Italian Game: How to Play It
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
The bishop on c4 stares at f7, the weakest square in Black's camp. Everything in the Italian is a variation on that theme — whether you go fast with d4 and f4, or slow with c3, d3 and a long build-up.
The four plans that win games
These are not variations to memorise. They are the recurring plans — learn what you are trying to achieve and the moves become much easier to find.
The Giuoco Pianissimo squeeze
d3, c3, Nbd2, Bb3, Re1 and a slow kingside build-up. It looks like nothing. It is the modern main line at the highest level because Black has no target and White has all the time in the world.
The classical d4 break
c3 followed by d4 challenges the centre immediately. If Black takes and you recapture with the pawn, you have the bigger centre; if he holds, you have a lasting space edge.
The Fried Liver, when invited
If Black plays the Two Knights and then 4…Nf6 5.Ng5 d5 6.exd5 Nxd5, the sacrifice 7.Nxf7 is genuinely strong. Know it — it appears constantly below master level.
Bishop to b3, and leave it there
Retreating the bishop to b3 before Black can play …Na5 keeps it on the crucial diagonal. Losing that bishop for a knight usually ends White's advantage.
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
…Na5 hits your bishop
Black's standard resource. Play Bb3 in advance, or be ready to meet …Na5 with Bxf7+ ideas or a3 and Ba2 depending on the position.
Do not push d4 before c3
Without the pawn on c3, d4 simply loses a pawn to …exd4 and Black is fine.
The Evans Gambit is available if the Pianissimo bores you
4.b4 is a real weapon with a huge score at club level. It is a different opening, and it is on the site.
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 playing the Italian Game. For the opposite view — the plans, the traps and the structures from the other side of the board — read How to beat 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
Is the Italian Game good for beginners?
It is good for anyone willing to learn its plans rather than its moves. The bishop on c4 stares at f7, the weakest square in Black's camp The plans on this page are the same at 800 rating and at 2400 — only the accuracy changes..
What is the main idea of the Italian Game?
The bishop on c4 stares at f7, the weakest square in Black's camp. Everything in the Italian is a variation on that theme — whether you go fast with d4 and f4, or slow with c3, d3 and a long build-up.
What is the most common mistake in the Italian Game?
…Na5 hits your bishop. Black's standard resource. Play Bb3 in advance, or be ready to meet …Na5 with Bxf7+ ideas or a3 and Ba2 depending on the position.
How much theory do I need to play the Italian Game?
Less than you think, provided you learn the structure instead of the moves. Start with the main line on this page and the first of the four plans — the giuoco pianissimo squeeze. That is enough to play the opening reasonably from your very next game.