Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack, Knight Sacrifice Line
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5 5. Nxf7
The Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack, Knight 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. Nxf7. 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 3,323 times by this move order. White won 49%, 3% were drawn and Black won 48%. The most popular continuation is 5… Bxf2+ (75% of games).
Engine evaluation: 0.00 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 5… Bxf2+ 6. Kf1 Qe7 7. Nxh8 d5 8. exd5)
- ECO
- C57
- Moves
- 9 plies
- FEN
r1bqk2r/pppp1Npp/2n2n2/2b1p3/2B1P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQK2R b KQkq - 0 5- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5 5. Nxf7
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 2,452 | |
| 1500-1999 | 812 | |
| 2000+ | 59 | |
| All | 3,323 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5… Bxf2+ | 2,504 (75%) | |
| 5… Qe7 | 576 (17%) | |
| 5… O-O | 84 (3%) | |
| 5… Nxe4 | 45 (1%) | |
| 5… Ke7 | 17 (1%) | |
| 5… Rf8 | 16 (0%) | |
| 5… d5 | 13 (0%) | |
| 5… Kf8 | 9 (0%) |
Master games
68 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 34%, draw 12%, Black 54%). The strongest:
- CM Tomasz Jaskolka (2241) – GM Maksim Chigaev (2617) 0-1 · Titled Tue 12th Mar Early · 2024-03-12
- GM Nikolai Ninov (2459) – FM Dejan Dinev (2297) 1-0 · 90th Veliko Tarnovo GM · 2017-02-10
- FM Enis Zuferi (2342) – Philipp Wenninger (2364) 1/2-1/2 · 6th Hofheim Spring Open · 2018-04-07
- CM Tomasz Jaskolka (2241) – IM Mark Timmermans (2394) 0-1 · Titled Tue 27th Feb Late · 2024-02-27
- CM Tomasz Jaskolka (2222) – IM Viacheslav Slovineanu (2412) 1-0 · Titled Tue 23rd Jan Early · 2024-01-23
Highest-rated Lichess games
- RabbitShotgun (2313) – tonyMcTonyFace (2238) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- scienzefilosofia (2335) – you_were_just_lucky (2206) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 2s
- LuisGarciaCuenda (2233) – Trashopening (2297) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 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 Counterattack, King March Line C57 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5 5. Nxf7 Bxf2+ 6. Kxf2 Nxe4+ 7. Ke3
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.