Tree path 8 levels King's Pawn Game › King's Knight Opening › Normal Variation › Italian Game › Giuoco Piano › Italian Game: Evans Gambit › Italian Game: Evans Gambit Declined › Cordel Variation
Italian Game: Evans Gambit Declined, Cordel Variation
Overview
Italian Game: Evans Gambit Declined, Cordel Variation is a sacrificial opening line filed under ECO C51 in the Open Games group. The defining idea is the early concession of material to seize the initiative and unbalance the position.
The Open Games group covers open games — classical 1.e4 e5 openings where both sides contest the centre directly with pawns.
Play reaches this position via 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bb6 5. Bb2, after 9 plies of opening development.
In the opening tree, this line branches off from Italian Game: Evans Gambit Declined, part of the broader King's Pawn Game system.
Use the board to walk through every move, check how the position has scored on Lichess, or take it head-to-head against Stockfish.
- ECO code
- C51
- Group
- Open Games (C)
- Plies
- 9
This overview is generated automatically from the opening's metadata. Know this line well? Write a description — submissions are reviewed before publishing.
Statistics from Lichess
10,689 games · White 45.0% / Draw 3.7% / Black 51.3%
| Moves | Games | W / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| d6 | 8,732 | |
| Nf6 | 863 | |
| Nxb4 | 262 | |
| a6 | 261 | |
| Qf6 | 145 | |
| f6 | 130 | |
| Qe7 | 81 | |
| Nd4 | 62 |
Source: Lichess Opening Explorer · cached 2026-09-26 02:06:08
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Submissions are reviewed before publishing.