- ECO code
- C50
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4
- Family
- Italian Game
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 4,424
- Average game length
- 45 moves
- Years covered
- 1849–2026
Italian Game is the opening filed under ECO code C50, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4. It belongs to the Italian Game family; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 4,424 games on this line — the 34th 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 2020s, with 2,514 games. An average game here lasts 45 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 3...Bc5, played in 2,675 games, followed by 3...Nf6 (1,656) and 3...d6 (39). 3...Bc5 leads into Italian Game: Giuoco Piano. After 3...Bc5 White scores 36% and Black 29%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is So,W (251 games); on the Black side, Nakamura,Hi (287).
12 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Italian Game: Giuoco Piano; Italian Game: Two Knights Defense; Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening.
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Results in master games
- White 36% (1,618)
- Draws 34% (1,492)
- Black 30% (1,314)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3...Bc5 | 2,675 | 36/35/29 | Italian Game: Giuoco Piano |
| 3...Nf6 | 1,656 | 37/32/31 | Italian Game: Two Knights Defense |
| 3...d6 | 39 | 49/13/38 | — |
| 3...Be7 | 38 | 36/32/32 | — |
| 3...g6 | 9 | 45/22/33 | — |
| 3...a6 | 3 | 100/0/0 | — |
| 3...f5 | 2 | 50/0/50 | — |
| 3...h6 | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
Variations from this position
- Giuoco Piano · 3...Bc5 · 2,675 games
- Two Knights Defense · 3...Nf6 · 1,656 games
- Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening · 3...Nf6 4.d3 · 1,354 games
- Classical Variation · 3...Bc5 4.c3 · 1,161 games
- Classical Variation · 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 · 1,111 games
- Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo · 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 · 837 games
- Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal · 3...Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 · 709 games
- Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo · 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6 · 466 games
- Giuoco Pianissimo · 3...Bc5 4.d3 · 447 games
- Evans Gambit · 3...Bc5 4.b4 · 390 games
- Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening · 3...Nf6 4.d3 Be7 · 388 games
- Evans Gambit Accepted · 3...Bc5 4.b4 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
Played most often by
As White
- So,W 251
- Aronian,L 201
- Vachier Lagrave,M 179
As Black
- Nakamura,Hi 287
- So,W 184
- Aronian,L 169
Games per decade
- 1840s 5
- 1850s 109
- 1860s 136
- 1870s 41
- 1880s 39
- 1890s 115
- 1900s 86
- 1910s 43
- 1920s 41
- 1930s 22
- 1940s 19
- 1950s 20
- 1960s 26
- 1970s 19
- 1980s 44
- 1990s 74
- 2000s 139
- 2010s 932
- 2020s 2,514
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sevian,Samuel | Caruana,F | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 27th Jan 2026 |
| Caruana,F | Bartel,Mat | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Bundesliga 2025-26 |
| Niemann,Hans Moke | Keymer,Vincent | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 8th Prague Masters 2026 |
| Drygalov,Andrey | Erigaisi,Arjun | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 3rd Feb 2026 |
| Caruana,F | Kevlishvili,Robby | 1-0 | 2026 | Naroditsky Mem Blitz 2026 |
| Sindarov,Javokhir | Vachier Lagrave,M | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 10th Feb 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Italian Game?
It is the opening with ECO code C50, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4. It belongs to the Italian Game family.
Is the Italian Game good for White or for Black?
In 4,424 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?
3...Bc5 — played in 2,675 of the master games on this line, which leads into Italian Game: Giuoco Piano.
Which grandmasters play the Italian Game?
On the White side So,W (251), Aronian,L (201), Vachier Lagrave,M (179); on the Black side Nakamura,Hi (287), So,W (184), Aronian,L (169).
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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