As White

The Italian Game

A complete 1.e4 repertoire built on 3.Bc4: the quiet Giuoco Piano, the sharp Two Knights, and the answer to everything Black actually tries below 1800.

The Italian Game starts 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4, pointing the bishop at f7 — the one square Black's king defends alone.

Two games in one opening. Against 3...Bc5 the game is slow: you play c3 and d3, build the centre, and win by understanding. Against 3...Nf6 it turns sharp: 4.Ng5 hits f7 immediately, and a single careless recapture loses on the spot.

Why it suits an improving player. The plans repeat. The bishop always eyes f7, the d4 break is always the lever, and the punishments for Black's common errors are short and forcing — which is exactly what you need when your opponent leaves theory at move four.

Start the course

What the course covers

The quiet Italian

3...Bc5, and the slow build-up that beats it.

  • Giuoco Pianissimo

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.O-O O-O 7.Re1

  • Black plays 4...Qe7

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Qe7 5.d4 Bb6 6.O-O Nf6 7.Re1

  • The d4 break

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 d6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb6 7.Nc3 Nf6 8.O-O O-O

Two Knights: the sharp one

3...Nf6 invites 4.Ng5, and the game gets violent.

  • The main line, 5...Na5

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Be2 h6 9.Nf3 e4 10.Ne5

  • The Fried Liver

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.Nxf7 Kxf7 7.Qf3+ Ke6 8.Nc3

  • The Traxler, defused

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Ke7 6.Bd5 Rf8 7.d3

What they actually play

Black's real replies below 1800, and how to meet them.

  • 3...Nd4, the shilling trap

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Nxd4 exd4 5.O-O Ne7 6.d3 c6 7.f4

  • 3...Be7, the Hungarian

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Be7 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.Nc3 O-O 7.O-O

  • 2...d6, the Philidor

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Be7 6.Bf4 O-O 7.Qd2