As Black
Giuoco Piano (as Black)
The Giuoco Piano (as Black) is a chess opening for Black that starts with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5.
The classical answer to the Italian: the bishop on c5 eyes f2 just as White eyes f7. Sound, natural play, ideal for learning the principles.
Reviewed on November 6, 2026 · Prepared by Josep Serrano Ballestero
Basic · Elo 400 – 600
Opponent's mistake · 4.Ng5
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Ng5 Qxg5 5.d4 Qxg2
Opponent's mistake · 6.Qf3
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Ng5 O-O 6.Qf3 d5 7.exd5 Nd4 8.Qd3 Bf5 9.Qg3 Nxc2+ 10.Kd1 Nxa1
Opponent's mistake · 6.Nxf7
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 Nf6 5.Ng5 O-O 6.Nxf7 Rxf7 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7
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 Nxe4
Giuoco Pianissimo · 4...Nf6 5.Bg5
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 Nf6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 Qxf6 7.Nc3 Ne7
Giuoco Pianissimo · 5...d6 6.Nc3
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.Nc3 Bg4 7.h3 Bxf3
4...Nf6 5.Ng5
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.Ng5 O-O 6.d3 h6
5...d6 6.Bg5
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 g5
Giuoco Pianissimo · 5...O-O 6.O-O
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 Nf6 5.Ng5 O-O 6.O-O h6 7.Nf3 Re8
Intermediate · Elo 800 – 1000
Opponent's mistake · 4.Ng5
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Ng5 Qxg5 5.d4 Qxg2
Opponent's mistake · 6.Qf3
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Ng5 O-O 6.Qf3 d5 7.exd5 Nd4 8.Qd3 Bf5 9.Qg3 Nxc2+ 10.Kd1 Nxa1
Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Traditional Line
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+ Kf8 11.Qxb4+ Qe7 12.Qxe7+ Kxe7 13.O-O Kd8
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 Nxe4 8.O-O Bxc3
Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Modern Line
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.e5 d5 7.Bb5 Ne4 8.cxd4 Bb4+ 9.Bd2 Nxd2 10.Nbxd2 O-O 11.O-O Ne7
Classical Variation, Albin Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.c3 O-O 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 Be7 8.e5 Ne8
Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo, Albin Variation
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.b4 Bb6 7.a4 a5 8.b5 Ne7
Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c3 Bg4 7.h3 Bh5
Giuoco Pianissimo
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 Nf6 5.Ng5 O-O 6.O-O h6 7.Nf3 Re8 8.Nc3 Na5
5...d6 6.Bg5
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 g5 8.Bg3 O-O
Advanced · Elo 1200 – 1400
Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Traditional Line
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+ Kf8 11.Qxb4+ Qe7 12.Qxe7+ Kxe7 13.O-O Kd8 14.Re1 Nf6 15.Nc3 d6
Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Modern Line · 8...Bb4+ 9.Bd2
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.e5 d5 7.Bb5 Ne4 8.cxd4 Bb4+ 9.Bd2 Nxd2 10.Nbxd2 O-O 11.O-O Ne7 12.a3 Ba5 13.b4 Bb6
Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Modern Line · 8...Bb4+ 9.Nbd2
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.e5 d5 7.Bb5 Ne4 8.cxd4 Bb4+ 9.Nbd2 O-O
Classical Variation, Albin Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.c3 O-O 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 Be7 8.e5 Ne8 9.d5 Na5 10.Bd3 d6 11.b4 dxe5 12.bxa5 e4 13.Bxe4 Bf6 14.Nd4 c5
Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.e5 d5 7.exf6 dxc4 8.fxg7 Rg8 9.Re1+ Be6 10.Ng5 Qd5
Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Long Variation
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.e5 d5 7.exf6 dxc4 8.Re1+ Be6 9.Ng5 Qd5
Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo · 4...Nf6 5.c3
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 Nf6 5.c3 d6 6.O-O Bg4 7.Nbd2 a5
Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo · 5...d6 6.Bb3
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.Bb3 Bg4 7.Nbd2 a5 8.h3 Be6
Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo · 5...d6 6.O-O
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.O-O Bg4 7.Nbd2 a5 8.Re1 h6
Giuoco Pianissimo, Canal Variation
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 a6 8.Nd5 g5
Frequently asked questions
Is the Giuoco Piano (as Black) good for beginners?
Yes. On OpeningCraft you learn it in these levels: Basic (Elo 400 – 600), Intermediate (Elo 800 – 1000), Advanced (Elo 1200 – 1400). It suits players who prefer long-term plans and pawn structure.
What traps are there in the Giuoco Piano (as Black)?
OpeningCraft teaches 3 traps and opponent mistakes in this opening, for example: Opponent's mistake (4.Ng5); Opponent's mistake (6.Qf3); Opponent's mistake (6.Nxf7).
How many lines of the Giuoco Piano (as Black) do you need to learn?
OpeningCraft teaches 27, in blocks of 5. They come from real Lichess games at each rating band, and the traps and opponent mistakes most common at your level come first.