Italian Game: Two Knights Defense 7. Bg5 d6
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Statistics from Lichess
47,626 games: White 44.3% / Draw 6.6% / Black 49.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 41,03341K | ||
| 3,1293,129 | ||
| 2,3362,336 | ||
| 520520 | ||
| 233233 | ||
| 122122 | ||
| 7373 | ||
| 6969 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
0.00 The position is about equal
Best play: 8. f4 c6 9. Nd2 exf4 10. Rxf4 Qb6 11. Rf2 Ng4 12. Bxf7+ Kf8
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense (ECO C55, Open Games) is a variation of the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. O-O Bc5 5. d4 Bxd4 6. Nxd4 Nxd4 7. Bg5 d6 (7 moves).
In 47,626 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 44.3%, Black 49.0% and 6.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 8. f4, in 86% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Holzhausen Attack.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 7…d6
The most played answer, 8. f4, also scores best for White: 48.7%, with White winning 45.3% and Black 47.9% of 41K games. Of the main answers, 8. Nc3 scores lowest: 45.7%. Stockfish's first choice is also 8. f4.
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
Variations (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Italian Game: Two Knights Defense (C55)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/italian-game-two-knights-defense-3