Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Bernstein Variation
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Nxe4 8. O-O Nxc3 9. bxc3 Bxc3 10. Qb3 d5
The Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Bernstein Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO C54, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Nxe4 8. O-O Nxc3 9. bxc3 Bxc3 10. Qb3 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 6 times by this move order. White won 67%, 0% were drawn and Black won 33%. The most popular continuation is 11. Bxd5 (83% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.60 (Stockfish, depth 36; best line 11. Qxc3 dxc4 12. d5 Ne7 13. Bh6 Qxd5)
- ECO
- C54
- Moves
- 20 plies
- FEN
r1bqk2r/ppp2ppp/2n5/3p4/2BP4/1Qb2N2/P4PPP/R1B2RK1 w kq - 0 11- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Nxe4 8. O-O Nxc3 9. bxc3 Bxc3 10. Qb3 d5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 4 | |
| 1500-1999 | 2 | |
| All | 6 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 11. Bxd5 | 5 (83%) | |
| 11. Qxc3 | 1 (17%) |
Master games
1 over-the-board game is classified under this line (White 100%, draw 0%, Black 0%). The strongest:
- Simao Pintor (2089) – Simao Oliveira Alvim Barroso (1160) 1-0 · 3rd Famalicao Open 2015 · 2015-08-02
Search all games of the Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Bernstein Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Ruzhuk1 (1840) – Gabi_Oliv (1703) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 600 + 0s
- seckiny (1749) – nikitabomkin (1734) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 600 + 5s
- Nibeliys (1513) – juanantoniovaquero (1486) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 600 + 0s
Comes from
Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Greco Variation 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Nxe4 8. O-O Nxc3
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.