Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Sokolsky Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
356 games: White 46.9% / Draw 2.5% / Black 50.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 160160 | ||
| 110110 | ||
| 5454 | ||
| 3131 | ||
| 11 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.81 Black is better
Best play: 7... Nge7 8. O-O Bb6 9. a4 Na5 10. Ba2 h6 11. Be3 Ng6 12. Nbd2
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Sokolsky Variation (ECO C52, Open Games) is a gambit in the Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Bronstein Defense, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 d6 7. Bg5 (7 moves).
In 356 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.9%, Black 50.6% and 2.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 7…Nf6, in 45% 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: Evans Gambit, Sokolsky Variation
The most played answer, 7…Nf6, also scores best for Black: 51.6%, with Black winning 49.4% and White 46.3% of 160 games. Of the main answers, 7…f6 scores lowest: 48.6%. Stockfish's first choice is 7…Nge7.
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: Evans Gambit, Sokolsky Variation (C52)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/italian-game-evans-gambit-sokolsky-variation