ecocodes
Volume C · Open games and the French Defense‹ C51C53 ›
a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8
Reference position · White to move

C52 Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Main Line

C52 holds 22 named lines, all under the name Italian Game. It leaves C51 (Italian Game: Evans Gambit Accepted) with 5.c3 Ba5. When the reference line ends, Black is one pawn up on material. Black’s pieces and pawns attack five squares in White’s half, level for the fewest of the 10 Italian Game codes. At ten plies, its reference line is the second-longest of the 10 Italian Game codes.

Score sheet
#WhiteBlack
1e4e5
2Nf3Nc6
3Bc4Bc5
4b4Bxb4
5c3Ba5

Moves only C52 plays

Same as C51 up to 4.b4, then:

  1. 4...Bxb4 The bishop on c5 takes the pawn on b4, pinning the pawn on d2 to its king.
  2. 5.c3 The c-pawn advances to c3, covering b4 and d4, opening a line for the queen on d1, attacking the bishop on b4.
  3. 5...Ba5 The bishop goes from b4 to a5.

Lines filed under C52

All 22 share their first ten plies, the whole reference line and then split two ways at White’s move 6.

NameAfter the shared startPliesAt the end
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Main Line(the shared start itself)10Black +1
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Slow Variation6.O-O11Black +1, White castled
Italian Game: Evans Gambit6.O-O d612Black +1, White castled
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Bronstein Defense6.d4 d612Black +1
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Laroche Variation6.d4 Nf612Black +1
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Leonhardt Countergambit6.d4 b512Black +1
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Pierce Defense6.d4 exd412Black +2
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Sokolsky Variation6.d4 d6 7.Bg513Black +1
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Tartakower Attack6.d4 d6 7.Qb313Black +1
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Alapin-Steinitz Variation6.O-O d6 7.d4 Bg414Black +1, White castled
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Anderssen Defense6.O-O Nf6 7.d4 exd414Black +2, White castled
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Compromised Defense6.d4 exd4 7.O-O dxc314Black +3, White castled
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Dufresne Defense6.d4 exd4 7.O-O d314Black +2, White castled
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Johner Defense6.d4 exd4 7.O-O b514Black +2, White castled
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Lasker Defense6.O-O d6 7.d4 Bb614Black +1, White castled
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Mieses Defense6.d4 exd4 7.O-O Nge714Black +2, White castled
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Sanders-Alapin Variation6.O-O d6 7.d4 Bd714Black +1, White castled
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Richardson Attack6.O-O Nf6 7.d4 O-O 8.Nxe515both castled
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Waller Attack6.d4 exd4 7.O-O d6 8.Qb315Black +2, White castled
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Compromised Defense, Main Line6.d4 exd4 7.O-O dxc3 8.Qb3 Qf6 9.e5 Qg6 10.Nxc3 Nge7 11.Ba321Black +2, White castled
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Compromised Defense, Potter Variation6.d4 exd4 7.O-O dxc3 8.Qb3 Qf6 9.e5 Qg6 10.Nxc3 Nge7 11.Rd121Black +2, White castled
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Levenfish Variation6.d4 d6 7.Qb3 Qd7 8.dxe5 dxe5 9.O-O Bb6 10.Ba3 Na5 11.Nxe521White castled

The road to C52

  1. 1.e4 … 3...Bc5six earlier stops: B00, C20, C40, C44, C50
  2. 4.b4C51 Evans Gambit
  3. 4...Bxb4C51 Evans Gambit Accepted
  4. 5...Ba5C52

The position after 5...Ba5

White has brought out the knight on f3 and bishop on c4; Black the knight on c6 and bishop on a5. White has a half-open b-file. White could capture with Bxf7+, Nxe5. White is to move and has 34 legal moves.

WhiteBlackMaterial (pawn units)3839Minor pieces developed22Moves spent on pawns31Pawns on d4, e4, d5, e511Squares attacked in the other half85not castlednot castled

Closest boards in other codes

CodeLineDiffers on
C53Italian Game: Classical Variationthree squares: b2, a5, c5
C50Italian Gamefive squares: b2, c2, c3, a5, f8
C54Italian Game: Classical Variationfive squares: b2, a5, c5, f6, g8
C44King’s Knight Opening: Normal Variationseven squares: f1, b2, c2, c3, c4, a5, f8
C55Italian Game: Two Knights Defenseseven squares: b2, c2, c3, a5, f6, f8, g8
C60Ruy Lopezseven squares: b2, c2, c3, c4, a5, b5, f8
C64Ruy Lopez: Classical Variationseven squares: b2, c2, c3, c4, a5, b5, c5

Where lines continue from here

One named line filed under other codes passes through the position after 5...Ba5. It belongs to C51.

Volume C

  1. 00
  2. 01
  3. 02
  4. 03
  5. 04
  6. 05
  7. 06
  8. 07
  9. 08
  10. 09
  11. 10
  12. 11
  13. 12
  14. 13
  15. 14
  16. 15
  17. 16
  18. 17
  19. 18
  20. 19
  21. 20
  22. 21
  23. 22
  24. 23
  25. 24
  26. 25
  27. 26
  28. 27
  29. 28
  30. 29
  31. 30
  32. 31
  33. 32
  34. 33
  35. 34
  36. 35
  37. 36
  38. 37
  39. 38
  40. 39
  41. 40
  42. 41
  43. 42
  44. 43
  45. 44
  46. 45
  47. 46
  48. 47
  49. 48
  50. 49
  51. 50
  52. 51
  53. 52
  54. 53
  55. 54
  56. 55
  57. 56
  58. 57
  59. 58
  60. 59
  61. 60
  62. 61
  63. 62
  64. 63
  65. 64
  66. 65
  67. 66
  68. 67
  69. 68
  70. 69
  71. 70
  72. 71
  73. 72
  74. 73
  75. 74
  76. 75
  77. 76
  78. 77
  79. 78
  80. 79
  81. 80
  82. 81
  83. 82
  84. 83
  85. 84
  86. 85
  87. 86
  88. 87
  89. 88
  90. 89
  91. 90
  92. 91
  93. 92
  94. 93
  95. 94
  96. 95
  97. 96
  98. 97
  99. 98
  100. 99

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