Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Fontaine Countergambit

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 b5

Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Fontaine Countergambit after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 b5 87654321abcdefgh

The Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Fontaine Countergambit is a chess opening classified as ECO C51, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 b5. It is a line of the Italian Game. White is to move.

In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 13 times by this move order. White won 62%, 0% were drawn and Black won 38%. The most popular continuation is 5. Bxf7+ (38% of games).

Engine evaluation: +1.40 (Stockfish, depth 44; best line 5. Bxf7+ Kxf7 6. bxc5 Nf6 7. c3 Re8)

ECO
C51
Moves
8 plies
FEN
r1bqk1nr/p1pp1ppp/2n5/1pb1p3/1PB1P3/5N2/P1PP1PPP/RNBQK2R w KQkq - 0 5
PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 b5

Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess

Results by rating

Average ratingGamesWhite / draw / Black
0-14991080%20%
1500-19993100%
All1362%38%

Most played moves

MoveGamesWhite / draw / Black
5. Bxf7+5 (38%)40%60%
5. Bxb54 (31%)75%25%
5. bxc53 (23%)100%
5. Bb31 (8%)100%

Highest-rated Lichess games

Comes from

Italian Game: Evans Gambit (3… Bc5 4. b4) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4

More Italian Game lines (all)

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.