Openings
Italian Game Chess Opening Guide and Key Tactics
The Italian Game is one of the most universally played openings in chess, used by absolute beginners and world champions alike. For as long as people have studied the game, it has fascinated players both for its lightning attacks and for the deep strategic ideas hiding underneath them. In this guide we look at what the Italian Game actually is and the strategic ideas that made this opening so famous.
What Is the Italian Game?
Here is the starting position of a game of chess.
The Italian Game, sometimes called the Italian Opening, is one of the openings that lets you castle, and therefore get your king to safety, as fast as possible. You move the e-pawn, develop the knight from g1, and develop the bishop from f1, and the way is clear for the king.
1.e4 e5 (the starting point of the Italian Game)
2.Nf3 Nc6
3.Bc4
The last move played, the bishop to c4, is what defines the Italian Game. From that square the bishop controls the key central square d5 and takes aim at the f7 pawn, and therefore at Black's castled king. It's an aggressive move, and the first great champions of the game, players like Paul Morphy and Adolf Anderssen, used it to attack their opponents as quickly as possible.
Why We Recommend the Italian Game for Beginners
Because it lets you find your own style of play. With White you can play it calmly and positionally, or sharply and tactically.
White can castle on the very next move. Once the king is safe, White can open the position right away with a move like d4. After the position opens up, the e-pawn can advance, the g5 square becomes available for the bishop or the knight, and the attack is on.
But you can also look at things differently. Instead of opening the position with d4, White can play the quieter d3 and keep developing calmly. A strategic game begins instead, one built around long-term maneuvering and planning.
The Key Strategic Ideas of the Italian Game
We're going to follow a game played by Garry Kasparov with White against Tiago Pinheiro, from a time when Kasparov was at the very peak of his career. His rating stood at 2851, at the time the highest ever recorded. It remains the second-highest of all time today, only surpassed by world number one Magnus Carlsen. Fabiano Caruana comes in just behind Kasparov, in third place.
Here are the key strategic ideas of the Italian Game. Afterward we'll show you the complete Kasparov game so you can see these ideas applied in practice by the Russian grandmaster.
The Power of the c3 Pawn Push
Remember this small pawn push well. It's one of the key ideas of the Italian Game. By landing on c3, the pawn controls the d4 square and prepares the advance of the d-pawn to d4, forming a strong center. That said, White doesn't have to push the d-pawn two squares right away. Kasparov chooses to play d3 first, develop his pieces, and only push d4 once everything is ready.
Note that c3 also prepares a queenside expansion with b4 and opens the way for the white queen to come to b3, for example. A famous variation of the Italian Game, called the Evans Gambit, actually reverses these two moves to speed up White's development. White sacrifices a pawn by playing b4 before c3, putting pressure on the piece that captures on b4 and gaining time to attack. Of course, in exchange, White has given up material.
The Strength of White's Light-Squared Bishop
Let's look now at the light-squared bishop.
This bishop sits very well on the a2-g8 diagonal. But it can also take advantage of the c3 pawn push to reposition itself on the b1-h7 diagonal. It has to wait for the center to open, but once it does, it's perfectly placed to attack Black's kingside.
The Knight Maneuver from b1
A very classic maneuver, also used in the Ruy Lopez. The knight on b1 heads to f5 by way of d2, f1, and g3.
To do this, White will of course need to move the rook on f1 first. Note that White has time for this maneuver since the position is fairly closed.
Once it reaches f5, the knight has a major impact on Black's kingside. Trading it for Black's light-squared bishop would strongly favor White. The bishop on c4 would then have no rival left and would dominate the light squares.
The Liberating d4 Push
Once White's pieces are well placed, keep in mind that the central push d4 can have a huge effect by opening up the lines.
Now here is Kasparov's full game, where you'll find all of these ideas.
The Full Game
Here is the complete game played by Kasparov. Watch how he applies these key principles one after another. Click through the moves to bring up a diagram at each step.
Starting position
- 1.
- 2.
- 3.
- 4.
- 5.
- 6.
- 7.
- 8.
- 9.
- 10.
- 11.
- 12.
- 13.
- 14.
- 15.
- 16.
- 17.
- 18.
- 19.
- 20.
- 21.
- 22.
- 23.
- 24.
- 25.
- 26.
- 27.
- 28.
- 29.
- 30.
- 31.
- 1-0
Test Your Italian Game Knowledge
Three quick questions to see how much you've retained.
The Evans Gambit
We couldn't write an article about the Italian Game without introducing you to the Evans Gambit. It was widely played by players of the Romantic era of chess, because it lets you attack your opponent very quickly. Spectacular games guaranteed.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4
A gambit is the deliberate sacrifice of a pawn early in the game. Here it's the b4 pawn that is given up. After it's captured, White plays c3 with a gain of time, then d4. In exchange for the pawn, White gets full control of the center of the board.
Here is a game by the brilliant Adolf Anderssen that shows how to use the Evans Gambit with White.
Starting position
- 1.
- 2.
- 3.
- 4.
- 5.
- 6.
- 7.
- 8.
- 9.
- 10.
- 11.
- 12.
- 13.
- 14.
- 15.
- 16.
- 17.
- 18.
- 19.
- 20.
- 21.
- 22.
- 23.
- 24.
- 25.
- 26.
- 27.
- 28.
- 1-0
Total domination.
Italian Game FAQ
Is the Italian Game a good opening for beginners?
Yes, it's one of the very first openings you should learn. The development is natural and logical, every piece goes to a useful square, and it adapts to both an aggressive and a positional style depending on the variation you choose.
What are the first moves of the Italian Game?
The Italian Game begins with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4. The bishop aims directly at f7, the weakest square in Black's camp early in the game, which gives you a clear plan right away.
What is the Evans Gambit?
The Evans Gambit is a very aggressive variation of the Italian Game, with the move 4.b4. White sacrifices a pawn to gain time and open lines toward Black's king. It was played a great deal during the Romantic era of chess, notably by Adolf Anderssen.
Why play c3 in the Italian Game?
The move c3 prepares the push d4 to take the center, and it also opens the way for White's queen to come to b3, a classic plan in this opening.
Is the Italian Game played at a high level?
Yes, it has made a real comeback in recent years, including in very high-level games, after long being seen as mostly an amateur opening.
What is the difference between the Italian Game and the Ruy Lopez?
Both start with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6, but the Italian Game develops the bishop to c4, aiming at f7, while the Ruy Lopez develops it to b5, pressuring the knight on c6. The Italian Game generally leads to more open, tactical positions.
Your Move
- Browse our overview of the main chess openings to see where the Italian Game fits in
- Learn the basics of the Sicilian Defense, an opening for playing with Black
- Have fun with the sharp King's Gambit
- Check out our guide on how to play chess if you're just getting started
That was our guide to the Italian Game. We hope you found it useful. Feel free to share it if you did.