Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5
The Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense 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. It is a line of the Italian Game. White is to move. 2 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 17,022 times by this move order. White won 47%, 3% were drawn and Black won 50%. The most popular continuation is 6. Bb5+ (78% of games).
Engine evaluation: 0.00 (Stockfish, depth 58; best line 6. Bb5+ c6 7. dxc6 bxc6 8. Bd3 Nd5)
- ECO
- C58
- Moves
- 10 plies
- FEN
r1bqkb1r/ppp2ppp/5n2/n2Pp1N1/2B5/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQK2R w KQkq - 1 6- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 7,143 | |
| 1500-1999 | 7,867 | |
| 2000+ | 2,012 | |
| All | 17,022 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6. Bb5+ Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Bishop Check Line | 13,270 (78%) | |
| 6. d3 Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Kieseritzky Variation | 932 (5%) | |
| 6. Bb3 | 912 (5%) | |
| 6. Qe2 | 820 (5%) | |
| 6. Bd3 | 270 (2%) | |
| 6. b3 | 230 (1%) | |
| 6. Nxf7 | 221 (1%) | |
| 6. Be2 | 205 (1%) |
Master games
42 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 29%, draw 4%, Black 67%). The strongest:
- GM Evgeny Postny (2585) – FM Matyas Palczert (2346) 1-0 · Titled Tue 25th Jun Early · 2024-06-25
- IM Mamikon Gharibyan (2455) – FM Robert S Eames (2144) 1-0 · Titled Arena Apr 3rd 2021 · 2021-04-03
- FM Alekhine Nouri (2223) – FM Sakithyan Yoganathan (2297) 1-0 · Titled Tue 28th Oct 2025 · 2025-10-28
- Mile Trajkovski (2070) – Mihail Jordanov (2082) 0-1 · ch-MKD 2021 · 2021-07-31
- IM Justin Sarkar (2289) – WCM Bhillva Nilaya Kondari Eswara Krishna (1843) 0-1 · Titled Tue 31st Oct Early · 2023-10-31
Search all games of the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense and its sub-variations
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, Knight Attack, Normal Variation 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5
Continuations
- Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Bishop Check Line C58 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5 6. Bb5+
- Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Kieseritzky Variation C58 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5 6. 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.