Italian Game
Encyclopedia
The Italian Game is a family of chess openings beginning with the moves:
The Italian Game is one of the oldest recorded chess openings; it occurs in the Göttingen manuscript
and was developed by players such as Damiano
and Polerio
in the 16th century, and later by Greco in 1620, who gave the game its main line. It has been extensively analyzed for more than 300 years. The term Italian Game is now used interchangeably with Giuoco Piano
, though that term also refers particularly to play after 3...Bc5. It is regarded as an Open Game, or Double King's Pawn game.
The game's defining move is the White king's bishop's move to c4 (the so-called "Italian bishop") in preparation for an early attack on Black's vulnerable f7-square. As such the game is typified by aggressive play, where Black's best chances are often vigorous counterattacks. Because of the large body of theory to be mastered, with little scope for novelty, and the risks involved in the tactical nature of the play, most tournament players when confronted with 3.Bc4 prefer to opt for a solid, if drawish
defence such as 3...Be7, or, in the past, 3...d6. However, the Italian Game is still popular in correspondence chess, where both players have access to theory, and in amateur games.
("Quiet Game") in contra-distinction to the more aggressive lines then being developed, this continues 4.d3, the positional Giuoco Pianissimo ("Very Quiet Game"), or the main line 4.c3 (the original Giuoco Piano) leading to positions first analyzed by Greco in the 17th century, and revitalized at the turn of the 20th by the Moller Attack.
This variation also contains the aggressive Evans Gambit
(4.b4), and the Jerome Gambit
(4.Bxf7+) – both are 19th-century attempts to open up the game.
; again, this is more in the nature of a counterattack, and some (e.g. Chigorin
) have proposed it be renamed so. The Two Knights Defence contains the knife-edged Traxler/Wilkes-Barre Variation, the aggressive Fegatello (or Fried Liver
) Attack, and the complex Max Lange Attack
.
.
expectant upon White falling into the trap of capturing Black's undefended e5-pawn with 4.Nxe5. While generally considered time-wasting against more experienced players due to the loss Black is put at should the trap be avoided, it has ensnared many a chess novice and could provide a quick and easy mate against those unfamiliar with the line.
- 1. e4 e5
- 2. Nf3 Nc6
- 3. Bc4
The Italian Game is one of the oldest recorded chess openings; it occurs in the Göttingen manuscript
Göttingen manuscript
The Göttingen manuscript is the earliest known work devoted entirely to modern chess. It is a Latin text of 33 leaves held at the University of Göttingen. A quarto parchment manuscript of 33 leaves, ff. 1–15a are a discussion of twelve chess openings, f. 16 is blank, and ff. 17–31b are a...
and was developed by players such as Damiano
Pedro Damiano
Pedro Damiano was a Portuguese chess player who lived from 1480 to 1544. A native of Odemira, he was a pharmacist by profession...
and Polerio
Giulio Polerio
Giulio Cesare Polerio , was an Italian chess theoretician and player....
in the 16th century, and later by Greco in 1620, who gave the game its main line. It has been extensively analyzed for more than 300 years. The term Italian Game is now used interchangeably with Giuoco Piano
Giuoco Piano
The Giuoco Piano is a chess opening beginning with the moves:Common alternatives to 3...Bc5 include 3...Nf6 , 3...Be7 , or 3...d6 .-History:...
, though that term also refers particularly to play after 3...Bc5. It is regarded as an Open Game, or Double King's Pawn game.
The game's defining move is the White king's bishop's move to c4 (the so-called "Italian bishop") in preparation for an early attack on Black's vulnerable f7-square. As such the game is typified by aggressive play, where Black's best chances are often vigorous counterattacks. Because of the large body of theory to be mastered, with little scope for novelty, and the risks involved in the tactical nature of the play, most tournament players when confronted with 3.Bc4 prefer to opt for a solid, if drawish
Draw (chess)
In chess, a draw is when a game ends in a tie. It is one of the possible outcomes of a game, along with a win for White and a win for Black . Usually, in tournaments a draw is worth a half point to each player, while a win is worth one point to the victor and none to the loser.For the most part,...
defence such as 3...Be7, or, in the past, 3...d6. However, the Italian Game is still popular in correspondence chess, where both players have access to theory, and in amateur games.
3... Bc5
Until the 19th century the main line of the Italian Game. Dubbed the Giuoco PianoGiuoco Piano
The Giuoco Piano is a chess opening beginning with the moves:Common alternatives to 3...Bc5 include 3...Nf6 , 3...Be7 , or 3...d6 .-History:...
("Quiet Game") in contra-distinction to the more aggressive lines then being developed, this continues 4.d3, the positional Giuoco Pianissimo ("Very Quiet Game"), or the main line 4.c3 (the original Giuoco Piano) leading to positions first analyzed by Greco in the 17th century, and revitalized at the turn of the 20th by the Moller Attack.
This variation also contains the aggressive Evans Gambit
Evans Gambit
The Evans Gambit is a chess opening characterised by the moves:The gambit is named after the Welsh sea Captain William Davies Evans, the first player known to have employed it. The first game with the opening is considered to be Evans - McDonnell, London 1827, although in that game a slightly...
(4.b4), and the Jerome Gambit
Jerome Gambit
The Jerome Gambit is a weak chess opening that is an offshoot of the Giuoco Piano. It is characterized by the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+? Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5. White sacrifices two pieces in hopes of exposing Black's king and obtaining a mating attack...
(4.Bxf7+) – both are 19th-century attempts to open up the game.
3... Nf6
Leading to the more aggressive Two Knights DefenseTwo Knights Defense
The Two Knights Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves: in the late 16th century, this line of the Italian Game was extensively developed in the 19th century....
; again, this is more in the nature of a counterattack, and some (e.g. Chigorin
Mikhail Chigorin
Mikhail Ivanovich Chigorin also was a leading Russian chess player...
) have proposed it be renamed so. The Two Knights Defence contains the knife-edged Traxler/Wilkes-Barre Variation, the aggressive Fegatello (or Fried Liver
Fried Liver Attack
The Fried Liver Attack, also called the Fegatello Attack , is a chess opening. This colourfully named opening is a variation of the Two Knights Defense in which White sacrifices a knight for a superficially impressive attack on Black's king...
) Attack, and the complex Max Lange Attack
Max Lange Attack
The Max Lange Attack is a chess opening that can arise from many different opening lines, including the Two Knights Defense, Petroff's Defense, Scotch Gambit, Bishop's Opening, Center Game, and Giuoco Piano...
.
3... Be7
Leading to the Hungarian Defence, a solid, drawish game which is often chosen in tournament play to avoid the complexities and risks of the other lines.3... d6
The Paris Defence, another solid positional line; this was popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but hardly seen now. This can transpose to the Philidor DefencePhilidor Defence
The Philidor Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:It is named after the famous 18th-century player François-André Danican Philidor, who advocated it as an alternative to the common 2...Nc6...
.
3... Nd4
This ostensibly weak third move by Black, known as the Blackburne Shilling Gambit, is a false gambitGambit
A gambit is a chess opening in which a player, most often White, sacrifices material, usually a pawn, with the hope of achieving a resulting advantageous position. Some well-known examples are the King's Gambit , Queen's Gambit , and Evans Gambit...
expectant upon White falling into the trap of capturing Black's undefended e5-pawn with 4.Nxe5. While generally considered time-wasting against more experienced players due to the loss Black is put at should the trap be avoided, it has ensnared many a chess novice and could provide a quick and easy mate against those unfamiliar with the line.
See also
- Italian GambitItalian GambitThe Italian Gambit is a chess opening characterized by the movesAfter 4...Bxd4 5.Nxd4 Nxd4, George Koltanowski favoured 6.0-0, which transposes to the related gambit line 4.0-0 Nf6 5.d4 following 6...Nf6, when 7.f4 and 7.Bg5 are the main possibilities for White. However, 6...d6!? is an independent...
- Chess OpeningChess openingA chess opening is the group of initial moves of a chess game. Recognized sequences of opening moves are referred to as openings as initiated by White or defenses, as created in reply by Black. There are many dozens of different openings, and hundreds of named variants. The Oxford Companion to...
- Encyclopaedia of Chess OpeningsEncyclopaedia of Chess OpeningsThe Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings is a classification system for the opening moves in a game of chess. It is presented as a five volume book collection describing chess openings...
- List of chess openings
- List of chess openings named after places