Winning With The Italian Game
The most common continuation in the Symmetrical King’s Pawn Opening is 1. e4 e5, 2. Nf3 Nc6. At this point, White has an important decision to make. One option is 3. Bb5: the Ruy Lopez. This is White’s most popular move and tends to lead to heavily theoretical positions. However, in this article, we take a look at 3. Bc4: the Italian Game. This alternative development of the light-squared bishop is very logical and often results in open, dynamic middlegames.
In this article, we cover how to play the Italian Game with White, including:
- Why you should consider playing the Italian Game.
- How to play against Black’s main continuations.
- Where to go to learn more about this important chess opening.
Why Play The Italian Game?
A key position in the King’s Pawn Opening is 1. e4 e5, 2. Nf3 Nc6. This exact position has occurred literally millions of times in the course of chess history.
White’s third move is pivotal to how the middlegame will develop. The most popular options are:
- 3. Bb5 - the Ruy Lopez.
- 3. Bc4 - the Italian Game.
- 3. d4 - the Scotch Game.
- 3. Nc3 - the Three Knights Opening.
Related: The 10 Most Important Modern Chess Openings.
The focus of this article is 3. Bc4: the Italian Game. With this move, White develops their light-squared bishop to a powerful diagonal and prepares to castle their king.
At master level, the Italian Game has the highest percentage of White victories (39%) out of any of White’s main third moves. Also notable is the relatively low drawing percentage (28%), making it a favorite weapon for those players who are not satisfied with an equal result.
The Italian Game is practically as old as chess itself. It has been played for hundreds of years, being named for a group of Italian players from the 18th century who favored this move and the rapid piece development it represents. Chief among them were Domenico Lorenzo Ponziani, Giambatista Lolli, and Ercole del Rio.
Today, the Italian Game remains popular thanks to its reputation for fighting chess. Unlike the Ruy Lopez which contains certain lines (such as the Berlin Defense) which are very drawish, the Italian Game usually results in interesting middlegames with chances for both sides.
Let us now take a look at how the game may continue.
Ideas For White In The Italian Game
Central Expansion With c3 + d4
In the position below, the game has continued 3. …Bc5, 4. c3 d6.
Black’s third move 3. …Bc5 essentially copied White’s development plan by developing their own kingside bishop to the equivalent square. This is known as the Giuoco Piano (which is Italian for ”Quiet Game”).
The intention behind White’s next move 4. c3 was to prepare a key pawn advance in the center. Since Black played the inaccurate 4. …d6?!, White gains the opportunity to carry out their plan.
With 5. d4, White gains a strong presence in the center. Thanks to the pawn on c3, White can meet 5. …exd4 with 6. cxd4, maintaining their ideal center with pawns on both e4 and d4.
The d4 advance, supported by a pawn on c3 is highly thematic for White in the Italian Game. Notice how the positioning of Black’s dark-squared bishop on c5 means that d4 comes with tempo.
The Prophylactic h3
White may also opt for a development plan involving Nc3 and d3. This is more solid than the c3 and d4 idea shown previously. In this case, developing the light-squared bishop to c4 comes with pros and cons for White:
- On the plus side, White gets their bishop outside of the pawn chain before playing d3.
- However, the fact that White’s bishop can no longer reach e2 means that …Bg4 from Black can be rather annoying, pinning White’s kingside knight in front of the queen.
This is why, in a position such as that shown above, White may choose to prevent the …Bg4 pin via h3.
With …Bg4 prevented, Black will need to find another home for their light-squared bishop.
Trapping Black’s Dark-Squared Bishop
The below position shows an example of what can happen if Black is inattentive. It is White to move. Can you see how White can gain a decisive material advantage?
The correct sequence begins with 1. b4! Black’s bishop is attacked and has only one safe escape square, which it retreats to via 1. …Bb6. However, it is not safe there for long, as White’s next move 2. a5! traps Black’s bishop. With an extra piece, White should go on to win.
Related: Hone your tactical abilities with Chess Tactics For The Tournament Player.
Punishing The Ne4 Jump
The next position has occurred hundreds of times in practice, including in the game Hoyos Millan vs. Davydov, 1992. It occurs in a line within the Italian Game where White plays d4 without first preparing it with c3: the so-called “Italian Gambit”. Those who enjoy spicy chess may want to look more deeply into this early pawn sacrifice.
Earlier, White played 6. e5, which provoked Black into jumping forward with his knight via 6. …Ne4. However, there is a concrete refutation to Black’s play. If you are going to play the Italian Gambit with White, it is well worth knowing it by heart.
With 7. Bd5! Black’s knight suddenly finds itself short on squares. Surprisingly, Black has only one way to save the knight, which is to play 7. …f5. However, moving the f-pawn from its starting square will mean Black’s king will be unable to castle kingside, as it opens the light-squared diagonal towards g8.
White can play 8. cxd4 next, thereby recovering the pawn sacrificed earlier and will soon castle their king to safety. Meanwhile, Black’s king will remain stuck in the center for the foreseeable future. White is doing very well.
The Evans Gambit
Another interesting gambit White can try in the Italian Game is the Evans Gambit. After Black plays 3. …Bc5, White sacrifices a pawn via 4. b4!?
The Evans Gambit is seldom played at master level, but at club level it can be quite dangerous. The idea is that after Black captures 4. …Bxb4, White rapidly gets to take over the center with 5. c3 and 6. d4: which is an idea we have seen already.
Suffice to say, the Evans Gambit will lead to a very sharp, tactical dogfight. Whatever the result, it is bound to be exciting!
Related: Read more about the 4. b4 sacrifice in the book Italian Game and Evan’s Gambit.
Next Steps: How To Learn More About The Italian Game
This article has provided you with everything you need to get started with the Italian Game. However, if you intend to play this chess opening for White in serious competition, it would pay to continue your education.
Here are our top picks:
Book Recommendation
Looking for a high quality book to help guide your journey in the Italian Game? Then look no further than Justus Bargsten’s The Italian Opening For White.
This book has been written with the intermediate-level chess player in mind. You will gain a greater understanding of the thematic plans and maneuvers for both colors, so that you can confidently deploy them in your own games.
At just 122 pages, you will be up and running with the Italian Game in no time. Once you start getting practical experience from your own games, the book can also serve as a reference guide to refer back to. Refresh yourself on the most important lines as you encounter them.
Video Course Recommendation
If you prefer to learn chess in video format, then Victor Bologan’s course The Popular Italian may be right for you.
Featuring over 6 hours of expert video instruction, this course focuses more on typical middlegame ideas for both sides. After all, that is where chess games that begin with the Italian Game are typically won and lost.
The package also includes 50 model games with analysis from the author. Studying these games will help you take your knowledge of the Italian Game to even greater heights.
Summary: How To Play The Italian Game
In order to play the Italian Game successfully with the White pieces, you should:
- Enjoy open positions. The Italian Game often leads to a relatively open center. This should be the sort of chess you prefer if you are to perform strongly in this opening.
- Thrive in dynamic, unbalanced situations. The Italian Game can spring to life quite early. You should be on the lookout for tactical shots, even in the first dozen or so moves.
- Have an appetite for studying master games. Success in the Italian Game is not so much about move by move memorization. However, a large practical advantage can be obtained by those who study the games of top players. Those who commit themselves to this task will be rewarded with a greater understanding of the Italian Game.
Does that sound like a chess opening for White that would suit your playing style?
If so, then continue your journey in the Italian Game today!