Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Stone-Ware Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
157,670 games: White 49.2% / Draw 3.6% / Black 47.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 124,761125K | ||
| 22,51523K | ||
| 8,8068,806 | ||
| 728728 | ||
| 269269 | ||
| 141141 | ||
| 130130 | ||
| 9595 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.39 White is slightly better
Best play: 6. d4 Nf6 7. O-O O-O 8. Re1 h6 9. Nbd2 a6 10. Bf1 Re8
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Stone-Ware Variation (ECO C51, Open Games) is a gambit in the Italian Game: Evans Gambit Accepted, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bd6 (5 moves).
In 157,670 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.2%, Black 47.2% and 3.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. d4, in 79% 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, Stone-Ware Variation
6. O-O scores best for White: 51.8%, with White winning 50.1% and Black 46.5% of 23K games. The most played, 6. d4, scores 51.2% in 125K games, and 6. Qb3 scores lowest: 48.4%. Stockfish's first choice is 6. d4.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Stone-Ware Variation (C51)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/italian-game-evans-gambit-stone-ware-variation