Italian Game: Evans Gambit (3… Bc5 4. b4)
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4
The Italian Game: Evans Gambit is a chess opening classified as ECO C51, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4. It is a line of the Italian Game. Black is to move. 4 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 10,440 times by this move order. White won 54%, 2% were drawn and Black won 44%. The most popular continuation is 4… Bxb4 (73% of games).
Engine evaluation: 0.00 (Stockfish, depth 65; best line 4… Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 d6 7. Qb3)
- ECO
- C51
- Moves
- 7 plies
- FEN
r1bqk1nr/pppp1ppp/2n5/2b1p3/1PB1P3/5N2/P1PP1PPP/RNBQK2R b KQkq - 0 4- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 2,964 | |
| 1500-1999 | 5,961 | |
| 2000+ | 1,515 | |
| All | 10,440 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4… Bxb4 Evans Gambit Accepted | 7,630 (73%) | |
| 4… Bb6 Evans Gambit Declined (4. b4 Bb6) | 1,587 (15%) | |
| 4… Nxb4 | 605 (6%) | |
| 4… Bd4 | 160 (2%) | |
| 4… d6 | 101 (1%) | |
| 4… Nf6 | 101 (1%) | |
| 4… Be7 | 75 (1%) | |
| 4… Bxf2+ | 64 (1%) |
Master games
51 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 57%, draw 14%, Black 29%). The strongest:
- GM Parham Maghsoodloo (2695) – GM Alexander Grischuk (2667) 1/2-1/2 · TCh-ESP Div Honor 2025 · 2025-08-14
- GM Sergei Zhigalko (2572) – GM Alexander Grischuk (2776) 0-1 · Katara Bullet Final 2021 · 2021-06-23
- GM Christopher Woojin Yoo (2575) – GM Alexander Grischuk (2745) 0-1 · World Rapid 2022 · 2022-12-28
- GM Sergei Zhigalko (2572) – GM Alexander Grischuk (2736) 0-1 · Titled Tue 1st Aug Late · 2023-08-01
- IM Christopher Woojin Yoo (2466) – GM Alexander Grischuk (2778) 1/2-1/2 · Titled Tuesday 10th Aug · 2021-08-10
Search all games of the Italian Game: Evans Gambit and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Kruciatos (2709) – Chess1Love0 (2770) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- Kruciatos (2647) – GM ikica77 (2683) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- Kruciatos (2645) – GM ikica77 (2684) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Italian Game: Giuoco Piano 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5
Continuations
- Italian Game: Evans Gambit Accepted C51 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4
- Italian Game: Evans Gambit Declined (4. b4 Bb6) C51 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bb6
- Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Fontaine Countergambit C51 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 b5
- Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Hein Countergambit C51 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 d5
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.