How to Beat the Italian Game
The oldest opening still played at the top level — and the fastest way to point everything at f7.
The main line
The Italian Game begins 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4. Here is the position after the opening moves, and the moves themselves — play through them on a board before you read the plans, because everything below refers back to this structure.
| 1. | e4 | e5 |
| 2. | Nf3 | Nc6 |
| 3. | Bc4 |
The moves, one at a time
- White e4 — the most-played first move in chess — it opens lines for the queen and the light-squared bishop at once
- Black e5 — the classical reply, staking an equal claim in the centre and refusing to concede space
- White Nf3 — develops toward the centre, controls e5 and d4, and prepares to castle
- Black Nc6 — develops with tempo against the centre and prepares to contest d4 and e5
- White Bc4 — points the bishop straight at f7, the square defended only by the king
The idea in one paragraph
Black is fine in the Italian, but only if he takes the f7 square seriously and does not drift. Most losses here come from casual development against a plan that has been pointed at one square since move three.
The four antidotes
You do not need to refute the Italian Game. You need a plan you understand better than your opponent understands his. Any one of these four is enough.
Mirror with …Bc5 and play …d6 early
The Giuoco Piano is symmetrical and sound. …d6 takes the sting out of any d4 break and prepares …Nf6 without tactical issues.
The Two Knights for players who want chaos
3…Nf6 invites 4.Ng5 and a sharp game. Objectively fine for Black, but you must know 4…d5 5.exd5 Na5 — the Polerio — rather than the losing 5…Nxd5.
Chase the bishop with …Na5
Trading off White's best piece is a permanent achievement. The knight is offside on a5 for a few moves; the bishop is gone forever.
Contest the centre with …d5
The freeing move. Play it when White has committed his bishop and knight but not yet supported e4 with Re1 or Nbd2.
The pawn structure
Classical and open. Both sides develop naturally; the fight is about who gets d4 or …d5 in first, and whether White plays for a big centre or a slow squeeze.
Structure outlasts everything else in the opening. Pieces get traded and plans change, but the pawns decide which squares exist and which do not — and that is what you are really choosing when you choose an opening.
Mistakes that lose games
Never 5…Nxd5 in the Two Knights
6.Nxf7 and the Fried Liver drags your king to e6 with a winning attack. It is the single most common losing move in club chess.
Watch f7 before every move
If your f7 square is defended only by the king, check what a bishop and a knight can do to it. That is the whole opening in one sentence.
Do not play …h6 automatically
Kicking the knight from g5 costs a tempo and can create a hook for a later g4–g5. Play it when it achieves something, not by reflex.
A game worth studying
Greco's games from the 1620s — four hundred years old and still the clearest illustration of what happens when f7 is left alone.
The other side of this opening
This page is written for the player facing the Italian Game. For the opposite view — the plans, the traps and the structures from the other side of the board — read How to play the Italian Game.
Practise it on a live board
Reading an opening guide gets you about a third of the way. The rest comes from playing the structure until the plans are automatic. The Grandmaster Gains Academy has 197 interactive lessons and a full engine, and you can play the Italian Game against it right now, free, in your browser.
Play the Italian Game against the engine
Free, in the browser, no sign-up. Then have every move rated afterwards so you can see exactly where the plan went wrong.
♔ Play free nowRelated openings
- How to play the Evans Gambit
- How to beat the Evans Gambit
- How to play the Fried Liver Attack
- How to beat the Fried Liver Attack
- How to play the Ruy Lopez
- How to beat the Ruy Lopez
Teaching this opening?
Coaches use Grandmaster Gains to set positions, track which students actually practise, and show parents a rating that means something. See the trainer classroom or book private coaching.
Common questions
How do I beat the Italian Game?
Black is fine in the Italian, but only if he takes the f7 square seriously and does not drift. Most losses here come from casual development against a plan that has been pointed at one square since move three. The four antidotes on this page each work on their own — pick the one that suits how you like to play rather than trying to learn all four.
Is the Italian Game hard to play against?
It is hard to play against without a plan and straightforward with one. Most losses here come from casual development against a plan that has been pointed at one square since move three.
What is the biggest mistake when facing the Italian Game?
Never 5…Nxd5 in the Two Knights. 6.Nxf7 and the Fried Liver drags your king to e6 with a winning attack. It is the single most common losing move in club chess.
Do I need to memorise variations to beat the Italian Game?
No. Understanding the pawn structure — classical and open — tells you what to aim for in every position the opening produces, which is worth more than twenty memorised moves.