Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Dubov Italian
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Statistics from Lichess
107,510 games: White 52.8% / Draw 3.5% / Black 43.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 81,93782K | ||
| 16,47716K | ||
| 3,4133,413 | ||
| 2,6792,679 | ||
| 1,6081,608 | ||
| 445445 | ||
| 384384 | ||
| 284284 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.27 The position is about equal
Best play: 6... Bb6 7. a4 a6 8. a5 Ba7 9. cxd4 d5 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Dubov Italian (ECO C54, Open Games) is a gambit in the Italian Game: Classical Variation, Center Attack, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. b4 (6 moves).
In 107,510 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.8%, Black 43.7% and 3.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…Bb6, in 76% 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, Greco Gambit, Dubov Italian
6…Be7 scores best for Black: 49.4%, with Black winning 47.1% and White 48.3% of 16K games. The most played answer, 6…Bb6, scores lowest: 45.7% in 82K games. Stockfish's first choice is 6…Bb6.
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, Greco Gambit, Dubov Italian (C54)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/italian-game-classical-variation-greco-gambit-dubov-italian