- ECO code
- C55
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6
- Family
- Italian Game
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 1,656
- Average game length
- 46 moves
- Years covered
- 1851–2026
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense is the opening filed under ECO code C55, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6. It belongs to the Italian Game family and is known as the Two Knights Defense; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 1,656 games on this line — the 71st most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1851 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 1,219 games. An average game here lasts 46 moves.
White wins 37% of those games, 32% end in a draw, and Black wins 31%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores better here by 3 percentage points.
From this position the most popular move is 4.d3, played in 1,354 games, followed by 4.Ng5 (192) and 4.d4 (84). 4.d3 leads into Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening. After 4.d3 White scores 36% and Black 30%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is So,W (105 games); on the Black side, Nakamura,Hi (98).
3 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening; Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal; Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening.
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Results in master games
- White 37% (603)
- Draws 32% (535)
- Black 31% (518)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.d3 | 1,354 | 36/34/30 | Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening |
| 4.Ng5 | 192 | 42/24/34 | — |
| 4.d4 | 84 | 38/23/39 | — |
| 4.Nc3 | 11 | 27/27/46 | — |
| 4.O-O | 11 | 27/18/55 | — |
| 4.c3 | 2 | 50/50/0 | — |
| 4.Qe2 | 2 | 50/0/50 | — |
Variations from this position
- Modern Bishop's Opening · 4.d3 · 1,354 games
- Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal · 4.d3 Bc5 · 709 games
- Modern Bishop's Opening · 4.d3 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
Played most often by
As White
- So,W 105
- Firouzja,Alireza 81
- Aronian,L 71
As Black
- Nakamura,Hi 98
- Carlsen,M 77
- Shirov,A 71
Games per decade
- 1850s 9
- 1860s 10
- 1880s 8
- 1890s 32
- 1900s 25
- 1910s 10
- 1920s 18
- 1930s 11
- 1940s 7
- 1950s 9
- 1960s 11
- 1970s 6
- 1980s 14
- 1990s 35
- 2000s 50
- 2010s 182
- 2020s 1,219
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 |
| Sindarov,Javokhir | Vachier Lagrave,M | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 10th Feb 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 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense?
It is the opening with ECO code C55, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6. It belongs to the Italian Game family.
Is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense good for White or for Black?
In 1,656 master games on this line White wins 37%, 32% are drawn and Black wins 31%. 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?
4.d3 — played in 1,354 of the master games on this line, which leads into Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening.
Which grandmasters play the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense?
On the White side So,W (105), Firouzja,Alireza (81), Aronian,L (71); on the Black side Nakamura,Hi (98), Carlsen,M (77), Shirov,A (71).
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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