Sample Page

The Giuoco Piano^[1] (pronounced [ˈdʒwɔːko ˈpjaːno]; Italian for 'Quiet Game') is a chess opening beginning with the moves:

1. e4 e5

2. Nf3 Nc6

3. Bc4 Bc5

Black develops the bishop to an active square. The classical main line is 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4, credited to 17th century player Gioachino Greco and extensively analyzed for centuries, where White attempts to achieve central domination and sets a number of traps for Black. The traditional continuation is 6.cxd4 Bb4+. Greco’s move was the sacrificial line 7.Nc3. In the 21st century, 6.e5, popularized by Evgeny Sveshnikov, became more popular than 6.cxd4.

4.c3 Nf6 remains the most common continuation to the Giuoco Piano today, but the modern main line is 5.d3, a more positional continuation reachable by many move orders that became popular in the late 20th century, played by the likes of Anatoly Karpov, who used it in the 1981 World Chess Championship.^[2]

Besides 4.c3, other fourth moves include 4.b4, the Evans Gambit, where White sacrifices a pawn for tempo, a Romantic line that was very popular in the 19th century, and 4.d3, which tends to end up transposing to the modern main line, though White can opt not to later play c3.

The Giuoco Piano is one of the oldest recorded openings. The Portuguese writer Pedro Damiano records games in it at the beginning of the 16th century. The Italian player Gioachino Greco is well known for developing the old main line 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ in the early 17th century; from there, he played the gambit continuation 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.0-0, which is still occasionally seen today. Greco consistently replied to 3…Bc5 with 4.c3, which remains White’s most common move, while other players at the time tended to play 4.0-0.^[3]

The Italian Game was popular through the beginning of the 20th century (the Møller Attack only originated in 1898), but refinements in defensive play led most chess masters towards openings like the Ruy Lopez (3.Bb5), which is frequently regarded as offering White greater chances for long-term initiative, though the emergence of the Berlin Defence (3.Bb5 Nf6) has raised doubts about this. Within the Italian Game, 3…Bc5 was historically more common than Black’s main alternative 3…Nf6, the Two Knights Defense, but since the 20th century, they have been played comparably often.

Starting in the 1980s, the modern lines with c3 and d3 emerged as a new dominant variation that was especially popular among younger players.^[4] Anatoly Karpov used it against Viktor Korchnoi twice in the 1981 World Championship match,^[5] with both games ending in a draw.^[6][7]

In the 1990s and 21st century, the modern d3 lines saw frequent high-level play. Garry Kasparov used it against Joël Lautier at Linares 1994, resigning after 29 moves;^[8] Vladimir Kramnik chose it against Teimour Radjabov at Linares (2004);^[9] Viswanathan Anand used it to defeat Jon Hammer in 2010;^[10] Magnus Carlsen used it against Hikaru Nakamura at London 2011, winning in 41 moves^[11] and Ian Nepomniachtchi used it against Magnus Carlsen in the 2021 World Championship match, losing in 49 moves.^[12]

White has multiple common plans in the Giuoco Piano. The classical plan is 4.c3 and 5.d4, aiming to achieve central domination while avoiding losing tempo by playing both d2-d3 and d3-d4. The Evans Gambit (4.b4) sacrifices a pawn in order to play 5.c3 with tempo for a lead in development. Because the bishop must relocate, White is able to play 6.d4 before Black has played …Nf6, unlike in the classical line. Despite being very forcing lines, Black has sufficient defensive resources; the modern plan involves playing 4.d3 or 5.d3, intending to play d4 only after adequate preparation.

Examined in this article are the following variations:

• 4.c3 (main move)
  • 4…Nf6 5.d4 exd4 (Classical Variation)
    • 6.cxd4 Bb4+ (old main line)
      • 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.0-0 (Greco’s gambit line)
        • 8…Bxc3 9.d5 (Møller Attack)
        • 8…Bxc3 9.bxc3 d5 10.Ba3 (Steinitz Variation)
        • 8…Nxc3 9.bxc3 Bxc3? (Greco’s trap)
        • 8…Nxc3 9.bxc3 d5
      • 7.Bd2 (non-gambit line)
      • 7.Nbd2 (modern gambit line)
      • 7.Kf1 (Kraków Variation)
    • 6.e5 (Sveshnikov’s line)
    • 6.b4 (Dubov’s line)
    • 6.0-0
  • 4…Nf6 5.d3 or 4.d3 Nf6 5.c3 (modern line)
    • 5…0-0 6.0-0 d5 (open line)
    • 5…d6 (closed line)
  • 4…d6 (La Bourdonnais Variation and others)
  • 4…Qe7 (Closed Variation)
• 4.d3 (Giuoco Pianissimo)
  • 4…Nf6 5.Nc3 (Four Knights Variation, by transposition)
  • 4…Nf6 5.c3 (Modern Variation, by transposition)
• 4.b4 (Evans Gambit)
  • 4…Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.d4 exd4
  • 4…Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.d4 d6
• 4.0-0 Nf6 5.d4
  • 5…Bxd4
  • 5…exd4 6.e5 (Max Lange Attack)
• 4.d4 (Italian Gambit)
• 4.Nc3 Nf6 (Four Knights Variation)
• 4.Bxf7+ (Jerome Gambit)

The Giuoco Piano is frequently reached by transposition from the Bishop’s Opening (2.Bc4) via 2…Nc6 3.Nf3 Bc5 (or 2…Bc5 3.Nf3 Nc6), though Black can avoid this, most often via 2…Nf6 3.d3 c6. Alternatively, 3…Nc6 4.Nf3 transposes to the Two Knights Defense; the common continuation 4…Bc5 5.c3 reaches the modern main line of the Italian.

Another common transposition is from the Scotch Gambit (3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4). After 4…Bc5 5.c3, 5…Nf6 is Black’s most common move and transposes to the classical main line; 5…dxc3?! is weak to 6.Bxf7 Kxf7 7.Qd5+ and then 8.Qxc5.

4.c3 is the classical reply^[14] and supports the central advance 5.d4. The main reply is 4…Nf6, which was first analyzed by Greco in the 17th century.^[15] After 5.d4, Black usually responds with 5…exd4. From here, 6.cxd4 is the classical continuation, to which Black almost always responds with 6…Bb4+ (6…Bb6 is weak because of 7.e5). White can then play 7.Nc3, 7.Bd2, 7.Nbd2, blocking the check, or 7.Kf1!?, which avoids pinning a piece to the king at the cost of losing castling rights.

The move 6.e5, advocated by Evgeny Sveshnikov, is White’s primary sixth move alternative, and has become more popular than 6.cxd4, though it was once rare. 6.b4, advocated by Daniil Dubov and others, is also seen, as well as 6.0-0.

White may combine other fifth moves with 4.c3 instead of playing 5.d4. 5.d3 transposes to the Giuoco Pianissimo, a move which became more common than the traditional 5.d4 in the 20th century. 5.0-0 enters the Albin Gambit, which can be accepted with 5…Nxe4 or declined, usually with 5…d6.

Black also has fourth move alternatives in response to 4.c3. The most notable are 4…Qe7, the Closed Variation, and 4…d6, typically leading to the La Bourdonnais Variation after 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb6.

7.Nc3 offers a pawn sacrifice. It usually continues 7…Nxe4 8.0-0. After this, Black usually plays 8…Bxc3. White can then play 9.d5, the Møller Attack, sacrificing a pawn for development and the initiative, or simply recapture with 9.bxc3, which was the most common move before the discovery of 9.d5, but is now a side line.

8…Nxc3, which was played in Greco’s games (as White) in this line, is a notable alternative for Black. Black sometimes also avoids the sharp complications of the Møller Attack after 7.Nc3 with 7…d5?! (which was played several times against Wilhelm Steinitz), 7…d6?!, 7…0-0 or 7…Bxc3, but these lead to passive positions for Black.

After 8…Bxc3, 9.d5 is the most common move for White. The most common continuation is 9…Bf6 (followed by 9…Ne5), with the main line continuing 10.Re1 Ne7 11.Rxe4 d6 12.Bg5 Bxg5 13.Nxg5 h6!; 13…0-0 14.Nxh7! has been analyzed to a draw with best play, although Black has many opportunities to go wrong.

After 13…h6!, the most common continuation is 14.Qe2, where after 14…hxg5 15.Re1 Be6! 16.dxe6 (White also can try 16.Qd2 c6! 17.dxe6 f6 18.Bd3 d5 19.Rg4 Qc7 20.h3 0-0-0 21.b4, attacking) 16…f6 17.Re3 c6 18.Rh3 Rxh3 19.gxh3 g6 it is doubtful that White has sufficient compensation for the sacrificed pawn, according to Larry Kaufman; 14.Qh5 0-0 15.Rae1 Ng6! (or 15…Nf5!) also favors Black, as does 14.Bb5+ Bd7.

A recent try for White is 12.Rf4, with the idea of sacrificing the exchange on f6 for attacking chances, as seen in the game Jorden van Foreest–Levon Aronian, Chessable Masters 2021. It has the advantage that it has not been analyzed as deeply as the traditional 12.Bg5. Black has the option, however, of inviting a repetition with 12…Ng6 13.Re4+ Ne7, as occurred in Rauf Mamedov–Sergey Karjakin, Gashimov Memorial, Baku 2021. If instead Black plays 13…Be7, White has 14.h4! with good practical chances.^[16] The pawn thrust 12.g4 is another line occasionally seen for White.

Black has the ninth move alternative of 9…Ne5, with the most common continuation being 10.bxc3 (10.Qe2 is also common) Nxc4 11.Qd4, followed by 11…0-0 12.Qxe4 (or 12.Qxc4) or 11…f5 12.Qxc4 d6. 11…Ncd6?! is inferior due to 12.Qxg7 Qf6 13.Qxf6 Nxf6 14.Rfe1+ Nfe4! (both 14…Kf8 and 14…Kd8 lose) 15.Nd2 f5 16.f3 and White has the better chances in the coming endgame.^[17]

After 8…Nxc3, 9.bxc3 is White’s usual reply. The line is playable but inferior to allowing the Møller Attack. If 9…Bxc3?! 10.Qb3 Bxa1?, White wins with 11.Bxf7+ Kf8 12.Bg5. Greco’s game (probably analysis) continues 12…Ne7 13.Ne5 (13.Re1 and 13.Rxa1 also win) 13…d5 14.Qf3 Bf5 15.Be6 g6 16.Bh6+ Ke8 17.Bf7#.^[18][19] This trap is well known, and Black can avoid it by playing 10…d5. For this reason, the Scottish master James Aitken proposed 10.Ba3!, which gives White the advantage.

After 9.bxc3, instead best for Black is 9…d5!. A typical continuation is 10.cxb4 dxc4 11.Re1+ Ne7 12.Qa4+! Bd7 13.b5 0-0 14.Qxc4 Ng6!.

If White does not want to gambit material, 7.Bd2 is a good alternative. A possible continuation is 7…Bxd2+ 8.Nbxd2 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Qb3 Nce7 (10…Na5 is an alternative, inviting a repetition of moves after 11.Qa4+ Nc6 [threatening 12…Nb6] 12.Qb3 Na5) 11.0-0 0-0 12.Rfe1 c6. In this position White has more freedom, but the isolated d-pawn can be a weakness.

Another possible continuation, recommended by Kaufman, is 7…Nxe4 8.Bxb4 Nxb4 9.Bxf7+ Kxf7 10.Qb3+ d5!? (10…Kf8 11.Qxb4+ Qe7 12.Qxe7+ Kxe7 is safer, reaching an equal endgame) 11.Ne5+ Ke6! 12.Qxb4 c5!?, but this line is significantly less common.

7.Nbd2 is also a viable move for White, although this still only offers approximate equality.

7.Kf1 was named the Kraków Variation after members of the Kraków Chess Club ran a theme tournament and published analysis of it in 1909. It has the obvious disadvantage of giving up castling rights, thereby impeding the entry of the king’s rook into active play, but avoids self-pinning. It was occasionally seen in the 19th and early 20th centuries but is now largely abandoned. It most often continues with either 7…d5 8.exd5 Nxd5 9.Nc3 or 7…Nxe4 8.d5 Ne7 9.Qd4 Nf6 10.Bg5.^[20]

White can also try 6.e5, a line favored by Evgeny Sveshnikov which has seen a surge in popularity in the early 21st century.^[21]

Black’s only good reply is 6…d5!, immediately striking back in the center. Alternatives are weak:

• If 6…Ng4, White may try the temporary sacrifice 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Ng5+, but the simpler 7.cxd4 is clearly better for White. Black’s knight is badly placed and White dominates the center.
• If 6…Ne4, 7.Bd5! traps the knight and forces Black to choose between the weakening 7…f5 and the speculative sacrifice 7…Nxf2!? The latter line led to a famous win for Black in the game known as “Petrov’s Immortal”, Hoffmann–Petrov, Warsaw 1844: 8.Kxf2 dxc3+ 9.Kg3 cxb2 10.Bxb2 Ne7 11.Ng5? Nxd5 12.Nxf7 0-0!! 13.Nxd8 Bf2+ 14.Kh3 d6+ 15.e6 Nf4+ 16.Kg4 Nxe6 17.Nxe6 Bxe6+ 18.Kg5 Rf5+ 19.Kg4 h5+ 20.Kh3 Rf3#.^[22] Instead of the aggressive 11.Ng5?, White should consolidate with 11.Qc2 or 11.h3, with the better chances in each case.^[23]

After 6…d5 7.Bb5 Ne4 8.cxd4, 8…Bb6 is approximately equal. 8…Bb4+, the Anderssen Variation, typically continuing 9.Bd2 Nxd2 10.Nbxd2 0-0, is considered less accurate.^[24] After 8…Bb6, the main line continues 9.Nc3 0-0 10.Be3 Bg4 (10…f5 is also common) 11.h3 Bh5 12.Qc2, and from there 12…Bg6 13.Qb3 Ne7 14.0-0 c6 15.Bd3, 12…Nxc3 13.bxc3 f6 or 12…Ba5 13.0-0 Bxf3 14.gxf3. White has a space advantage; Black has a powerful knight.

Black can try to hold a strongpoint in the center at e5 with 4…Qe7, a move which first appeared in the Göttingen manuscript c. 1500.^[25] After 5.d4 (5.0-0 usually transposes) Bb6, White’s options include 6.0-0, 6.d5, 6.a4 and 6.Bg5.^[26] This approach has always been less popular than the 4…Nf6 lines described above. A typical continuation is 6.0-0 d6 7.a4 a6 8.h3 Nf6 9.Re1 0-0 (Leonhardt–Spielmann, Ostend 1907).^[27]

With 4.d3, White plays the Giuoco Pianissimo (Italian for 'Very Quiet Game', a name given by Adolf Anderssen).^[28] White aims for a slow buildup, deferring the push to d4 until it can be prepared. By avoiding an immediate confrontation in the center, White prevents the early release of tension through exchanges and enters a positional maneuvering game. Black usually responds with 4…Nf6 (or 4…d6 and then 5…Nf6).

If White plays c3, the position can take some characteristics of the Ruy Lopez if the bishop retreats to c2 via b3. This idea has been taken up by some grandmasters, such as Anish Giri, to avoid the drawish Berlin Defense in the Ruy Lopez. White can also play b4 and a4, chasing the black bishop and staking out space on the queenside. Despite its slow, drawish reputation, this variation became more popular after being taken up by John Nunn in the 1980s. The common move orders are 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 (ECO C54), and transposition from the Bishop’s Opening: 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 Nc6 4.Nf3 Bc5 5.c3 or 5.0-0 d6 6.c3.

If White plays Nc3 instead of c3, usually via 4…Nf6 5.Nc3, this leads to the hypersymmetrical Italian Four Knights Variation.^[29]

In the Evans Gambit (4.b4), White sacrifices a pawn for quick development and attacking chances. The main line continues 4…Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 (5…Be7 is a sound alternative) 6.d4, and now Black’s main options are 6…d6 and 6…exd4. Perhaps the most famous game in the Evans Gambit is the Evergreen Game, a spectacular win by Adolf Anderssen against Jean Dufresne, probably played in Berlin in 1852.

• 4.Nc3 may transpose to the Italian Four Knights Variation after 4…Nf6 5.d3.
• 4.0-0 Nf6 can continue with 5.d3, transposing to the Giuoco Pianissimo; 5.d4, the Deutz Gambit or 5.c3, the Albin Gambit.
• 4.0-0 d6 usually transposes to the Giuoco Pianissimo with 5.d3 (or 5.c3 Nf6 6.d3) or into a line of the Albin Gambit with 5.c3 Nf6 6.d4.
• 4.c3 d6 most often continues 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb6 (6…Bb4+ is playable but inferior), the La Bourdonnais Variation, a line which can also be reached from the Scotch Gambit via 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.c3 d6 6.cxd4 Bb6. In this line, Black yields the center to White but has reasonably developed pieces.
• 4.c3 Bb6 tends to transpose to the Closed Variation after 5.d4 Qe7 or the 4…d6 line after 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 d6.
• 4.d3 f5 is the not-so-quiet Lucchini Gambit; there can follow 5.Ng5 f4, the Dubois Variation.^[30]

Codes from the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings are:

• C50 Italian Game, includes Giuoco Piano lines other than 4.c3 and 4.b4
• C51 Evans Gambit
• C52 Evans Gambit, with 4…Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5
• C53 Giuoco Piano, 4.c3, without 4…Nf6
• C54 Giuoco Piano, 4.c3 Nf6
  • includes other than 5.d4 and 5.d3
  • 5.d4 exd4, without 6.cxd4
  • 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4
  • 5.d3

• Botterill, George (1986). Open Gambits. Batsford. ISBN 0-7134-5085-1.
• Bronstein, David (1991). 200 Open Games. Dover Publications (Reprint). ISBN 0-486-26857-8.
• Emms, John (2006). Discovering Chess Openings: Building Opening Skills from Basic Principles. London: Everyman Chess. ISBN 978-1-85744-419-3.
• Gufeld, Eduard; Stetsko, Oleg (1996). The Giuoco Piano. Batsford. ISBN 978-0-7134-7802-0.
• Harding, Tim; Botterill, G. S. (1977). The Italian Game. B. T. Batsford Ltd. ISBN 0-7134-3261-6.
• Hoffmann, Louis (1900). The Games of Greco. George Routledge and Sons.
• Hooper, David; Whyld, Kenneth (1996) [First pub. 1992]. The Oxford Companion to Chess (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-280049-3.
• Kaufman, Larry (2004). The Chess Advantage in Black and White. McKay Chess Library. ISBN 0-8129-3571-3.
• Kravtsiv, Martyn (2025). PCO: Practical Chess Openings. Gambit Publications. ISBN 9781805041047.
• Marović, D.; Sušić, I. (1975). King Pawn Openings. Chess Digest.
• Moret, Vincent (2016). My First Chess Opening Repertoire for White: A Turn-key Package for Ambitious Beginners. New In Chess. ISBN 978-90-5691-633-6.
• Pinski, Jan (2005). Italian Game and Evans Gambit. Everyman Chess. ISBN 978-1-85744-373-8.
• Regis, David. Four opening systems to start with: A repertoire for young players from 8 to 80 (PDF).
• Soltis, Andrew (1992). Winning with the Giuoco Piano and the Max Lange Attack. Chess Digest. ISBN 0-87568-201-4.
• Souleidis, Georgios; Müller, Karsten (2017). Winning with the Slow (but Venomous!) Italian: An Easy-to-Grasp Chess Opening for White. New In Chess. ISBN 978-90-5691-674-9.
• van der Sterren, Paul (2009). Fundamental Chess Openings. Gambit Publications. ISBN 978-1906454135.

• Giuoco Piano Game on Chess.com
• “The Italian Game for beginners” Exeter Chess Club (UK)
• Italian Game: Giuoco Piano on lichess.org