C58 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense
C58 holds ten named lines, all under the name Italian Game. It leaves C57 (Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Knight Attack, Normal Variation) with 5.exd5 Na5. White, to move in that position, has 37 legal moves, the most of the 10 Italian Game codes. When the reference line ends, White is one pawn up on material. Black’s pieces and pawns attack nine squares in White’s half, the second-highest count of the 10 Italian Game codes.
| # | White | Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | e4 | e5 |
| 2 | Nf3 | Nc6 |
| 3 | Bc4 | Nf6 |
| 4 | Ng5 | d5 |
| 5 | exd5 | Na5 |
The move that completes C58
The reference line of C59 plays all of these moves and continues beyond them; C58 is the position reached at 5...Na5.
- 5...Na5 The knight goes from c6 to a5, attacking the bishop on c4.
Lines filed under C58
All ten share their first ten plies, the whole reference line and then split two ways at White’s move 6.
| Name | After the shared start | Plies | At the end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense | (the shared start itself) | 10 | White +1 |
| Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Bishop Check Line | 6.Bb5+ | 11 | White +1, check |
| Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Kieseritzky Variation | 6.d3 | 11 | White +1 |
| Italian Game: Two Knights Defense | 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Be2 | 15 | White +1 |
| Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Bogoljubow Variation | 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Qf3 | 15 | White +1 |
| Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Blackburne Variation | 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Qf3 cxb5 | 16 | Black +2 |
| Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Colman Variation | 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Qf3 Rb8 | 16 | White +1 |
| Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Paoli Variation | 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Qf3 Qc7 9.Bd3 | 17 | White +1 |
| Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Maróczy Variation | 6.d3 h6 7.Nf3 e4 8.Qe2 Nxc4 9.dxc4 Be7 | 18 | White +1 |
| Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Yankovich Variation | 6.d3 h6 7.Nf3 e4 8.Qe2 Nxc4 9.dxc4 Bc5 10.Nfd2 | 19 | White +1 |
The road to C58
- 1.e4 … 3...Nf6six earlier stops: B00, C20, C40, C44, C50, C55
- 4.Ng5C57 Knight Attack
- 4...d5C57 Normal Variation
- 5...Na5C58
The position after 5...Na5
White has brought out the knight on g5 and bishop on c4; Black the knight on a5 and knight on f6. White has a half-open e-file; Black a half-open d-file. White could capture with Nxf7, Nxh7.
Codes that branch off from C58
The reference lines of one other code leave C58 from the position after 8.Be2, each with its own moves.
| Code | Moves | Reference line |
|---|---|---|
| C59 | 8...h6 | Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Suhle Defense |
Closest boards in other codes
| Code | Line | Differs on |
|---|---|---|
| C24 | Bishop’s Opening: Berlin Defense | seven squares: g1, e4, a5, d5, g5, d7, b8 |
| C55 | Italian Game: Two Knights Defense | seven squares: f3, e4, a5, d5, g5, c6, d7 |
| C23 | Bishop’s Opening | nine squares: g1, e4, a5, d5, g5, f6, d7, b8 … |
| C28 | Vienna Game: Stanley Variation, Three Knights Variation | nine squares: b1, g1, c3, e4, a5, d5, g5, c6 … |
| C42 | Petrov’s Defense | nine squares: f1, f3, c4, e4, a5, d5, g5, d7 … |
| C50 | Italian Game | nine squares: f3, e4, a5, d5, g5, c6, f6, d7 … |
| C56 | Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Open Variation | nine squares: d2, f3, d4, e4, a5, d5, g5, c6 … |
Where lines continue from here
Four named lines filed under other codes pass through the position after 5...Na5. All of them belong to the codes listed above.