Caissa Codex
C51

Italian Game: Evans Gambit Declined, Lange Variation

Chess diagram: Italian Game: Evans Gambit Declined, Lange Variation after 6…Nh6

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

2,917 games: White 38.9% / Draw 3.5% / Black 57.6%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
1,5771,577
700700
132132
102102
8888
8080
4545
4040

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 9, 2026

Engine evaluation

−0.22 The position is about equal

Best play: 7. Be2 Bd4 8. Nc4 Bxa1 9. Nxa5 Bf6 10. Nc3 b6 11. Nc4 a6

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

Overview

Italian Game: Evans Gambit Declined, Lange Variation (ECO C51, Open Games) is a declined gambit in the Italian Game: Evans Gambit Declined, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bb6 5. b5 Na5 6. Nxe5 Nh6 (6 moves).

In 2,917 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 38.9%, Black 57.6% and 3.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. d4, in 54% of those games.

It continues into one named variation, Italian Game: Evans Gambit Declined, Pavlov Variation.

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How to play against the Italian Game: Evans Gambit Declined, Lange Variation

The most played answer, 7. d4, also scores best for White: 42.2%, with White winning 40.3% and Black 55.9% of 1,577 games. Of the main answers, 7. d3 scores lowest: 37.9%. Stockfish's first choice is 7. Be2.

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 5. b5 Na5 6. Nxe5 Nh6, the position after Italian Game: Evans Gambit Declined also goes on to:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Italian Game: Evans Gambit Declined, Lange Variation (C51)”. Lichess data as of 9 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/italian-game-evans-gambit-declined-lange-variation

https://chesscodex.org/openings/italian-game-evans-gambit-declined-lange-variation