Ne7 11. Rxe4 d6 12. Bg5 Bxg5 13. Nxg5 O-O 14. Nxh7
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.