- ECO code
- C54
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6
- Family
- Italian Game
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 466
- Average game length
- 47 moves
- Years covered
- 1857–2026
Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo is the opening filed under ECO code C54, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6. It belongs to the Italian Game family and is known as the Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 466 games on this line — the 222nd most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1857 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 270 games. An average game here lasts 47 moves.
White wins 34% of those games, 40% end in a draw, and Black wins 26%. That is close to the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%). Draws are more common here than usual, by 5 points.
From this position the most popular move is 6.O-O, played in 302 games, followed by 6.Bg5 (46) and 6.Nbd2 (43). After 6.O-O White scores 35% and Black 22%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Vachier Lagrave,M (55 games); on the Black side, Nakamura,Hi (49).
Reading about an opening is not the same as knowing it. Play this line against the Katuranga bot, then let the engine mark your brilliant moves, mistakes and blunders in Analysis — the fastest way to find out which of these moves you actually understand.
Results in master games
- White 34% (160)
- Draws 40% (185)
- Black 26% (121)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.O-O | 302 | 35/43/22 | — |
| 6.Bg5 | 46 | 42/30/28 | — |
| 6.Nbd2 | 43 | 28/37/35 | — |
| 6.Bb3 | 36 | 31/41/28 | — |
| 6.h3 | 15 | 33/20/47 | — |
| 6.b4 | 13 | 31/38/31 | — |
| 6.a4 | 9 | 33/22/45 | — |
| 6.Be3 | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
How the position is reached
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 · 62,859 games
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 e5 · 24,632 games
- King's Knight Opening · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 · 21,895 games
- King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 · 19,295 games
- Italian Game · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 · 4,424 games
- Italian Game: Giuoco Piano · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 · 2,675 games
- Italian Game: Classical Variation · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 · 1,161 games
- Italian Game: Classical Variation · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 · 1,111 games
- Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 · 837 games
Played most often by
As White
- Vachier Lagrave,M 55
- So,W 32
- Erigaisi,Arjun 26
As Black
- Nakamura,Hi 49
- Grischuk,A 34
- Mamedyarov,S 20
Games per decade
- 1850s 1
- 1860s 2
- 1880s 1
- 1890s 5
- 1900s 1
- 1960s 1
- 1970s 1
- 1980s 7
- 1990s 11
- 2000s 25
- 2010s 141
- 2020s 270
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Vidit,S | 0-1 | 2026 | Tata Steel India Rapid |
| Wei Yi | Lazavik,Denis | 1-0 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Pool B |
| Piliposyan,Robert | Caruana,F | 0-1 | 2026 | 2nd 3-0 Thu 19th Feb 2026 |
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Le Tuan Minh | 1-0 | 2026 | 3rd 3-0 Thu 5th Mar 2026 |
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Sadhwani,Raunak | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | FIDE World Rapid Team |
| Bilguun,Sumiya | Ding Liren | 0-1 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Pool B |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo?
It is the opening with ECO code C54, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6. It belongs to the Italian Game family.
Is the Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo good for White or for Black?
In 466 master games on this line White wins 34%, 40% are drawn and Black wins 26%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is no worse than usual for White than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo?
6.O-O — played in 302 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo?
On the White side Vachier Lagrave,M (55), So,W (32), Erigaisi,Arjun (26); on the Black side Nakamura,Hi (49), Grischuk,A (34), Mamedyarov,S (20).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
Try this line on the board
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