Tree path 4 levels King's Pawn Game › King's Knight Opening › Normal Variation › Italian Game
- Chess Codex
- King's Pawn Game C20
- King's Knight Opening C40
- Normal Variation C44
- Italian Game C50 you are here
Italian Game
Overview
Italian Game is a named branch in the Open Games group of chess theory, classified under ECO C50.
The Open Games group covers open games — classical 1.e4 e5 openings where both sides contest the centre directly with pawns.
Play reaches this position via 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4, after 5 plies of opening development.
In the opening tree, this line branches off from King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation, part of the broader King's Pawn Game system.
7 distinct sub-variations branch from this opening; prominent examples include Anti-Fried Liver Defense, Blackburne-Kostić Gambit, Giuoco Piano, and others.
This is a deep theory tree with 177 total sub-variations across all depths — one of the larger branches in chess theory.
Use the board to walk through every move, check how the position has scored on Lichess, or take it head-to-head against Stockfish.
- ECO code
- C50
- Group
- Open Games (C)
- Plies
- 5
- Direct variations
- 7
- Total in subtree
- 177
This overview is generated automatically from the opening's metadata. Know this line well? Write a description — submissions are reviewed before publishing.
Statistics from Lichess
102,814,089 games · White 50.1% / Draw 4.4% / Black 45.5%
| Moves | Games | W / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Bc5 | 38,846,257 | |
| Nf6 | 31,719,633 | |
| h6 | 11,015,837 | |
| d6 | 6,584,397 | |
| Be7 | 5,460,978 | |
| Nd4 | 4,334,330 | |
| f5 | 2,485,586 | |
| Qf6 | 401,785 |
Source: Lichess Opening Explorer · cached 2026-09-25 19:55:16
Write a description
Markdown supported (headings ###, bold, lists, links).
Submissions are reviewed before publishing.
Variations (7)
Show all 177 sub-variations (full subtree)
Loading sub-variations…