- ECO code
- C55
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3
- Family
- Italian Game
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 1,354
- Average game length
- 47 moves
- Years covered
- 1889–2026
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening is the opening filed under ECO code C55, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3. It belongs to the Italian Game family and is known as the Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 1,354 games on this line — the 89th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1889 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 1,090 games. An average game here lasts 47 moves.
White wins 36% of those games, 34% end in a draw, and Black wins 30%. That is close to the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%).
From this position the most popular move is 4...Bc5, played in 709 games, followed by 4...Be7 (388) and 4...h6 (218). 4...Bc5 leads into Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal. After 4...Bc5 White scores 34% and Black 32%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is So,W (95 games); on the Black side, Nakamura,Hi (90).
2 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal; Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening (C55).
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 36% (483)
- Draws 34% (463)
- Black 30% (408)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4...Bc5 | 709 | 34/34/32 | Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal |
| 4...Be7 | 388 | 35/38/27 | Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening (C55) |
| 4...h6 | 218 | 40/29/31 | — |
| 4...d5 | 33 | 43/36/21 | — |
| 4...a6 | 2 | 0/50/50 | — |
| 4...Bb4+ | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
| 4...d6 | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
| 4...Na5 | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
Variations from this position
- Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal · 4...Bc5 · 709 games
- Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening (C55) · 4...Be7 · 388 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: Two Knights Defense · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 · 1,656 games
Played most often by
As White
- So,W 95
- Firouzja,Alireza 75
- Nepomniachtchi,I 63
As Black
- Nakamura,Hi 90
- Carlsen,M 66
- So,W 64
Games per decade
- 1880s 1
- 1890s 9
- 1900s 7
- 1910s 3
- 1920s 4
- 1930s 2
- 1940s 3
- 1950s 1
- 1960s 1
- 1970s 3
- 1980s 11
- 1990s 27
- 2000s 37
- 2010s 155
- 2020s 1,090
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sevian,Samuel | Caruana,F | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 27th Jan 2026 |
| Niemann,Hans Moke | Keymer,Vincent | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 8th Prague Masters 2026 |
| Niemann,Hans Moke | So,W | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | GCT Super Rapid Poland |
| Nakamura,Hi | Svane,R | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 23rd Jun 2026 |
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Svane,R | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 28th Apr 2026 |
| Vokhidov,Shamsiddin | Nakamura,Hi | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 19th May 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening?
It is the opening with ECO code C55, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3. It belongs to the Italian Game family.
Is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening good for White or for Black?
In 1,354 master games on this line White wins 36%, 34% are drawn and Black wins 30%. 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: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening?
4...Bc5 — played in 709 of the master games on this line, which leads into Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal.
Which grandmasters play the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening?
On the White side So,W (95), Firouzja,Alireza (75), Nepomniachtchi,I (63); on the Black side Nakamura,Hi (90), Carlsen,M (66), So,W (64).
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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