Italian Game: Giuoco Piano
ECO C50 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5
The Giuoco Piano ('quiet game'), 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5, is the classic Italian. Both sides develop bishops to active diagonals, and White chooses between a central break with c3 and d4 or the slow d3 plan.
Plans for White
With 4.c3 and 5.d4 White fights for the center; after 4.d3 (Pianissimo) White maneuvers with a4, h3, Re1 and Nbd2-f1-g3.
Plans for Black
Black develops with ...Nf6, ...d6, ...O-O and ...a6 (to keep the bishop after Na4), holds e5 and looks for ...d5 when possible.
Typical pawn structures
Symmetrical e4/e5 or open center after c3-d4.
Who it suits
Beginners and classical players who want natural development and a choice between open and closed games.
Common traps
In the Møller lines after 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3, the play becomes very sharp and both sides must know the forcing lines.
Variations
- Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Cracow Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Kf1
- Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Greco's Attack — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3
- Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Rosentreter Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. O-O Bc5 5. d4 Bxd4 6. Nxd4 Nxd4 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. f4
- Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Aitken Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Nxe4 8. O-O Nxc3 9. bxc3 Bxc3 10. Ba3
- Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Holzhausen Attack — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. O-O Bc5 5. d4 Bxd4 6. Nxd4 Nxd4 7. Bg5 d6 8. f4 Qe7 9. fxe5 dxe5 10. Nc3
- Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Steinitz Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Nxe4 8. O-O Bxc3 9. bxc3 d5 10. Ba3
- Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Bernstein Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Nxe4 8. O-O Nxc3 9. bxc3 Bxc3 10. Qb3 d5
- Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Krause Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Bd2 Nxe4 8. Bxb4 Nxb4 9. Bxf7+ Kxf7 10. Qb3+ d5 11. Ne5+ Kf6 12. f3
- Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Therkatz-Herzog Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Nxe4 8. O-O Bxc3 9. d5 Bf6 10. Re1 Ne7 11. Rxe4 d6 12. Bg5 Bxg5 13. Nxg5 O-O 14. Nxh7
Related variations
- Italian Game: Two Knights Defense
- Italian Game: Evans Gambit
- Italian Game: Hungarian Defense
- Italian Game: Classical Variation
- Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo
- Italian Game: Evans Gambit Declined
- Italian Game: Scotch Gambit
- Italian Game: Anti-Fried Liver Defense
- Italian Game: Blackburne-Kostić Gambit
- Italian Game: Paris Defense
- Italian Game: Rousseau Gambit
- Italian Game: Jerome Gambit
- Italian Game: Rosentreter Gambit
- Italian Game: Evans Gambit Accepted
- Italian Game: Scotch Invitation Declined
- Italian Game: Bird's Attack
- Italian Game: Deutz Gambit