The most natural opening in chess. Three moves, three classical principles, a thousand games waiting to be played. If you only learn one opening as a beginner, learn this one.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4
The Italian Game after 3.Bc4
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4
For: WhiteLevel: Beginner to expertType: Open gameFirst recorded: 15th century
The idea in one paragraph
White attacks the center with the king's pawn, develops the king's knight to its best square, and points the king's bishop directly at f7 — the most vulnerable square in Black's camp, defended only by the king itself. By move three, White has a knight out, a bishop out, and a clear path to castle kingside. Almost every classical opening principle is satisfied in three moves.
Why beginners should play the Italian first
Beginners often pick up openings by accident — they see a YouTube video on the Sicilian Defense and try to play it, get confused on move five, and lose. The Italian is different. Every move it makes makes sense on inspection:
1.e4 — takes a central square, opens the diagonal for the bishop, and opens space for the queen.
2.Nf3 — develops a knight to its best square, attacks Black's e5 pawn, and prepares castling.
3.Bc4 — develops the bishop to its most active diagonal, eyes the f7 square, and clears the way for kingside castling.
You're not memorizing magic. You're following the principles in the how to play chess guide, move by move. When Black plays something you don't recognize on move 4 or 5, you still have a good position — because your pieces are simply on the right squares.
The main variations after 3.Bc4
1. Giuoco Piano (3...Bc5)
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5
"Giuoco Piano" means "quiet game" in Italian — which is funny, because it's only quiet by reputation. This is the most common and most natural response from Black, mirroring White's bishop development.
After 4.c3 (preparing d4) the position can become extremely sharp. Modern players also like the slow approach with 4.d3 followed by Nbd2, Bb3, and a long maneuvering battle. Both are good.
Verdict: Black equalizes comfortably if they know the basics. White retains a small but persistent edge.
2. Two Knights Defense (3...Nf6)
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6
Black ignores the threat to f7 and develops a second knight, attacking White's e4 pawn. The Two Knights leads to some of the sharpest lines in opening theory. White has three main approaches:
4.d3 — the modern quiet line, very popular among Carlsen, Caruana, and other top players.
4.d4 — the open game with central pawn breaks.
3. Hungarian Defense (3...Be7)
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Be7
A very passive defense — Black develops the bishop modestly and avoids any sharp tactics. Easy to play, but White gets a free positional edge. You'll see this from cautious club players who don't want to memorize theory.
The Fried Liver Attack
This is the line every beginner needs to know — either to play it or to defend against it.
White sacrifices the knight on f7. Black has to take with the king (Kxf7), and now White plays 7.Qf3+ followed by a brutal attack. The Black king is dragged to e6 or f6 with no shelter, while White piles up pieces.
The Fried Liver wins a huge number of games at the beginner level because Black usually doesn't know the defense. The defense: on move 5, Black plays 5...Na5 instead of 5...Nxd5. The knight attacks the bishop on c4, and after 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6, Black has given up a pawn for active piece play — much better than getting fried.
The Evans Gambit
For players who like sharp tactical chess, the Evans Gambit is a Romantic-era weapon that's still dangerous today:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4!?
White offers the b-pawn. If Black takes (4...Bxb4), White plays 5.c3 followed by d4, building a massive center with tempo. Used to deadly effect by Adolf Anderssen and Paul Morphy in the 19th century, and revived by Garry Kasparov in the 1990s. Modern theory considers it sound — Black has to know precise defense.
Sample plan as White
If you're new to the Italian and need a guideline plan, this works for most positions:
Play 1.e4, 2.Nf3, 3.Bc4 as your first three moves no matter what Black does.
Castle kingside (0-0) as soon as possible — usually move 4 or 5.
Develop your other knight to c3 (Nc3) and other bishop to a useful square.
Play c3 and d4 to expand in the center.
Once developed, look for tactical opportunities targeting f7.
Famous Italian Game miniatures
The Italian Game has produced some of the most famous short games in chess history. The most famous of all — Morphy vs Duke Karl (Paris Opera, 1858) — actually starts as a Philidor Defense, but tactical themes from the Italian (rapid development, attacks on f7, sacrificing for the initiative) are everywhere in it.
For pure Italian Game miniatures, look up the games of Paul Morphy against Andersson, or any number of Greco's games from the 17th century. The patterns repeat: rapid development, kingside castling, f7 attack.
How to play against the Italian Game (as Black)
If you're facing the Italian on the Black side, you have two reliable choices:
Giuoco Piano with 3...Bc5 — natural, symmetrical, easy to play. Develop your pieces, castle, and you have a roughly equal game.
Two Knights with 3...Nf6 — sharper, requires more theory, but more winning chances. Only play this if you know the Fried Liver defense (5...Na5, not 5...Nxd5).
Avoid passive moves like 3...Be7 or 3...d6 — they hand White a free positional edge.
Common Italian Game mistakes
Moving the queen too early. The temptation to play Qh5 or Qf3 hoping for "Scholar's Mate" (Qxf7#) is real, but Black defends easily with ...Nf6 and you've wasted moves.
Forgetting to castle. Many Italian Game positions look "fine" with the king on e1, then suddenly the center opens and you lose to a tactic. Castle by move 6.
Trading the light-squared bishop too early. The Bc4 is your most important attacking piece. Don't swap it for a knight unless you have a clear strategic reason.
Falling for the Fried Liver as Black. If you don't know 5...Na5, don't play the Two Knights.
Common questions about this opening
Is the Italian Game a good opening for beginners?
Yes — widely considered the single best first opening to learn. It follows every classical principle (center control, fast development, early castling) without requiring memorization of obscure lines.
What's the difference between the Italian Game and the Ruy Lopez?
Both start with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6. The Italian plays 3.Bc4, aiming at f7. The Ruy Lopez plays 3.Bb5, pinning the knight on c6. The Italian is more direct and tactical; the Ruy Lopez is more strategic and long-term.
What is the Fried Liver Attack?
A sharp knight sacrifice on f7 in the Two Knights Defense (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.Nxf7). Devastating against unprepared opponents but defendable with 5...Na5 instead of 5...Nxd5.
Do grandmasters still play the Italian?
Yes — extensively. Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, and most top players have all played the modern Italian (with quiet c3 and d3) in recent years. It's experienced a major renaissance at elite level over the past decade.
Practice the Italian Game
The fastest way to learn any opening is to play it. Open the board and play, set the difficulty to Easy or Medium, and start every game with 1.e4. When Black responds with 1...e5, play 2.Nf3 then 3.Bc4. Notice how often the AI lets you build a strong, classically-developed position.
