Italian Game: Classical Variation
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3
Classical Variation
1.2.3.4.
What Is The Classical Variation?
White's 4.c3 has one purpose: prepare d4 and seize the full center. The bishop on c4 already stares at f7, so c3 turns the quiet Italian into a race, White building pawns on d4 and e4 while Black hurries to strike back. Black cannot sit still: after 4...Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4, only the check 6...Bb4+ keeps the position level, hitting the center before it hits f7.
Games here are decided by tempo. When the center rolls and the attack on f7 lands first, White wins in twenty moves; when the pawn on c3 robs the queen's knight of its best square and the center overextends, Black picks it apart. Learn the 6...Bb4+ line cold, because the entire variation stands or falls on that single check.
What Do Players Choose At The Decision Point?
| Move | Share | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| c3 | 28% | 2,763 | |
| O-O | 21% | 2,126 | |
| d3 | 21% | 2,124 | |
| Nc3 | 12% | 1,195 |
How Does Play Continue From Here?
| Move | Share | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 53% | 1,500 | |
| d6 | 31% | 893 | |
| h6 | 4% | 121 | |
| a6 | 3% | 92 |
The Named Lines Of The Classical Variation
| Line | Moves |
|---|---|
| Closed Variation | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Qe7 |
| Center Attack | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 |
| Giuoco Pianissimo | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c3 a6 7.Re1 Ba7 |
| Albin Gambit | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.c3 |
| Giuoco Pianissimo, with a6 | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.Nbd2 a6 |
| with d5 | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d5 |
| Center Holding Variation | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Qe7 5.d4 Bb6 |
| Giuoco Pianissimo, Albin Variation | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.b4 |
| Giuoco Pianissimo, with a5 | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 a5 6.c3 |
| Mestel Variation | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Qe7 5.d4 Bb6 6.Bg5 |
| Greco Gambit, Dubov Italian | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.b4 |
| Greco Gambit, Modern Line | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.e5 d5 |
| Giuoco Pianissimo, with h6 | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c3 h6 |
| Greco Gambit, Traditional Line | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 |
| La Bourdonnais Variation | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 d6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb6 |
| Eisinger Variation | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Qe7 5.d4 Bb6 6.d5 Nb8 7.d6 |
| Giuoco Pianissimo, with a4 a5 | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.O-O O-O 7.a4 a5 |
| Greco Gambit, Anderssen Variation | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.e5 d5 7.Bb5 Ne4 8.cxd4 Bb4+ |
| Tarrasch Variation | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Qe7 5.d4 Bb6 6.O-O d6 7.a4 a6 8.h3 Nf6 9.Re1 |
| Giuoco Pianissimo, Main Line | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.O-O O-O 7.Re1 a6 8.Bb3 Ba7 9.h3 |