- ECO code
- C51
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4
- Family
- Italian Game
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 318
- Average game length
- 37 moves
- Years covered
- 1849–2026
Italian Game: Evans Gambit Accepted is the opening filed under ECO code C51, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4. It belongs to the Italian Game family and is known as the Evans Gambit Accepted; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 318 games on this line — the 295th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1849 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 1860s, with 80 games. An average game here lasts 37 moves.
White wins 52% of those games, 12% end in a draw, and Black wins 36%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores better here by 8 percentage points. Draws are less common here than usual, by 23 points.
From this position the most popular move is 5.c3, played in 316 games, followed by 5.O-O (2). After 5.c3 White scores 52% and Black 36%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Anderssen, Adolf (71 games); on the Black side, Steinitz, William (60).
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Results in master games
- White 52% (167)
- Draws 12% (38)
- Black 36% (113)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.c3 | 316 | 52/12/36 | — |
| 5.O-O | 2 | 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: Evans Gambit · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 · 390 games
Played most often by
As White
- Anderssen, Adolf 71
- Chigorin, Mikhail 37
- Morphy, Paul 29
As Black
- Steinitz, William 60
- Anderssen, Adolf 42
- Mayet, Carl 11
Games per decade
- 1840s 3
- 1850s 72
- 1860s 80
- 1870s 26
- 1880s 21
- 1890s 39
- 1900s 13
- 1910s 3
- 1920s 2
- 1930s 1
- 1940s 3
- 1950s 1
- 1960s 4
- 1980s 1
- 1990s 5
- 2000s 4
- 2010s 15
- 2020s 25
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | 0-1 | 2026 | 88th Tata Steel Masters |
| Rapport,R | Dominguez Perez,L | 1-0 | 2026 | V Menorca Cerrado 2026 |
| Zhigalko,S | Vachier Lagrave,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2024 | Titled Tue 30th Apr Early |
| Zhigalko,S | Caruana,F | 0-1 | 2024 | Titled Tue 5th Nov Late |
| Nakamura,Hi | Amin,B | 1-0 | 2024 | Casablanca Chess 2024 |
| Carlsen,M | Anand,V | 1-0 | 2024 | Casablanca Chess 2024 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Italian Game: Evans Gambit Accepted?
It is the opening with ECO code C51, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4. It belongs to the Italian Game family.
Is the Italian Game: Evans Gambit Accepted good for White or for Black?
In 318 master games on this line White wins 52%, 12% are drawn and Black wins 36%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is a slightly better bargain for Black than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the Italian Game: Evans Gambit Accepted?
5.c3 — played in 316 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Italian Game: Evans Gambit Accepted?
On the White side Anderssen, Adolf (71), Chigorin, Mikhail (37), Morphy, Paul (29); on the Black side Steinitz, William (60), Anderssen, Adolf (42), Mayet, Carl (11).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
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