As White

Italian Game (Giuoco Piano)

The Italian Game (Giuoco Piano) is a chess opening for White that starts with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4.

Quick development with the bishop aiming at f7, Black's weak spot. White prepares c3 and d4 to dominate the centre.

Reviewed on November 6, 2026 · Prepared by Josep Serrano Ballestero

Basic · Elo 400 – 600

Train this level

  1. Deadly mate · 6...b6

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Nxd4 6.Qxd4 b6 7.Qd5 c6 8.Qxf7#

  2. Opponent's mistake · 7...Bg4

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.O-O O-O 6.c3 d6 7.a4 Bg4 8.b4 Bb6 9.a5 Bxf2+ 10.Rxf2

  3. Opponent's mistake · 5...Bc5

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bc5 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qd5+ Be6 10.Nxe6

  4. Opponent's mistake · 6...Bxd4

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bxd4 7.Nxd4 Nxd4 8.Qxd4

  5. Opponent's mistake · 6...Nxd4

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 d6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Nxd4 7.Nxd4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4

  6. Opponent's mistake · 5...h6

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 d6 5.Ng5 h6 6.Nxf7 Qe7 7.Nxh8

  7. Classical Variation

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 Nxe4 9.O-O

  8. Anti-Fried Liver Defense

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Nxd4 6.Qxd4 d6 7.O-O Nf6 8.e5

  9. Classical Variation, La Bourdonnais Variation

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

  10. Two Knights Defense · 6.O-O Be6

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.O-O Be6 7.Re1

  11. Two Knights Defense · 6.O-O Bc5

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.O-O Bc5 7.Re1

  12. Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.O-O O-O 6.c3 d5 7.exd5

Intermediate · Elo 800 – 1000

Train this level

  1. Deadly mate · 6...b6

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Nxd4 6.Qxd4 b6 7.Qd5 c6 8.Qxf7#

  2. Opponent's mistake · 5...Bc5

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bc5 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qd5+ Be6 10.Nxe6

  3. Opponent's mistake · 6...Bxd4

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bxd4 7.Nxd4 Nxd4 8.Qxd4

  4. Opponent's mistake · 6...Nxd4

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 d6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Nxd4 7.Nxd4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4

  5. Opponent's mistake · 5...h6

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 d6 5.Ng5 h6 6.Nxf7 Qe7 7.Nxh8

  6. Anti-Fried Liver Defense · 6.Qxd4 Nf6

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Nxd4 6.Qxd4 Nf6 7.e5 Qe7 8.O-O

  7. Anti-Fried Liver Defense · 6.Qxd4 d6

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Nxd4 6.Qxd4 d6 7.O-O Nf6 8.e5

  8. Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Main Line

    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

  9. Giuoco Piano

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 d6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Bg4 8.O-O

  10. Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo · 6.c3 d5

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.O-O O-O 6.c3 d5 7.exd5 Nxd5 8.Re1 Re8 9.d4

  11. Classical Variation

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3

  12. Classical Variation, La Bourdonnais Variation

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 d6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb6 7.O-O Bg4 8.Be3

  13. Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo · 6.c3 d6

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.O-O O-O 6.c3 d6 7.h3 Be6 8.Bb5

Advanced · Elo 1200 – 1400

Train this level

  1. Opponent's mistake · 6...Bb6

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb6 7.d5 Ne7 8.e5 Ng4 9.d6 cxd6 10.exd6 Bxf2+ 11.Kf1 Nf5 12.Qd3 Qf6 13.Qe4+ Kf8 14.Qxg4

  2. Opponent's mistake · 8...Ne7

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 d6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb6 7.O-O Bg4 8.Bb5 Ne7 9.d5 a6 10.Ba4 O-O 11.dxc6 bxc6 12.h3

  3. Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Main Line · 9.d5 Ne5

    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 Ne5 10.bxc3 Nxc4 11.Qd4 Ncd6 12.Qxg7 Qf6 13.Qxf6 Nxf6 14.Re1+ Kf8 15.Bh6+

  4. Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Greco 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 Bxa1 11.Re1+ Ne7 12.Bxe7 Qxe7 13.Rxe7+

  5. Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Main Line · 9.d5 Bf6

    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 h6 14.Qa4+ Bd7 15.Qb3

  6. Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Main Line · 9.d5 Na5

    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 Na5 10.Bd3 O-O 11.Bxe4 Bf6 12.Rb1

  7. Classical Variation, La Bourdonnais Variation

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 d6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb6 7.O-O h6 8.Nc3 Nge7 9.Be3

  8. Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.O-O O-O 6.c3 d5 7.exd5 Nxd5 8.Re1 Bg4 9.h3

  9. Classical Variation

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 O-O 8.e5 Ne4 9.O-O

  10. Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo, with h6

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.O-O h6 6.c3 d6 7.h3 O-O 8.Re1 Be6 9.Bb5

  11. Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening · 4.d3 Be7

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Be7 5.O-O d6 6.h3 O-O 7.c3 Be6 8.Bb5

  12. Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening · 4.d3 h6

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 h6 5.O-O d6 6.c3 Be7 7.h3

Frequently asked questions

Is the Italian Game (Giuoco Piano) 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 like attacks, gambits and open positions.

What traps are there in the Italian Game (Giuoco Piano)?

OpeningCraft teaches 8 traps and opponent mistakes in this opening, for example: Deadly mate (6...b6); Opponent's mistake (7...Bg4); Opponent's mistake (5...Bc5).

How many lines of the Italian Game (Giuoco Piano) do you need to learn?

OpeningCraft teaches 31, 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.

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