Italian Game
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4
The Italian Game is a chess opening classified as ECO C50, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4. Black is to move. 7 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 555,994 times by this move order. White won 50%, 4% were drawn and Black won 46%. The most popular continuation is 3… Nf6 (34% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.07 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 3… Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. O-O d6 6. c3)
- ECO
- C50
- Moves
- 5 plies
- FEN
r1bqkbnr/pppp1ppp/2n5/4p3/2B1P3/5N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQK2R b KQkq - 3 3- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 292,509 | |
| 1500-1999 | 231,792 | |
| 2000+ | 31,693 | |
| All | 555,994 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 3… Nf6 Two Knights Defense (3. Bc4 Nf6) | 186,441 (34%) | |
| 3… Bc5 Giuoco Piano | 173,485 (31%) | |
| 3… h6 Anti-Fried Liver Defense | 78,442 (14%) | |
| 3… d6 Paris Defense | 36,106 (6%) | |
| 3… Nd4 Blackburne-Kostić Gambit | 19,634 (4%) | |
| 3… Be7 Hungarian Defense | 17,474 (3%) | |
| 3… f5 Rousseau Gambit | 16,860 (3%) | |
| 3… f6 | 5,846 (1%) |
Master games
576 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 55%, draw 13%, Black 32%). The strongest:
- GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2773) – GM Vladislav Kovalev (2623) 1-0 · Chess.com RCC Wk11 Swiss · 2022-04-23
- GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly (2615) – GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2757) 1/2-1/2 · Qatar Masters Open 2014 · 2014-11-27
- GM Alexander Grischuk (2745) – GM Gareev, T. (2597) 1-0 · Chess.com RCC Wk20 Swiss · 2022-07-09
- GM Robin Van Kampen (2643) – GM Julio E Granda Zuniga (2662) 1/2-1/2 · TCh-ESP Div 1 2017 · 2017-08-16
- GM Raunak Sadhwani (2620) – GM Naroditsky, D. (2617) 1/2-1/2 · Titled Tue 13th Sep Late · 2022-09-13
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Nana_jede_cevape (2866) – GM gmbrewchess (3010) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- Nana_jede_cevape (2899) – GM gmbrewchess (2965) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- Nana_jede_cevape (2860) – GM gmbrewchess (2979) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6
Continuations
- Italian Game: Anti-Fried Liver Defense C50 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 h6
- Italian Game: Blackburne-Kostić Gambit C50 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nd4
- Italian Game: Giuoco Piano C50 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5
- Italian Game: Hungarian Defense C50 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Be7
- Italian Game: Paris Defense C50 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 d6
- Italian Game: Rousseau Gambit C50 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 f5
- Italian Game: Two Knights Defense (3. Bc4 Nf6) C55 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6
More Italian Game lines (all)
- 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
- Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Lucchini Gambit C50
- Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal C50
- Italian Game: Hungarian Defense, Tartakower 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.