- ECO code
- C54
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3
- Family
- Italian Game
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 837
- Average game length
- 46 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. It belongs to the Italian Game family and is known as the Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 837 games on this line — the 129th 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 451 games. An average game here lasts 46 moves.
White wins 33% of those games, 42% end in a draw, and Black wins 25%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 3 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 7 points.
From this position the most popular move is 5...d6, played in 466 games, followed by 5...O-O (189) and 5...a6 (130). 5...d6 leads into Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo (C54). After 5...d6 White scores 34% and Black 26%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Vachier Lagrave,M (82 games); on the Black side, Nakamura,Hi (68).
1 named variation branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo (C54).
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 33% (273)
- Draws 42% (352)
- Black 25% (212)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5...d6 | 466 | 34/40/26 | Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo (C54) |
| 5...O-O | 189 | 29/47/24 | — |
| 5...a6 | 130 | 31/44/25 | — |
| 5...h6 | 33 | 33/40/27 | — |
| 5...a5 | 18 | 33/50/17 | — |
| 5...Bb6 | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
Variations from this position
- Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo (C54) · 5...d6 · 466 games
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
Played most often by
As White
- Vachier Lagrave,M 82
- So,W 52
- Firouzja,Alireza 44
As Black
- Nakamura,Hi 68
- Aronian,L 51
- Grischuk,A 48
Games per decade
- 1850s 1
- 1860s 2
- 1880s 1
- 1890s 6
- 1900s 1
- 1960s 1
- 1970s 1
- 1980s 14
- 1990s 14
- 2000s 61
- 2010s 284
- 2020s 451
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 |
| So,W | Madaminov,Mukhiddin | 1-0 | 2026 | Naroditsky Mem Blitz RR |
| Dominguez Perez,L | Mamedyarov,S | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | FIDE World Rapid Team |
| Zemlyanskii,Ivan | Grischuk,A | 0-1 | 2026 | TCh-RUS Premier 2026 |
| Piliposyan,Robert | Caruana,F | 0-1 | 2026 | 2nd 3-0 Thu 19th Feb 2026 |
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. It belongs to the Italian Game family.
Is the Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo good for White or for Black?
In 837 master games on this line White wins 33%, 42% are drawn and Black wins 25%. 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?
5...d6 — played in 466 of the master games on this line, which leads into Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo (C54).
Which grandmasters play the Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo?
On the White side Vachier Lagrave,M (82), So,W (52), Firouzja,Alireza (44); on the Black side Nakamura,Hi (68), Aronian,L (51), Grischuk,A (48).
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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