Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Pincus Variation
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Nxd5 6. d4 Bb4+
The Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Pincus Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO C57, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Nxd5 6. d4 Bb4+. 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 15 times by this move order. White won 67%, 13% were drawn and Black won 20%. The most popular continuation is 7. c3 (100% of games).
Engine evaluation: +1.30 (Stockfish, depth 31; best line 7. c3 f6 8. dxe5 fxg5 9. Bxd5 Be7)
- ECO
- C57
- Moves
- 12 plies
- FEN
r1bqk2r/ppp2ppp/2n5/3np1N1/1bBP4/8/PPP2PPP/RNBQK2R w KQkq - 1 7- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Nxd5 6. d4 Bb4+
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 10 | |
| 1500-1999 | 5 | |
| All | 15 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 7. c3 | 15 (100%) |
Master games
1 over-the-board game is classified under this line (White 0%, draw 100%, Black 0%). The strongest:
- IM Martin Petrov (2472) – GM Sarunas Sulskis (2529) 1/2-1/2 · Hastings Masters 2018-19 · 2019-01-04
Search all games of the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Pincus Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- belum (1720) – fodafady (1697) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 600 + 5s
- DanielleMohicano (1646) – Collateral26 (1668) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-06 · 900 + 10s
- v_k_5 (1563) – Stonedraconiss (1573) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 300 + 0s
Comes from
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Lolli Attack 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Nxd5 6. d4
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.