Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo, with a5
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Statistics from Lichess
22,009 games: White 50.3% / Draw 5.0% / Black 44.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 10,16310K | ||
| 5,8305,830 | ||
| 3,3583,358 | ||
| 1,6511,651 | ||
| 290290 | ||
| 219219 | ||
| 186186 | ||
| 9292 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 11, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.12 The position is about equal
Best play: 6... d6 7. Re1 O-O 8. h3 h6 9. d4 Bb6 10. Be3 exd4 11. cxd4
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, with a5 (ECO C54, Open Games) is a variation of the Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O Nf6 5. d3 a5 6. c3 (6 moves).
In 22,009 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.3%, Black 44.6% and 5.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…d6, in 46% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo, with a5
6…Ba7 scores best for Black: 49.5%, with Black winning 46.6% and White 47.7% of 1,651 games. The most played, 6…d6, scores 49.4% in 10K games, and 6…h6 scores lowest: 43.6%. Stockfish's first choice is 6…d6.
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, with a5 (C54)”. Lichess data as of 11 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/italian-game-classical-variation-giuoco-pianissimo-with-a5