Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack, Bishop Sacrifice Line
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5 5. Bxf7+
The Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack, Bishop Sacrifice Line is a chess opening classified as ECO C57, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5 5. Bxf7+. It is a line of the Italian Game. Black is to move. 1 named line continues from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 1,961 times by this move order. White won 53%, 2% were drawn and Black won 45%. The most popular continuation is 5… Ke7 (50% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.79 (Stockfish, depth 59; best line 5… Ke7 6. Bc4 Qe8 7. Nc3 Rf8 8. O-O)
- ECO
- C57
- Moves
- 9 plies
- FEN
r1bqk2r/pppp1Bpp/2n2n2/2b1p1N1/4P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQK2R b KQkq - 0 5- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5 5. Bxf7+
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 807 | |
| 1500-1999 | 905 | |
| 2000+ | 249 | |
| All | 1,961 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5… Ke7 | 985 (50%) | |
| 5… Kf8 | 973 (50%) |
Master games
124 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 49%, draw 18%, Black 33%). The strongest:
- GM Olexandr Bortnyk (2598) – GM Alexander Morozevich (2659) 1-0 · Levitov Christmas Final · 2020-12-24
- GM Pranesh M (2538) – GM Samuel Sevian (2697) 1-0 · Titled Tue 16th Jan Early · 2024-01-16
- GM Jacek Tomczak (2605) – GM Mikhail Al. Antipov (2584) 0-1 · Molodezhka vs POL 2020 · 2020-05-11
- GM Javokhir Sindarov (2722) – FM Mikayel Manvelyan (2362) 1-0 · Titled Tue 8th Jul Early · 2025-07-08
- IM Almas Rakhmatullaev (2424) – GM Maksim Chigaev (2617) 1-0 · Titled Tue 12th Mar Early · 2024-03-12
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Nana_jede_cevape (2860) – GM gmbrewchess (2979) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- Gary_Oldmen (2452) – Beth_Harmon1958 (2523) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- habibi2026 (2546) – Resende99 (2394) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5
Continuations
- Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Traxler Variation, Trencianske-Teplice Gambit C57 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5 5. Bxf7+ Ke7 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.