- ECO code
- C51
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4
- Family
- Italian Game
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 390
- Average game length
- 38 moves
- Years covered
- 1849–2026
Italian Game: Evans Gambit is the opening filed under ECO code C51, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4. It belongs to the Italian Game family and is known as the Evans Gambit; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 390 games on this line — the 248th 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 96 games. An average game here lasts 38 moves.
White wins 50% of those games, 15% end in a draw, and Black wins 35%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores better here by 7 percentage points. Draws are less common here than usual, by 20 points.
From this position the most popular move is 4...Bxb4, played in 318 games, followed by 4...Bb6 (60) and 4...Be7 (6). 4...Bxb4 leads into Italian Game: Evans Gambit Accepted. After 4...Bxb4 White scores 52% and Black 36%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Anderssen, Adolf (86 games); on the Black side, Steinitz, William (62).
1 named variation branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Italian Game: Evans Gambit Accepted.
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Results in master games
- White 50% (196)
- Draws 15% (58)
- Black 35% (136)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4...Bxb4 | 318 | 52/12/36 | Italian Game: Evans Gambit Accepted |
| 4...Bb6 | 60 | 39/28/33 | — |
| 4...Be7 | 6 | 0/50/50 | — |
| 4...d5 | 6 | 100/0/0 | — |
Variations from this position
- Accepted · 4...Bxb4 · 318 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
Played most often by
As White
- Anderssen, Adolf 86
- Chigorin, Mikhail 45
- Morphy, Paul 32
As Black
- Steinitz, William 62
- Anderssen, Adolf 43
- Neumann, Gustav Richard 13
Games per decade
- 1840s 3
- 1850s 75
- 1860s 96
- 1870s 34
- 1880s 25
- 1890s 45
- 1900s 15
- 1910s 7
- 1920s 4
- 1930s 3
- 1940s 3
- 1950s 1
- 1960s 4
- 1980s 1
- 1990s 7
- 2000s 7
- 2010s 21
- 2020s 39
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 |
| Maghsoodloo,Parham | Grischuk,A | 1/2-1/2 | 2025 | TCh-ESP Div Honor 2025 |
| 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 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Italian Game: Evans Gambit?
It is the opening with ECO code C51, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4. It belongs to the Italian Game family.
Is the Italian Game: Evans Gambit good for White or for Black?
In 390 master games on this line White wins 50%, 15% are drawn and Black wins 35%. 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?
4...Bxb4 — played in 318 of the master games on this line, which leads into Italian Game: Evans Gambit Accepted.
Which grandmasters play the Italian Game: Evans Gambit?
On the White side Anderssen, Adolf (86), Chigorin, Mikhail (45), Morphy, Paul (32); on the Black side Steinitz, William (62), Anderssen, Adolf (43), Neumann, Gustav Richard (13).
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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