Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo 6…a6 7. Re1
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Statistics from Lichess
14,426 games: White 47.2% / Draw 5.2% / Black 47.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 5,3115,311 | ||
| 2,5222,522 | ||
| 2,1492,149 | ||
| 1,4461,446 | ||
| 872872 | ||
| 669669 | ||
| 575575 | ||
| 451451 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.22 The position is about equal
Best play: 7... Ba7 8. a4 Ng4 9. Rf1 Nf6 10. h3 O-O 11. Re1 Re8 12. Nbd2
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 (7 moves).
In 14,426 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.2%, Black 47.6% and 5.2% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 7…Ba7, in 37% of those games.
It continues into one named variation.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 7. Re1
The most played answer, 7…Ba7, also scores best for Black: 52.5%, with Black winning 49.5% and White 44.6% of 5,311 games. Of the main answers, 7…Na5 scores lowest: 46.5%. Stockfish's first choice is also 7…Ba7.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black'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)
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-7