Tree path 7 levels King's Pawn Game › King's Knight Opening › Normal Variation › Italian Game › Two Knights Defense › Four Knights Game: Italian Variation › Italian Game: Two Knights Defense
- Chess Codex
- King's Pawn Game C20
- King's Knight Opening C40
- Normal Variation C44
- Italian Game C50
- Two Knights Defense C55
- Four Knights Game: Italian Variation C47
- Italian Game: Two Knights Defense C55 you are here
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense
Overview
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense is a named branch in the Open Games group of chess theory, classified under ECO C55.
The Open Games group covers open games — classical 1.e4 e5 openings where both sides contest the centre directly with pawns.
The line arises from 10 plies — specifically the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nxe4 5. Nxe4 d5.
In the opening tree, this line branches off from Four Knights Game: Italian Variation, part of the broader King's Pawn Game system.
Use the board to walk through every move, check how the position has scored on Lichess, or take it head-to-head against Stockfish.
- ECO code
- C55
- Group
- Open Games (C)
- Plies
- 10
This overview is generated automatically from the opening's metadata. Know this line well? Write a description — submissions are reviewed before publishing.
Statistics from Lichess
1,317,522 games · White 35.9% / Draw 4.8% / Black 59.3%
| Moves | Games | W / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Bxd5 | 650,574 | |
| Bd3 | 333,608 | |
| Bb5 | 159,779 | |
| Bb3 | 39,685 | |
| Qe2 | 38,041 | |
| Nf6+ | 19,218 | |
| Nxe5 | 17,748 | |
| Nc3 | 12,721 |
Source: Lichess Opening Explorer · cached 2026-09-26 02:18:07
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Submissions are reviewed before publishing.