Italian Game: Giuoco Piano
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5
What Is The Giuoco Piano?
The Giuoco Piano begins 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5: both sides develop their bishops to the most aggressive diagonal available, each aimed at the f7 and f2 squares only the king defends. The name means quiet game, and that is the misconception to drop: with 4.c3 White prepares d4, intending to seize the full center and open lines at Black's king.
The opening turns on a single question: does White achieve the break d4 on favorable terms, or does Black punish it in the open center? Play 4.c3 and d4 and you reach the Greco lines, where Black must hit back with ...Nxe4 and ...d5 or be overrun. Hold back with d3 and the game becomes a maneuvering battle. Games are decided by central timing, not memorized traps.
How Do You Play Against The Italian Game: Giuoco Piano?
The replies split three ways: 28% for 4.c3, 21% for 4.d3 and 21% for 4.O-O. You are Black, and that spread tells you the Italian has no forced continuation, which is exactly why it survives at every level.
The bishop on c4 and the f7 square are the only real ideas White has here, so guard f7 and the position takes care of itself. ...Nf6 develops and hits e4, ...d6 supports e5, and castling gets the king off the diagonal. What loses games is grabbing the b2 pawn with the queen or allowing Ng5 before the king is safe. The sides land at 50% and 47% over 9,994 games, which is what an even opening looks like.
What Do Players Choose At The Decision Point?
| Move | Share | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 35% | 13,263 | |
| Bc5 | 31% | 11,579 | |
| h6 | 12% | 4,394 | |
| d6 | 7% | 2,798 |
How Does Play Continue From Here?
| Move | Share | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| c3 | 28% | 3,353 | |
| d3 | 21% | 2,564 | |
| O-O | 21% | 2,542 | |
| Nc3 | 12% | 1,439 |
The Named Lines Of The Giuoco Piano
| Line | Moves |
|---|---|
| Cracow Variation | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Kf1 |
| Greco's Attack | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 |
| Rosentreter Variation | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.O-O Bc5 5.d4 Bxd4 6.Nxd4 Nxd4 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.f4 |
| Holzhausen Attack | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.O-O Bc5 5.d4 Bxd4 6.Nxd4 Nxd4 7.Bg5 d6 8.f4 Qe7 9.fxe5 dxe5 10.Nc3 |
| Steinitz Variation | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.O-O Bxc3 9.bxc3 d5 10.Ba3 |
| Aitken Variation | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.O-O Nxc3 9.bxc3 Bxc3 10.Ba3 |
| Bernstein Variation | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.O-O Nxc3 9.bxc3 Bxc3 10.Qb3 d5 |
| Krause Variation | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Nxe4 8.Bxb4 Nxb4 9.Bxf7+ Kxf7 10.Qb3+ d5 11.Ne5+ Kf6 12.f3 |
| Therkatz-Herzog Variation | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.O-O Bxc3 9.d5 Bf6 10.Re1 Ne7 11.Rxe4 d6 12.Bg5 Bxg5 13.Nxg5 O-O 14.Nxh7 |