Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo 7. Re1 Ba7
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Statistics from Lichess
8,854 games: White 45.4% / Draw 6.1% / Black 48.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 2,0462,046 | ||
| 2,0282,028 | ||
| 1,6681,668 | ||
| 1,3061,306 | ||
| 760760 | ||
| 457457 | ||
| 325325 | ||
| 175175 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 13, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.20 The position is about equal
Best play: 8. a4 h6 9. Nbd2 O-O 10. h3 Re8 11. b4 Be6 12. Bxe6 Rxe6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo (ECO C54, Open Games) is a variation of the Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. c3 a6 7. Re1 Ba7 (7 moves).
In 8,854 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 45.4%, Black 48.5% and 6.1% were drawn. White's most played move here is 8. Nbd2, in 23% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 7…Ba7
8. Bb3 scores best for White: 52.4%, with White winning 49.4% and Black 44.5% of 2,028 games. The most played, 8. Nbd2, scores 48.7% in 2,046 games, and 8. d4 scores lowest: 41.8%. Stockfish's first choice is 8. a4.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo (C54)”. Lichess data as of 13 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/italian-game-classical-variation-giuoco-pianissimo-12