Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo 6…a6 7. a4
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Statistics from Lichess
105,461 games: White 47.8% / Draw 5.6% / Black 46.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 38,58739K | ||
| 21,34621K | ||
| 18,35718K | ||
| 15,24215K | ||
| 6,1626,162 | ||
| 1,3051,305 | ||
| 1,0061,006 | ||
| 701701 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.22 The position is about equal
Best play: 7... Ba7 8. Re1 O-O 9. h3 Be6 10. Bxe6 fxe6 11. b4 h6 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. a4 (7 moves).
In 105,461 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.8%, Black 46.6% and 5.6% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 7…Ba7, in 37% of those games.
It branches into 2 named variations.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 7. a4
The most played answer, 7…Ba7, also scores best for Black: 51.8%, with Black winning 48.8% and White 45.1% of 39K games. Of the main answers, 7…Be6 scores lowest: 45.8%. 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 (2)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo (C54)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/italian-game-classical-variation-giuoco-pianissimo-8