For White· 18 lines

Italian Game - Giuoco Piano (3...Bc5, after 2...Nc6 3.Bc4)

Let's learn the Italian Game! Our bishop points straight at f7 from the very first moves, and many defenders never see the danger coming. Let's begin with 1.e4.

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Main line

Scroll the moves: the board follows.

Key lines

The free lines of this chapter, each one trainable move by move.

  1. Main Line: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. O-O Bg4 7. h3 Bh5 8. Nbd2 O-O 9. b4 Bb6 10. a4
    Main Line

    … 7... Bh5 8. Nbd2 O-O 9. b4 Bb6 10. a4

  2. Trap: 9...Nxd5, you win a piece: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 d6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Bg4 8. O-O Nf6 9. Nd5 Nxd5 10. exd5 Ne7 11. Qa4+ Qd7 12. Qxb4 Bxf3 13. gxf3 O-O 14. Qb3
    Trap: 9...Nxd5, you win a piece

    … 4. c3 d6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Bg4 8. O-O Nf6 9. Nd5 Nxd5 10. exd5 Ne7 11. Qa4+ Qd7 12. Qxb4 Bxf3 13. gxf3 O-O 14. Qb3

  3. 4...d6: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 d6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb6 7. h3 Nf6 8. O-O h6 9. Nc3
    4...d6

    … 4. c3 d6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb6 7. h3 Nf6 8. O-O h6 9. Nc3

  4. 4...d6: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 d6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb6 7. h3 Nf6 8. O-O O-O 9. Re1
    4...d6

    … 4. c3 d6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb6 7. h3 Nf6 8. O-O O-O 9. Re1

  5. 4...d6: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 d6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb6 7. h3 Nge7 8. O-O
    4...d6

    … 4. c3 d6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb6 7. h3 Nge7 8. O-O

  6. 4...d6: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 d6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb6 7. h3 h6 8. Nc3 Nf6 9. O-O
    4...d6

    … 4. c3 d6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb6 7. h3 h6 8. Nc3 Nf6 9. O-O

  7. 4...d6: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 d6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb6 7. h3 h6 8. Nc3 Nge7 9. a3
    4...d6

    … 4. c3 d6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb6 7. h3 h6 8. Nc3 Nge7 9. a3

  8. 5...O-O: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 O-O 6. O-O h6 7. Nbd2
    5...O-O

    … 5. d3 O-O 6. O-O h6 7. Nbd2

  9. 5...O-O: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 O-O 6. O-O d5 7. exd5 Nxd5 8. Re1 Bg4 9. Nbd2 Nf4 10. Ne4 Bd6 11. h3 Bh5 12. Bxf4 exf4 13. d4
    5...O-O

    … 5. d3 O-O 6. O-O d5 7. exd5 Nxd5 8. Re1 Bg4 9. Nbd2 Nf4 10. Ne4 Bd6 11. h3 Bh5 12. Bxf4 exf4 13. d4

  10. 5...O-O: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 O-O 6. O-O d6 7. Re1 h6 8. h3 a6 9. Bb3 Ba7 10. Nbd2
    5...O-O

    … 5. d3 O-O 6. O-O d6 7. Re1 h6 8. h3 a6 9. Bb3 Ba7 10. Nbd2

  11. 5...O-O: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 O-O 6. O-O d6 7. Re1 Bg4 8. h3 Be6 9. Bxe6 fxe6 10. b4 Bb6 11. a4
    5...O-O

    … 5. d3 O-O 6. O-O d6 7. Re1 Bg4 8. h3 Be6 9. Bxe6 fxe6 10. b4 Bb6 11. a4

  12. 5...h6: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 h6 6. O-O O-O 7. Nbd2
    5...h6

    … 5. d3 h6 6. O-O O-O 7. Nbd2

  13. 5...h6: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 h6 6. O-O d6 7. Re1 Bg4 8. h3 Bh5 9. b4 Bb6 10. Nbd2 O-O 11. a4
    5...h6

    … 5. d3 h6 6. O-O d6 7. Re1 Bg4 8. h3 Bh5 9. b4 Bb6 10. Nbd2 O-O 11. a4

  14. 5...h6: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 h6 6. O-O d6 7. Re1 O-O 8. h3 a6 9. Bb3 Ba7 10. Nbd2
    5...h6

    … 5. d3 h6 6. O-O d6 7. Re1 O-O 8. h3 a6 9. Bb3 Ba7 10. Nbd2

  15. 6...h6: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. O-O h6 7. Re1 Bg4 8. h3 Bh5 9. b4 Bb6 10. Nbd2 O-O 11. a4
    6...h6

    … 6. O-O h6 7. Re1 Bg4 8. h3 Bh5 9. b4 Bb6 10. Nbd2 O-O 11. a4

  16. 6...O-O: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. O-O O-O 7. Re1 h6 8. h3 a6 9. Bb3 Ba7 10. Nbd2
    6...O-O

    … 6. O-O O-O 7. Re1 h6 8. h3 a6 9. Bb3 Ba7 10. Nbd2

  17. 8...Qd7: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. O-O Bg4 7. h3 Bh5 8. Nbd2 Qd7 9. Re1
    8...Qd7

    … 8. Nbd2 Qd7 9. Re1

  18. 8...h6: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. O-O Bg4 7. h3 Bh5 8. Nbd2 h6 9. Re1
    8...h6

    … 8. Nbd2 h6 9. Re1

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