ecocodes
Volume C · Open games and the French Defense‹ C52C54 ›
a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8
Reference position · Black to move

C53 Italian Game: Classical Variation

C53 holds eight named lines, all under the name Italian Game. It leaves C50 (Italian Game: Giuoco Piano) with 4.c3. Black, to move in that position, has 36 legal moves, the second-highest count of the 10 Italian Game codes. Black’s pieces and pawns attack seven squares in White’s half, the fourth-highest count of the 10 Italian Game codes.

Score sheet
#WhiteBlack
1e4e5
2Nf3Nc6
3Bc4Bc5
4c3

The move that completes C53

The reference line of C54 plays all of these moves and continues beyond them; C53 is the position reached at 4.c3.

  1. 4.c3 The c-pawn advances to c3, covering b4 and d4, opening a line for the queen on d1.

Lines filed under C53

All eight share their first seven plies, the whole reference line and then split three ways at Black’s move 4.

NameAfter the shared startPliesAt the end
Italian Game: Classical Variation(the shared start itself)7
Italian Game: Classical Variation, Closed Variation4...Qe78
Italian Game: Bird’s Attack4...Nf6 5.b49
Italian Game: Classical Variation, Center Holding Variation4...Qe7 5.d4 Bb610
Italian Game: Classical Variation, Mestel Variation4...Qe7 5.d4 Bb6 6.Bg511
Italian Game: Classical Variation, La Bourdonnais Variation4...d6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb612
Italian Game: Classical Variation, Eisinger Variation4...Qe7 5.d4 Bb6 6.d5 Nb8 7.d613
Italian Game: Classical Variation, Tarrasch Variation4...Qe7 5.d4 Bb6 6.O-O d6 7.a4 a6 8.h3 Nf6 9.Re117White castled

The road to C53

  1. 1.e4 … 2...Nc6four earlier stops: B00, C20, C40, C44
  2. 3.Bc4C50 Italian Game
  3. 3...Bc5C50 Giuoco Piano
  4. 4.c3C53

The position after 4.c3

White has brought out the knight on f3 and bishop on c4; Black the knight on c6 and bishop on c5. Black could capture with Bxf2+.

WhiteBlackMaterial (pawn units)3939Minor pieces developed22Moves spent on pawns21Pawns on d4, e4, d5, e511Squares attacked in the other half87not castlednot castled

Codes that branch off from C53

The reference lines of one other code leave C53 from the position after 4.c3, each with its own moves.

CodeMovesReference line
C544...Nf6Italian Game: Classical Variation

Closest boards in other codes

CodeLineDiffers on
C52Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Main Linethree squares: b2, a5, c5
C51Italian Game: Evans Gambitfour squares: b2, c2, c3, b4
C64Ruy Lopez: Classical Variationfour squares: c2, c3, c4, b5
C44King’s Knight Opening: Normal Variationsix squares: f1, c2, c3, c4, c5, f8
C55Italian Game: Two Knights Defensesix squares: c2, c3, c5, f6, f8, g8
C60Ruy Lopezsix squares: c2, c3, c4, b5, c5, f8
C46Three Knights Openingseven squares: b1, f1, c2, c3, c4, c5, f8

Where lines continue from here

Twenty-nine named lines filed under other codes pass through the position after 4.c3. Besides the codes above, they belong to C56.

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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