ecocodes
Volume C · Open games and the French Defense‹ C54C56 ›
a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8
Reference position · White to move

C55 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense

C55 holds six named lines, all under the name Italian Game. It leaves C50 (Italian Game) with 3...Nf6. Lines of eight other codes continue from its position, the second-widest spread of the 10 Italian Game codes. At six plies, its reference line is the second-shortest of the 10 Italian Game codes. White, to move in that position, has 33 legal moves, the fourth-lowest count of the 10 Italian Game codes.

Score sheet
#WhiteBlack
1e4e5
2Nf3Nc6
3Bc4Nf6

The move that completes C55

The reference line of C56 plays all of these moves and continues beyond them; C55 is the position reached at 3...Nf6.

  1. 3...Nf6 The knight leaves g8 for f6, opening a line for the rook on h8.

Lines filed under C55

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

NameAfter the shared startPliesAt the end
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense(the shared start itself)6
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop’s Opening4.d37
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop’s Opening4.d3 Be78
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense4.Nc3 Nxe4 5.Nxe4 d510White +2
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop’s Opening4.d3 h6 5.O-O d610White castled
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense4.O-O Bc5 5.d4 Bxd4 6.Nxd4 Nxd4 7.Bg5 d614Black +1, White castled

The road to C55

  1. 1.e4 … 2.Nf3three earlier stops: B00, C20, C40
  2. 2...Nc6C44 Normal Variation
  3. 3.Bc4C50 Italian Game
  4. 3...Nf6C55

The position after 3...Nf6

White has brought out the knight on f3 and bishop on c4; Black the knight on c6 and knight on f6. White could capture with Bxf7+, Nxe5.

WhiteBlackMaterial (pawn units)3939Minor pieces developed22Moves spent on pawns11Pawns on d4, e4, d5, e511Squares attacked in the other half86not castlednot castled

Codes that branch off from C55

The reference lines of two other codes leave C55 from the position after 3...Nf6, each with its own moves.

CodeMovesReference line
C564.d4Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Open Variation
C574.Ng5Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Knight Attack

Closest boards in other codes

CodeLineDiffers on
C65Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defensetwo squares: c4, b5
C24Bishop’s Opening: Berlin Defensefour squares: g1, f3, c6, b8
C28Vienna Game: Stanley Variation, Three Knights Variationfour squares: b1, g1, c3, f3
C42Petrov’s Defensefour squares: f1, c4, c6, b8
C44King’s Knight Opening: Normal Variationfour squares: f1, c4, f6, g8
C47Four Knights Gamefour squares: b1, f1, c3, c4
C48Four Knights Game: Spanish Variationfour squares: b1, c3, c4, b5

Where lines continue from here

Besides the codes above, they belong to C44, C47, C50, C54, C58, C59.

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
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  70. 69
  71. 70
  72. 71
  73. 72
  74. 73
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  78. 77
  79. 78
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  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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