Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo 7. a4 Ba7
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Statistics from Lichess
49,564 games: White 45.1% / Draw 6.1% / Black 48.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 12,61213K | ||
| 12,44212K | ||
| 7,1207,120 | ||
| 3,9053,905 | ||
| 3,7153,715 | ||
| 3,2113,211 | ||
| 2,3932,393 | ||
| 2,0382,038 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.21 The position is about equal
Best play: 8. h3 O-O 9. Re1 h6 10. Nbd2 Re8 11. Qb3 Qe7 12. a5 Rb8
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. a4 Ba7 (7 moves).
In 49,564 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 45.1%, Black 48.8% and 6.1% were drawn. White's most played move here is 8. Re1, in 25% 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. Be3 scores best for White: 50.8%, with White winning 47.5% and Black 45.9% of 3,715 games. The most played, 8. Re1, scores 49.1% in 13K games, and 8. h3 scores lowest: 45.0%. Stockfish's first choice is 8. h3.
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 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/italian-game-classical-variation-giuoco-pianissimo-13