Italian Game: Evans Gambit, McDonnell Defense
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5
The Italian Game: Evans Gambit, McDonnell 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 Bc5. It is a line of the Italian Game. White is to move. 2 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 3,021 times by this move order. White won 58%, 3% were drawn and Black won 39%. The most popular continuation is 6. d4 (89% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.19 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 6. d4 exd4 7. cxd4 Bb6 8. O-O Na5)
- ECO
- C51
- Moves
- 10 plies
- FEN
r1bqk1nr/pppp1ppp/2n5/2b1p3/2B1P3/2P2N2/P2P1PPP/RNBQK2R w KQkq - 1 6- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 1,269 | |
| 1500-1999 | 1,575 | |
| 2000+ | 177 | |
| All | 3,021 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6. d4 | 2,702 (89%) | |
| 6. O-O | 210 (7%) | |
| 6. Qb3 | 89 (3%) | |
| 6. d3 | 6 (0%) | |
| 6. Ba3 | 4 (0%) | |
| 6. Nxe5 | 3 (0%) | |
| 6. Bb2 | 2 (0%) | |
| 6. Ng5 | 1 (0%) |
Master games
110 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 66%, draw 10%, Black 24%). The strongest:
- GM Gergely Antal (2563) – GM Andreas Diermair (2475) 1-0 · 3rd Schilcherland Open · 2019-12-31
- GM Sergei Zhigalko (2572) – GM Artem Omelja (2434) 1-0 · Titled Tue 31st Oct Early · 2023-10-31
- GM Vahe Baghdasaryan (2376) – GM Jaime Santos Latasa (2584) 0-1 · Sunway Sitges Open 2018 · 2018-12-16
- GM Sergei Zhigalko (2572) – FM Peter Balint (2365) 1-0 · Titled Tue 4th Feb Early · 2025-02-04
- GM Sergei Zhigalko (2572) – FM Michail Vassis (2294) 1-0 · 2nd 3-0 Thu 4th Dec 2025 · 2025-12-04
Search all games of the Italian Game: Evans Gambit, McDonnell Defense and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- dhurandhar14 (2439) – lautaro_en_ajedrez (2523) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 600 + 0s
- bvv15 (2477) – SashaLemish (2411) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 2s
- Hisoka84 (2367) – kamnur2011 (2406) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Italian Game: Evans Gambit Accepted 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4
Continuations
- Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Harding Variation C51 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5 6. d4 exd4 7. cxd4 Bb4+ 8. Bd2
- Italian Game: Evans Gambit, McDonnell Defense, Main Line C51 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O d6 8. cxd4 Bb6
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.