Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5
The Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal is a chess opening classified as ECO C50, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5. 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 30,060 times by this move order. White won 50%, 4% were drawn and Black won 46%. The most popular continuation is 5. O-O (27% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.10 (Stockfish, depth 58; best line 5. c3 d6 6. O-O O-O 7. Re1 a5)
- ECO
- C50
- Moves
- 8 plies
- FEN
r1bqk2r/pppp1ppp/2n2n2/2b1p3/2B1P3/3P1N2/PPP2PPP/RNBQK2R w KQkq - 1 5- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 13,477 | |
| 1500-1999 | 13,228 | |
| 2000+ | 3,355 | |
| All | 30,060 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5. O-O | 8,266 (27%) | |
| 5. c3 | 7,254 (24%) | |
| 5. Bg5 | 3,780 (13%) | |
| 5. Nc3 | 3,340 (11%) | |
| 5. h3 | 2,484 (8%) | |
| 5. Ng5 | 1,823 (6%) | |
| 5. Be3 | 1,498 (5%) | |
| 5. a3 | 699 (2%) |
Master games
12,059 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 43%, draw 23%, Black 34%). The strongest:
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2839) – GM Hikaru Nakamura (2813) 0-1 · Titled Tue 18th Nov 2025 · 2025-11-18
- GM So, W. (2776) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2864) 1-0 · 10th Norway Armageddon · 2022-06-01
- GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2782) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2855) 0-1 · WCh 2021 · 2021-12-10
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2833) – GM Erigaisi Arjun (2801) 1/2-1/2 · Chessable Masters Winners · 2025-02-19
- GM Fabiano Caruana (2805) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2830) 0-1 · 12th Norway Chess 2024 · 2024-05-30
Search all games of the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- IM AngelitoRT (2883) – LATRANCA (2741) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- IM AngelitoRT (2880) – LATRANCA (2739) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- Nana_jede_cevape (2904) – July16Q (2674) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening (3… Nf6 4. d3) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3
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.