Caissa Codex
C51

Italian Game: Evans Gambit 9. Nc3 Bg4

Chess diagram: Italian Game: Evans Gambit after 9…Bg4

Type a move and press Enter: e4, Nf3, O-O, or from and to squares like g1f3 (e7e8q to promote). The board is also played with the mouse.

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Statistics from Lichess

14,009 games: White 46.7% / Draw 3.6% / Black 49.8%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
3,0003,000
2,6822,682
2,0822,082
1,9811,981
1,2251,225
758758
359359
352352

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.22 The position is about equal

Best play: 10. Bb5 Bd7 11. Nd5 Nce7 12. Bc4 Nxd5 13. Bxd5 Ne7 14. Bxb7 Rb8

Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.

Overview

Italian Game: Evans Gambit (ECO C51, Open Games) is a gambit in the Italian Game: Evans Gambit, McDonnell Defense, Main Line, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O d6 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. Nc3 Bg4 (9 moves).

In 14,009 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.7%, Black 49.8% and 3.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 10. h3, in 21% of those games.

It continues into one named variation, Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Fraser Attack. In all, 3 named lines continue from it.

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How to answer 9…Bg4

10. Bb5 scores best for White: 62.1%, with White winning 60.1% and Black 35.8% of 2,082 games. The most played, 10. h3, scores 46.2% in 3,000 games, and 10. Bxf7+ scores lowest: 37.6%. Stockfish's first choice is also 10. Bb5.

Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White'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)

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 9. Nc3 Bg4, the position after Italian Game: Evans Gambit, McDonnell Defense, Main Line also goes on to:

Transpositions

This position is also reached from these lines, by another move order:

All 3 named lines that continue from here

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Italian Game: Evans Gambit (C51)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/italian-game-evans-gambit-3

https://chesscodex.org/openings/italian-game-evans-gambit-3