The Italian Game is 1. 2. 3.. Your bishop goes to c4 and eyes f7, a square only your opponent's king protects for now. In 1,872,099 Lichess games rated 900 to 1700 (September 2026), it scores 52% for you. Strong players take their time: against they protect e4 with 4., prepare d4 with the c-pawn and castle before the center opens.
Lichess games from September 2026 (30,577,162 rated 900 to 1700) and 31,791 over-the-board games rated 2300+ from the last 12 months. Data updated: October 14, 2026.
156 named lines in this family; 6 with their own page.
The opening's share in each Lichess rating band.
At your level, 33 in 100 opponents answer 3. with , 28 with and 17 with , a move strong players almost never choose. Above 2200 online, half go for and nearly 4 in 10 for . The real gap is your own fourth move against . At your level, 4. and 4. are neck and neck at roughly 31 in 100 each, with 4. on 18. Strong players pick 4. in 57 out of 100 online games and in 86 over the board. After , 21 in 100 players at your level castle and only 14 play 5., the choice of 45 in 100 strong players.
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33.3% | 53.3% | 52.5% | 51.1% | |
| 28.0% | 51.1% | 38.5% | 43.1% | |
| 17.0% | 53.0% | no data | no data | |
| 7.0% | 52.6% | 2.0% | 5.2% | |
| 4.0% | 47.2% | no data | no data | |
| 2.8% | 46.9% | 0.9% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 4.2% | 0.6% | |
| no data | no data | 0.8% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31.2% | 54.9% | 23.5% | 9.4% | |
| 30.7% | 53.1% | 56.5% | 86.4% | |
| 18.5% | 51.5% | 2.4% | no data | |
| 7.5% | 52.3% | 6.3% | no data | |
| 6.9% | 55.0% | 10.0% | 4.1% | |
| 3.5% | 51.8% | no data | no data | |
| no data | no data | 0.8% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46.9% | 52.5% | 49.8% | 40.4% | |
| 15.1% | 51.4% | 12.1% | 21.0% | |
| 13.7% | 53.6% | 6.6% | 4.6% | |
| 7.8% | 54.8% | 0.7% | no data | |
| 6.5% | 50.6% | 29.3% | 34.0% | |
| 4.1% | 56.4% | no data | no data | |
| no data | no data | 0.5% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21.2% | 51.3% | 29.9% | 25.1% | |
| 17.7% | 48.5% | no data | no data | |
| 15.7% | 53.3% | 3.7% | 11.1% | |
| 13.6% | 54.2% | 44.7% | 25.6% | |
| 11.5% | 53.3% | 11.7% | 20.1% | |
| 9.3% | 52.8% | no data | no data | |
| no data | no data | 2.4% | 7.0% | |
| no data | no data | 2.3% | no data | |
| no data | no data | no data | 6.0% |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34.1% | 53.0% | 18.5% | 12.9% | |
| 30.3% | 53.2% | 56.0% | 59.3% | |
| 15.0% | 51.6% | 4.7% | 5.0% | |
| 6.9% | 53.3% | no data | no data | |
| 6.5% | 53.3% | no data | no data | |
| 4.3% | 53.0% | 12.4% | 6.4% | |
| no data | no data | 5.0% | 16.4% | |
| no data | no data | 2.4% | no data |
The Italian is about building your center without hurry: pawns on c3, d3 and e4, king castled, rook on e1, and only then a push to d4. The strong-player line shows how the pieces get there: 4. 5. 6. 7..
hits e4, which has no defender after 3.. 4. props it up with a pawn and opens the diagonal for your c1 bishop at the same time. Your opponent answers with a mirror image of your setup: aims at f2 just as your bishop aims at f7, and on both sides only the king guards that square.
5. gets d4 ready. From c3 the pawn covers that square, so when your d-pawn steps forward it has the c3 pawn and the f3 knight behind it, and it hits the c5 bishop and the e5 pawn in one go. , the reply of 56 in 100 strong players, backs up e5 with another pawn so it can hold against that push, and frees the c8 bishop.
6. takes your king off the e-file before the file opens. This is where your level and the strong players part ways. Close to 45 in 100 of your opponents play , pinning your f3 knight to the queen on d1; among strong players it's only 5 in 100. They prefer . If your b-pawn goes to b4 to kick the c5 bishop, the a5 pawn can take it. And a7 is now free as a retreat for that bishop, which still looks at f2 from there.
7., played by 66 in 100 strong players, is what makes the move order work. Now e4 is defended by the d3 pawn and the rook. Once that pawn moves up to d4 it no longer covers e4, while the f6 knight keeps attacking it, so the rook is already in place to hold it. That's why d4 is prepared over several moves instead of being played on move 4.
| Move | Strong games | Chosen by |
|---|---|---|
| 32,388 | 52.5% | |
| 17,169 | 57.7% | |
| 10,093 | 49.3% | |
| 6,435 | 43.5% | |
| 5,028 | 56.1% | |
| 2,827 | 42.8% | |
| 2,225 | 25.7% | |
| 605 | 66.0% |
Blunder, and a trap. After , 4. goes after f7, but there's no knight on f6 blocking the d8 queen's diagonal, so just takes it and hits g2 as well. After 5. you're still a piece down. Play 4. instead. 2 in 100 fall for it, and you score 33.8 against 54.1.
2 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 7.1 pawns of advantage. It scores 33.8%; scores 54.1%.
This position is in the free course: If Black develops the bishop to c5.
After , the e5 pawn looks loose, but it's bait. 4. grabs it, and attacks your e5 knight and the g2 pawn at once. After 5. you've given a piece for a pawn. Play 4. instead. More than 1 in 4 players at your level take the bait, and you score 24.3 against 56.6.
27 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1.9 pawns of advantage. It scores 24.3%; scores 56.6%.
After , 4. wins a pawn, but kicks your f3 knight. After 5. 6. 7., the capture has opened the c8 bishop's diagonal, and it already hits your f5 pawn. Play 4. instead, striking at e5. More than 1 in 3 grab the pawn, and you score 39.4 against 56.5.
38 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1.6 pawns of advantage. It scores 39.4%; scores 56.5%.
Mistake, though at your level it rarely gets punished. After , 4. prepares d4 but leaves e4 hanging: . After 5. , the pawn hits your bishop and protects the knight, and after 6. 7. you're still a pawn down. Play 4. first, which covers e4 before c3. You score 51.8 against 53.1.
4 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1.1 pawns of advantage. It scores 51.8%; scores 53.1%.
This position is in the free course: If Black hits e4 with the knight.
Blunder, the same trap by another route. After there's again no knight on f6 between the d8 queen and g5, so 4. runs into . After 5. 6. 7. you get to hit e5, but a piece down. Play 4. instead. You score 38.1 against 53.9.
2 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 7.3 pawns of advantage. It scores 38.1%; scores 53.9%.
After 4. , 5. forks queen and rook, but opens the d8 to h4 diagonal: threatens mate on f2. After 6. 7. 8. the queens are off, but the e2 knight now attacks your c1 bishop. Play 5. instead. 43 in 100 go for the knight capture, and you score 38.2 against 60.5.
43 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 4.2 pawns of advantage. It scores 38.2%; scores 60.5%.
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 835,922 | ||
| Not castled | 378,326 | |
| Not castled | Not castled | 216,125 |
| 179,417 | ||
| Not castled | 107,224 | |
| 64,621 |
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 1,114 | ||
| Not castled | 57 | |
| 49 | ||
| 44 | ||
| Not castled | 29 | |
| Not castled | Not castled | 23 |
1. 2. 3.
430,499 amateur games · 407 over the board
hits e4 and invites 4., the knight jump aimed at f7.
1. 2. 3. 4.
329,104 amateur games · 315 over the board
After , 4. protects e4 and leaves the fight for d4 until later.
1. 2. 3.
155,495 amateur games · 49 over the board
develops the bishop to c5; you then choose between 4., 4. and 4..
1. 2. 3.
28,187 amateur games · 7 over the board
covers g5 with the bishop before the g8 knight comes out.
1. 2. 3. 4.
17,338 amateur games · 10 over the board
4. offers a pawn to gain time against the c5 bishop. You score 56.6 in 100.
1. 2. 3. · 297,091 amateur games
takes g5 away from your knight; 17 in 100 opponents at your level play it.
1. 2. 3. 4. · 191,356 amateur games · 454 over the board
After , 4. prepares d4 to hit the c5 bishop and take the center.
1. 2. 3. · 157,290 amateur games · 53 over the board
supports e5 with a pawn but shuts the f8 bishop out of the c5 diagonal.
1. 2. 3. · 70,110 amateur games
leaves e5 unprotected as bait; against it you score 47.3 in 100.
1. 2. 3. · 45,236 amateur games
attacks your e4 pawn and opens your bishop's diagonal all the way to g8.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · 20,208 amateur games · 17 over the board
After 4. , 5. leaves e4 undefended to gain time for development.
1. 2. 3. 4. · 8,033 amateur games · 19 over the board
After 4., declines to trade on d4 and holds e5 with a pawn.
1. 2. 3. 4. · 5,968 amateur games · 1 over the board
After , 4. attacks the c5 bishop and the e5 pawn at the same time.
1. 2. 3. 4. · 4,850 amateur games
4. gives up the bishop for a pawn: your opponent's king must move and can no longer castle.
1. 2. 3. 4. · 4,316 amateur games · 4 over the board
After 4., turns down the pawn and keeps the bishop on the f2 diagonal.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · 3,313 amateur games
After 4. , 5. kicks the bishop with a pawn the c3 pawn already defends.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · C50
1,635 amateur games · White's score: 56.2%
1. 2. 3. 4. · C51
163 amateur games · White's score: 49.4%
It's 1. 2. 3.: your knight attacks e5 and your bishop points at f7. You can also reach it with 2. 3.. It comes up in 6 of every 100 games between 900 and 1700, and in over-the-board games above 2300 the side playing it scores 57 in 100.
Your bishop on c4 targets f7 and your knight on f3 hits e5. Then you build up slowly: 4. protects e4, 5. gets d4 ready, and after castling 7. puts a rook behind e4, so it stays protected once the d3 pawn advances. Your opponent mirrors you, with the c5 bishop aiming at f2.
The plan repeats from game to game: develop, protect e4 with d3, castle, then prepare d4. Between 900 and 1100 you score 52.7 in 100 with it. The danger is grabbing material too early. After , more than 1 in 4 players take on e5 with 4., a pawn grab that costs a piece.