Italian Game: Evans Gambit Declined (4… Bb6 5. a4)
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bb6 5. a4
The Italian Game: Evans Gambit Declined is a chess opening classified as ECO C51, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bb6 5. a4. It is a line of the Italian Game. Black is to move. 1 named line continues from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 301 times by this move order. White won 46%, 3% were drawn and Black won 51%. The most popular continuation is 5… a6 (56% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.21 (Stockfish, depth 46; best line 5… a6 6. O-O Nf6 7. d3 O-O 8. Nbd2)
- ECO
- C51
- Moves
- 9 plies
- FEN
r1bqk1nr/pppp1ppp/1bn5/4p3/PPB1P3/5N2/2PP1PPP/RNBQK2R b KQkq - 0 5- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bb6 5. a4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 66 | |
| 1500-1999 | 185 | |
| 2000+ | 50 | |
| All | 301 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5… a6 | 168 (56%) | |
| 5… a5 | 82 (27%) | |
| 5… Nxb4 | 32 (11%) | |
| 5… d6 | 9 (3%) | |
| 5… Nf6 | 5 (2%) | |
| 5… Bd4 | 2 (1%) | |
| 5… Nd4 | 2 (1%) | |
| 5… Bxf2+ | 1 (0%) |
Master games
111 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 45%, draw 13%, Black 42%). The strongest:
- StoofvleesII d2 (3479) – LCZero0.31-dag-5350a2e-BT4-6147500 (3628) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 26 Premier 2024 · 2024-05-01
- LCZero0.31-dag-5350a2e-BT4-6147500 (3628) – StoofvleesII d2 (3479) 1-0 · TCEC 26 Premier 2024 · 2024-04-28
- GM Alexander Grischuk (2750) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2832) 1-0 · chess.com Speed 1m+1spm 2017 · 2017-11-21
- GM Christopher Woojin Yoo (2589) – GM Teimour Radjabov (2747) 1-0 · Airthings Play-In Match · 2023-02-03
- GM Vladimir Fedoseev (2687) – GM Vahap Sanal (2563) 1-0 · Titled Tuesday 26th Jan · 2021-01-26
Search all games of the Italian Game: Evans Gambit Declined and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- IM MrSuccess (2637) – CM Sello-Mahlangu (2407) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- zlatnakisa33 (2454) – gedchess (2502) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- Kirusha2005 (2386) – afchex (2432) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Italian Game: Evans Gambit Declined (4. b4 Bb6) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bb6
Continuations
- Italian Game: Evans Gambit Declined, Showalter Variation C51 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bb6 5. a4 a6 6. Nc3
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.