Caissa Codex
C56

Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Anderssen Attack, Main Line

Chess diagram: Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Anderssen Attack, Main Line after 11. Bg5

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Statistics from Lichess

5,157 games: White 47.0% / Draw 11.6% / Black 41.4%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
1,7961,796
1,3031,303
1,2311,231
406406
216216
104104
5353
1515

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026

Engine evaluation

0.00 The position is about equal

Best play: 11... Bd6 12. Bf6 O-O 13. Nxd4 Nxd4 14. Qxd4 Qxd4 15. Bxd4 Bf4 16. g3

Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.

Overview

Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Anderssen Attack, Main Line (ECO C56, Open Games) is a gambit in the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Anderssen Attack, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. O-O Nxe4 6. Re1 d5 7. Bxd5 Qxd5 8. Nc3 Qa5 9. Nxe4 Be6 10. Bd2 Qd5 11. Bg5 (11 moves).

In 5,157 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.0%, Black 41.4% and 11.6% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 11…h6, in 35% of those games.

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How to play against the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Anderssen Attack, Main Line

11…Bd6 scores best for Black: 57.8%, with Black winning 47.4% and White 31.9% of 1,231 games. The most played answer, 11…h6, scores lowest: 41.2% in 1,796 games. Stockfish's first choice is also 11…Bd6.

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: Scotch Gambit, Anderssen Attack, Main Line (C56)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/italian-game-scotch-gambit-anderssen-attack-main-line

https://chesscodex.org/openings/italian-game-scotch-gambit-anderssen-attack-main-line