Tree path 7 levels King's Pawn Game › King's Knight Opening › Normal Variation › Italian Game › Two Knights Defense › Knight Attack › Normal Variation
- Caissa Codex
- King's Pawn Game C20
- King's Knight Opening C40
- Normal Variation C44
- Italian Game C50
- Two Knights Defense C55
- Knight Attack C57
- Normal Variation C57 you are here
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Knight Attack, Normal Variation
Overview
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Knight Attack, Normal Variation is a named branch in the Open Games group of chess theory, classified under ECO C57.
The Open Games group covers open games — classical 1.e4 e5 openings where both sides contest the centre directly with pawns.
Play reaches this position via 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5, after 8 plies of opening development.
In the opening tree, this line branches off from Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Knight Attack, part of the broader King's Pawn Game system.
6 distinct sub-variations branch from this opening; prominent examples include Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Fried Liver Attack, Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Fritz Variation, Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Kloss Gambit, and others.
In total, the branch covers 23 sub-variations across all depths.
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
- C57
- Group
- Open Games (C)
- Plies
- 8
- Direct variations
- 6
- Total in subtree
- 23
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
8,148,419 games · White 50.5% / Draw 3.7% / Black 45.8%
| Moves | Games | W / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| exd5 | 8,068,865 | |
| Nxf7 | 40,537 | |
| Bxd5 | 21,632 | |
| Bb3 | 8,996 | |
| Bb5 | 6,344 | |
| Bd3 | 801 | |
| d4 | 296 | |
| d3 | 224 |
Source: Lichess Opening Explorer · cached 2026-09-26 01:53:08
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Variations (6)
- C57 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Fried Liver Attack
- C57 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Fritz Variation
- C57 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Kloss Gambit
- C57 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Lolli Attack
- C58 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense
- C57 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Ulvestad Variation
Show all 23 sub-variations (full subtree)
- C57 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Fried Liver Attack 11-ply
- C57 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Fritz Variation 10-ply
- C57 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Kloss Gambit 10-ply
- C57 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Lolli Attack 11-ply
- C58 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense 10-ply
- C57 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Ulvestad Variation 10-ply
- C57 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Fegatello Attack, Leonhardt Variation 22-ply
- C57 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Fritz, Gruber Variation 15-ply
- C57 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Pincus Variation 12-ply
- C58 Bishop Check Line 11-ply
- C58 Kieseritzky Variation 11-ply
- C57 Kurkin Gambit 13-ply
- C58 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense 15-ply
- C58 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Maróczy Variation 18-ply
- C58 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Bogoljubow Variation 15-ply
- C58 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Yankovich Variation 19-ply
- C58 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Blackburne Variation 16-ply
- C58 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Colman Variation 16-ply
- C58 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Paoli Variation 17-ply
- C59 Polerio Defense, Suhle Defense 16-ply
- C59 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Knorre Variation 23-ply
- C59 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Göring Variation 20-ply
- C59 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Steinitz Variation 17-ply