Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Hein Countergambit
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 d5
The Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Hein Countergambit is a chess opening classified as ECO C51, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 d5. 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 19 times by this move order. White won 58%, 5% were drawn and Black won 37%. The most popular continuation is 5. exd5 (63% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.57 (Stockfish, depth 49; best line 5. exd5 Nxb4 6. O-O Ne7 7. Nc3 O-O)
- ECO
- C51
- Moves
- 8 plies
- FEN
r1bqk1nr/ppp2ppp/2n5/2bpp3/1PB1P3/5N2/P1PP1PPP/RNBQK2R w KQkq - 0 5- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 d5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 1 | |
| 1500-1999 | 2 | |
| 2000+ | 16 | |
| All | 19 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5. exd5 | 12 (63%) | |
| 5. c3 | 3 (16%) | |
| 5. bxc5 | 2 (11%) | |
| 5. Bxd5 | 2 (11%) |
Master games
6 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 67%, draw 16%, Black 17%). The strongest:
- GM Tamir Nabaty (2579) – IM Foisor, C. (2390) 1-0 · Gibraltar Masters 2015 · 2015-01-28
- Panteleimon Tzouganakis (2197) – Juergen Kleinert (1947) 1-0 · 8th Paleochora Open 2015 · 2015-07-21
- Wellington Gubiani Maiberg (1880) – Marcio Lazzarotto (2035) 1/2-1/2 · Floripa Open 2015 · 2015-01-16
- Efim Fainkihen (1972) – Volodymyr Uzun (1201) 1-0 · M Shelest Memorial 2023 · 2023-05-04
Search all games of the Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Hein Countergambit and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- PrimeFear (2209) – BVI68 (2242) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 600 + 0s
- BukanAtlet (2258) – harriskristianto (2189) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- SaidddAmirr (2212) – harriskristianto (2201) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
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)
- 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.