Italian Game: Classical Variation, Closed Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
165,159 games: White 43.5% / Draw 4.4% / Black 52.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 96,26396K | ||
| 31,34731K | ||
| 22,40422K | ||
| 8,4728,472 | ||
| 2,6132,613 | ||
| 1,1831,183 | ||
| 871871 | ||
| 803803 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 28, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.99 White is better
Best play: 5. d4 Bb6 6. O-O Nf6 7. b4 d6 8. h3 O-O 9. a4 a6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Italian Game: Classical Variation, Closed Variation (ECO C53, Open Games) is a variation of the Italian Game: Classical Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Qe7 (4 moves).
In 165,159 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 43.5%, Black 52.1% and 4.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. O-O, in 58% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Italian Game: Classical Variation, Center Holding Variation. In all, 4 named lines continue from it.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Italian Game: Classical Variation, Closed Variation
5. d3 scores best for White: 48.5%, with White winning 46.0% and Black 49.1% of 22K games. The most played, 5. O-O, scores 45.3% in 96K games, and 5. d4 scores lowest: 44.6%. Stockfish's first choice is 5. d4.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Variations (1)
All 4 named lines that continue from here
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Italian Game: Classical Variation, Closed Variation (C53)”. Lichess data as of 28 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/italian-game-classical-variation-closed-variation