Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal
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Statistics from Lichess
9,253,958 games: White 48.9% / Draw 4.7% / Black 46.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 2,420,7062.4M | ||
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo | 2,225,7532.2M | |
| 1,224,3811.2M | ||
| Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Italian Four Knights Variation | 1,055,8991.1M | |
| 746,204746K | ||
| 568,159568K | ||
| 508,184508K | ||
| 242,229242K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 8, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.15 The position is about equal
Best play: 5. c3 O-O 6. O-O d6 7. h3 h6 8. Nbd2 Bb6 9. Re1 Ne7
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: Black scores 48% under 1400, 49% at 2200 and up and 46% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 7M | |
| 1400–1799 | 9.4M | |
| 1800–2199 | 4.3M | |
| 2200 and up | 609K | |
| Masters, over the board | 12K |
Master games
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Carlsen, M.
- Caruana, F. – Carlsen, M.
- Carlsen, M. – Erigaisi, A.
- Carlsen, M. – So, W.
- Caruana, F. – Carlsen, M.
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 26, 2026
Overview
Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal (ECO C50, Open Games) is a variation of the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 (4 moves).
In 9,253,958 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.9%, Black 46.4% and 4.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. O-O, in 26% 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, Normal
5. c3 (Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo) scores best for White: 53.2%, with White winning 50.9% and Black 44.6% of 2.2M games. The most played, 5. O-O, scores 51.0% in 2.4M games, and 5. Ng5 scores lowest: 44.8%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5. c3.
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
Popularity by year
The Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal has gained ground since 2016: 0.37% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.27%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.27% | 97,263 |
| 2017 | 0.29% | 161,930 |
| 2018 | 0.29% | 231,618 |
| 2019 | 0.3% | 373,379 |
| 2020 | 0.35% | 1,016,434 |
| 2021 | 0.37% | 1,447,135 |
| 2022 | 0.37% | 1,403,309 |
| 2023 | 0.36% | 1,372,474 |
| 2024 | 0.37% | 1,335,784 |
| 2025 | 0.37% | 1,274,827 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.37% | 402,206 |
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal (C50)”. Lichess data as of 8 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/italian-game-giuoco-pianissimo-normal