Italian Game: Evans Gambit Accepted
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4
The Italian Game: Evans Gambit Accepted is a chess opening classified as ECO C51, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4. It is a line of the Italian Game. White is to move. 5 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 7,630 times by this move order. White won 54%, 2% were drawn and Black won 44%. The most popular continuation is 5. c3 (99% of games).
Engine evaluation: −0.05 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 d6 7. Qb3 Qd7)
- ECO
- C51
- Moves
- 8 plies
- FEN
r1bqk1nr/pppp1ppp/2n5/4p3/1bB1P3/5N2/P1PP1PPP/RNBQK2R w KQkq - 0 5- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 1,827 | |
| 1500-1999 | 4,495 | |
| 2000+ | 1,308 | |
| All | 7,630 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5. c3 | 7,576 (99%) | |
| 5. O-O | 31 (0%) | |
| 5. Bb2 | 8 (0%) | |
| 5. a3 | 7 (0%) | |
| 5. Bxf7+ | 3 (0%) | |
| 5. Ba3 | 3 (0%) | |
| 5. Ng5 | 1 (0%) |
Master games
7 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 86%, draw 14%, Black 0%). The strongest:
- GM Sergei Zhigalko (2572) – FM Nikolaos Aggelis (2284) 1-0 · Titled Tue 8th Feb Early · 2022-02-08
- FM Carlos David Gomez (2295) – IM Justin Sarkar (2324) 1-0 · Speed Chess GP3 2021 · 2021-10-02
- FM Florian Grezels (2328) – WFM Kalyani Sirin (2162) 1/2-1/2 · Titled Tue 30th Sep 2025 · 2025-09-30
- IM Leonid Nozdrachev (2370) – WFM Fruzsina Szente Varga (2068) 1-0 · Titled Tuesday 14th Sept · 2021-09-14
- Josip Egerc (2062) – Vanessa Stallinger (1845) 1-0 · Zadar Open B 2016 · 2016-12-12
Search all games of the Italian Game: Evans Gambit Accepted and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Kruciatos (2709) – Chess1Love0 (2770) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- FM The_Fawkes (2644) – Kruciatos (2685) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- ElKlemerr (2678) – godlevelplayer (2639) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 2s
Comes from
Italian Game: Evans Gambit (3… Bc5 4. b4) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4
Continuations
- Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Anderssen Variation C51 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Be7
- Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Main Line C52 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5
- Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Mayet Defense C51 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bf8
- Italian Game: Evans Gambit, McDonnell Defense C51 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5
- Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Stone-Ware Variation C51 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bd6
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.