Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo 6…h6 7. Nbd2
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Statistics from Lichess
154,130 games: White 51.7% / Draw 4.7% / Black 43.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 58,61659K | ||
| 41,65942K | ||
| 20,39220K | ||
| 12,30412K | ||
| 4,6314,631 | ||
| 4,3744,374 | ||
| 3,9933,993 | ||
| 2,5942,594 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.21 The position is about equal
Best play: 7... a6 8. Re1 O-O 9. a4 Be6 10. Bxe6 fxe6 11. b4 Ba7 12. h3
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, with h6, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. c3 h6 7. Nbd2 (7 moves).
In 154,130 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.7%, Black 43.6% and 4.7% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 7…O-O, in 38% 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. Nbd2
7…a6 scores best for Black: 47.7%, with Black winning 45.2% and White 49.9% of 20K games. The most played, 7…O-O, scores 46.4% in 59K games, and 7…Bg4 scores lowest: 43.8%. Stockfish's first choice is also 7…a6.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo (C54)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/italian-game-classical-variation-giuoco-pianissimo-9