Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Mayet Defense
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bf8
The Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Mayet Defense is a chess opening classified as ECO C51, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bf8. 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 33 times by this move order. White won 67%, 3% were drawn and Black won 30%. The most popular continuation is 6. d4 (76% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.34 (Stockfish, depth 36; best line 6. d4 d6 7. O-O Na5 8. Be2 Nf6)
- ECO
- C51
- Moves
- 10 plies
- FEN
r1bqkbnr/pppp1ppp/2n5/4p3/2B1P3/2P2N2/P2P1PPP/RNBQK2R w KQkq - 1 6- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bf8
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 5 | |
| 1500-1999 | 23 | |
| 2000+ | 5 | |
| All | 33 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6. d4 | 25 (76%) | |
| 6. O-O | 6 (18%) | |
| 6. Qb3 | 2 (6%) |
Master games
2 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 50%, draw 0%, Black 50%). The strongest:
- GM Alexander Ivanov (2379) – FM Daniel Rangel (2283) 1-0 · Titled Tue 2nd Dec 2025 · 2025-12-02
- Pere Melero Sanchez (1824) – FM Andreas Druckenthaner (2278) 0-1 · 17th ch-Euro Seniors 2017 · 2017-08-16
Search all games of the Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Mayet Defense and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- dancingknight9865 (2030) – zero_stress (2049) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 2s
- arbenkoleci (2052) – aakbarr (2019) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 300 + 3s
- Rouleau_de_scotch (2025) – hectorj (2014) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Italian Game: Evans Gambit Accepted 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4
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.