Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Paoli Variation
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5 6. Bb5+ c6 7. dxc6 bxc6 8. Qf3 Qc7 9. Bd3
The Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Paoli Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO C58, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5 6. Bb5+ c6 7. dxc6 bxc6 8. Qf3 Qc7 9. Bd3. It is a line of the Italian Game. Black is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 8 times by this move order. White won 63%, 12% were drawn and Black won 25%. The most popular continuation is 9… h6 (38% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.59 (Stockfish, depth 30; best line 9… h6 10. Ne4 Nxe4 11. Bxe4 g6 12. Qg3)
- ECO
- C58
- Moves
- 17 plies
- FEN
r1b1kb1r/p1q2ppp/2p2n2/n3p1N1/8/3B1Q2/PPPP1PPP/RNB1K2R b KQkq - 3 9- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5 6. Bb5+ c6 7. dxc6 bxc6 8. Qf3 Qc7 9. Bd3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1500-1999 | 5 | |
| 2000+ | 3 | |
| All | 8 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 9… h6 | 3 (38%) | |
| 9… Be7 | 3 (38%) | |
| 9… Bg4 | 2 (25%) |
Master games
5 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 20%, draw 40%, Black 40%). The strongest:
- Maciej Nurkiewicz (2392) – GM Alexander G Beliavsky (2631) 1/2-1/2 · Najdorf Mem Open A 2014 · 2014-07-16
- CM Joshua Medina (1968) – IM Oliwia Kiolbasa (2397) 0-1 · 1st 3-0 Thu 25th Jun 2026 · 2026-06-25
- Herbert Schoenangerer (2057) – FM Horst Watzka (2198) 1/2-1/2 · TCh-AUT 2nd Mitte 2016-17 · 2016-10-08
- WFM Hristodoulaki, A. (1994) – Theodore Slade (2063) 1-0 · Titled Tue 27th Aug Early · 2024-08-27
- Philippe Bellay (1815) – FM Pierre Meinsohn (2120) 0-1 · 15th Angers Open 2022 · 2022-05-28
Search all games of the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Paoli Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Cassius5171 (2382) – petry70 (2403) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- MrResetti (2283) – Tinacar (2244) 1-0 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- AKBULAK-ORENBURG (1889) – Greg60 (2327) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 600 + 0s
Comes from
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Bogoljubow Variation 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5 6. Bb5+ c6 7. dxc6 bxc6 8. Qf3
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.