C54 Italian Game: Classical Variation
C54 holds 46 named lines, all under the name Italian Game. It leaves C53, a position of the same name, with 4...Nf6. Material is no longer level at the end of 13 of its lines; the widest gap, four pawns in Black’s favour, comes in Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Greco Variation. Black has three minor pieces off their first squares, the most of the 10 Italian Game codes. With 46 named lines it is the largest code of the 10 Italian Game codes.
| # | White | Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | e4 | e5 |
| 2 | Nf3 | Nc6 |
| 3 | Bc4 | Bc5 |
| 4 | c3 | Nf6 |
Moves only C54 plays
Same as C53 up to 4.c3, then:
- 4...Nf6 The knight leaves g8 for f6, opening a line for the rook on h8.
Lines filed under C54
All 46 share the start 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 and then split two ways at Black’s move 3.
| Name | After the shared start | Plies | At the end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italian Game: Classical Variation | 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 | 8 | |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Center Attack | 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 | 9 | |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo | 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 | 9 | |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo | 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6 | 10 | |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo, with a6 | 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 a6 | 10 | |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, with d5 | 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d5 | 10 | |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo | 3...Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 h6 6.c3 | 11 | White castled |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo | 3...Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c3 | 11 | White castled |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo, Albin Variation | 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.b4 | 11 | |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo, with a5 | 3...Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 a5 6.c3 | 11 | White castled |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Dubov Italian | 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.b4 | 11 | Black +1 |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Modern Line | 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.e5 | 11 | Black +1 |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Traditional Line | 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 | 11 | |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo | 3...Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c3 a5 | 12 | White castled |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo | 3...Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c3 a6 | 12 | White castled |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo | 3...Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c3 Bb6 | 12 | White castled |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo | 3...Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c3 O-O | 12 | both castled |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo | 3...Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 O-O 6.c3 d5 | 12 | both castled |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo, with a6 | 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.Nbd2 a6 | 12 | |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo, with h6 | 3...Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c3 h6 | 12 | White castled |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Modern Line | 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.e5 d5 | 12 | Black +1 |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo | 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.Nbd2 O-O 7.O-O | 13 | both castled |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo | 3...Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c3 a6 7.a4 | 13 | White castled |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo | 3...Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c3 a6 7.Re1 | 13 | White castled |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo | 3...Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c3 h6 7.Re1 | 13 | White castled |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo | 3...Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c3 h6 7.Nbd2 | 13 | White castled |
| Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Cracow Variation | 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Kf1 | 13 | |
| Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Greco’s Attack | 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 | 13 | |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo | 3...Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c3 a6 7.a4 Ba7 | 14 | White castled |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo | 3...Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c3 a6 7.a4 O-O | 14 | both castled |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo | 3...Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c3 a6 7.Re1 Ba7 | 14 | White castled |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo, with a4 a5 | 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.O-O O-O 7.a4 a5 | 14 | both castled |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Anderssen Variation | 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.e5 d5 7.Bb5 Ne4 8.cxd4 Bb4+ | 16 | check |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Greco Variation | 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.O-O Nxc3 | 16 | Black +4, White castled |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Main Line | 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.O-O Bxc3 | 16 | Black +4, White castled |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Ghulam-Kassim Variation | 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.e5 Ne4 7.Bd5 Nxf2 8.Kxf2 dxc3+ 9.Kg3 | 17 | |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo, Main Line | 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.O-O O-O 7.Re1 a6 8.Bb3 Ba7 9.h3 | 17 | both castled |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Moeller-Therkatz Attack | 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.O-O Bxc3 9.d5 | 17 | Black +4, White castled |
| Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Rosentreter Variation | 3...Nf6 4.O-O Bc5 5.d4 Bxd4 6.Nxd4 Nxd4 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.f4 | 17 | Black +1, White castled |
| Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Aitken Variation | 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.O-O Nxc3 9.bxc3 Bxc3 10.Ba3 | 19 | Black +2, White castled |
| Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Holzhausen Attack | 3...Nf6 4.O-O Bc5 5.d4 Bxd4 6.Nxd4 Nxd4 7.Bg5 d6 8.f4 Qe7 9.fxe5 dxe5 10.Nc3 | 19 | Black +1, White castled |
| Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Steinitz Variation | 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.O-O Bxc3 9.bxc3 d5 10.Ba3 | 19 | Black +1, White castled |
| Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Bernstein Variation | 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.O-O Nxc3 9.bxc3 Bxc3 10.Qb3 d5 | 20 | Black +2, White castled |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Moeller-Bayonet Attack | 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.O-O Bxc3 9.d5 Bf6 10.Re1 Ne7 11.Rxe4 d6 12.g4 | 23 | Black +1, White castled |
| Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Krause Variation | 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Nxe4 8.Bxb4 Nxb4 9.Bxf7+ Kxf7 10.Qb3+ d5 11.Ne5+ Kf6 12.f3 | 23 | Black +3 |
| Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Therkatz-Herzog Variation | 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.O-O Bxc3 9.d5 Bf6 10.Re1 Ne7 11.Rxe4 d6 12.Bg5 Bxg5 13.Nxg5 O-O 14.Nxh7 | 27 | both castled |
The road to C54
- 1.e4 … 3.Bc4five earlier stops: B00, C20, C40, C44, C50
- 3...Bc5C50 Giuoco Piano
- 4.c3C53 Classical Variation
- 4...Nf6C54
The position after 4...Nf6
White has brought out the knight on f3 and bishop on c4; Black the knight on c6, knight on f6 and bishop on c5. White could capture with Bxf7+, Nxe5. White is to move and has 34 legal moves.
Closest boards in other codes
| Code | Line | Differs on |
|---|---|---|
| C55 | Italian Game: Two Knights Defense | four squares: c2, c3, c5, f8 |
| C52 | Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Main Line | five squares: b2, a5, c5, f6, g8 |
| C50 | Italian Game | six squares: c2, c3, c5, f6, f8, g8 |
| C51 | Italian Game: Evans Gambit | six squares: b2, c2, c3, b4, f6, g8 |
| C56 | Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Open Variation | six squares: c2, d2, c3, d4, c5, f8 |
| C57 | Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Knight Attack | six squares: c2, c3, f3, c5, g5, f8 |
| C64 | Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation | six squares: c2, c3, c4, b5, f6, g8 |
Where lines continue from here
Two named lines filed under other codes pass through the position after 4...Nf6. They belong to C53, C56.