Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Bishop Check Line
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5 6. Bb5+
The Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Bishop Check Line 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+. It is a line of the Italian Game. Black is to move. 2 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 13,270 times by this move order. White won 48%, 3% were drawn and Black won 49%. The most popular continuation is 6… c6 (80% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.13 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 6… c6 7. dxc6 bxc6 8. Bd3 Nd5 9. Nf3)
- ECO
- C58
- Moves
- 11 plies
- FEN
r1bqkb1r/ppp2ppp/5n2/nB1Pp1N1/8/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQK2R b KQkq - 2 6- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5 6. Bb5+
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 4,729 | |
| 1500-1999 | 6,728 | |
| 2000+ | 1,813 | |
| All | 13,270 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6… c6 | 10,677 (80%) | |
| 6… Bd7 | 2,530 (19%) | |
| 6… Nd7 | 53 (0%) | |
| 6… Nc6 | 3 (0%) | |
| 6… Qd7 | 2 (0%) | |
| 6… Ke7 | 1 (0%) |
Master games
3,026 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 45%, draw 18%, Black 37%). The strongest:
- LCZero 0.30-dag-9a9c42d_784968 (3599) – Stockfish dev16_20221027 (3625) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 23 Superfinal 2022 · 2022-11-17
- Stockfish dev16_20221027 (3625) – LCZero 0.30-dag-9a9c42d_784968 (3599) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 23 Superfinal 2022 · 2022-11-17
- Igel 3.5.5 (3502) – LCZero 0.31-dag-5107404-T2-5230000 (3633) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 25 Premier 2023 · 2023-09-06
- LCZero 0.31-dag-5107404-T2-5230000 (3633) – Igel 3.5.5 (3502) 1-0 · TCEC 25 Premier 2023 · 2023-09-06
- GM So, W. (2770) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2862) 0-1 · Opera Euro Rapid KO 2021 · 2021-02-13
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Nana_jede_cevape (2894) – NM Andrey11976 (2789) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- kuhmft (2844) – GM Niksss2023 (2827) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- GM Super_FanZhendong (2882) – FM Crew12 (2724) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5
Continuations
- Italian Game: Two Knights Defense (7… bxc6 8. Be2) C58 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5 6. Bb5+ c6 7. dxc6 bxc6 8. Be2
- Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Bogoljubow Variation C58 · 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.