Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Canal Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
995,101 games: White 49.2% / Draw 4.4% / Black 46.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 522,575523K | ||
| 206,767207K | ||
| 130,020130K | ||
| 75,79876K | ||
| 17,28717K | ||
| 15,18615K | ||
| 8,1158,115 | ||
| 4,6034,603 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.01 The position is about equal
Best play: 6... h6 7. Bxf6 Qxf6 8. Nd5 Qd8 9. c3 Na5 10. b4 Nxc4 11. bxc5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the worse this line does for White: White scores 55% under 1400, 49% at 2200 and up and 54% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 858K | |
| 1400–1799 | 977K | |
| 1800–2199 | 485K | |
| 2200 and up | 37K | |
| Masters, over the board | 442 |
Master games
- Harikrishna, P. – Nakamura, H.
- Harikrishna, P. – Giri, A.
- Macieja, B. – Adams, M.
- Short, N. D. – Aleksandrov, A.
- Nisipeanu, L. D. – Aleksandrov, A.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Canal Variation (ECO C50, Open Games) is a variation of the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Italian Four Knights Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5 (6 moves).
In 995,101 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.2%, Black 46.4% and 4.4% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…h6, in 53% 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: Giuoco Pianissimo, Canal Variation
The most played answer, 6…h6, also scores best for Black: 51.3%, with Black winning 49.1% and White 46.4% of 523K games. Of the main answers, 6…O-O scores lowest: 35.6%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6…h6.
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
Popularity by year
The Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Canal Variation has gained ground since 2016: 0.037% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.026% (its peak: 0.042% in 2021).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.026% | 9,234 |
| 2017 | 0.03% | 16,491 |
| 2018 | 0.03% | 23,626 |
| 2019 | 0.03% | 37,211 |
| 2020 | 0.041% | 118,945 |
| 2021 | 0.042% | 164,046 |
| 2022 | 0.04% | 151,962 |
| 2023 | 0.041% | 152,793 |
| 2024 | 0.039% | 138,419 |
| 2025 | 0.037% | 129,261 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.036% | 39,454 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Canal Variation (C50)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/italian-game-giuoco-pianissimo-canal-variation