Italian Game: Giuoco Piano

The Giuoco Piano (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5) is the main line of the Italian Game. The name is Italian for "quiet game". Both sides develop their bishops to c4 and c5, where they aim at the f7- and f2-pawns, each protected only by the king.

Origins

It is one of the oldest recorded openings. The Portuguese writer Pedro Damiano recorded games with it at the beginning of the 16th century, and in the early 17th century the Italian player Gioachino Greco developed the main line 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+, always answering 3...Bc5 with 4.c3. The sharp Møller Attack in that line dates from 1898. In the 1981 World Championship match against Viktor Korchnoi, Anatoly Karpov used the modern slow set-up with c3 and d3.

The idea

White usually plays c3 to prepare d4 and build a big pawn centre, while Black's bishop on c5 and knight on f6 put pressure on e4 and d4. The choice is between opening the centre at once with d4 and a slow build-up with d3.

Main lines

• Classical Variation 4.c3:
  • 4...Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+, the old main line, with 7.Nc3 (Greco's Attack) or 7.Kf1 (Cracow Variation);
  • 4...Nf6 5.d3, the modern slow line, dominant since the 1980s.
• Giuoco Pianissimo 4.d3: White protects e4 and plays for a long manoeuvring game.
• Evans Gambit 4.b4: a pawn sacrifice to gain time for c3 and d4.

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths

• Natural development, easy to learn.
• The slow lines give rich positions with little forced theory.
• The open lines with d4 lead to sharp tactical play that White can steer.

Weaknesses

• The old open lines are well analysed, and Black equalises with accurate play.
• The slow lines give White only a small edge, and the play can become symmetrical.

Who should play it

The Giuoco Piano suits beginners learning how to develop and fight for the centre, and positional players who like long manoeuvring games with the d3 set-up. For Black it is a principled, active answer to the Italian.

The numbers

On Lichess the results are almost identical at every level: White wins 47.6–49.4% and Black 45.7–46.9%, with draws growing from 3.7% under 1400 to 6.7% from 2200 up. In master games over the board, half the games are drawn (50.2%); White wins 27.4% and Black 22.3%.