The Italian (Overview)

The Italian Opening is one of the oldest and most well-known chess openings. It’s a great opening for beginners and advanced players alike and it can be played in a more solid style or a more aggressive style depending on what you like!

Some key themes in the Italian Game (that you’ll see shown in the exploration of different lines) are: playing for a central d4 break, targeting the f7 pawn, and preserving the important light-squared bishop. Knowing the Italian well can be useful for playing the Spanish and Scotch openings, as well as bettering your overall knowledge of principled chess play.

This is the beginning to the Italian Game and depending on black’s response, we’ll have a few different ways to continue:

Fried Liver

One of the most popular responses to Nf6 is for white to go for the Fried Liver. This opening is quite aggressive (moving a piece twice in the opening to get a quick attack on f7) and if black doesn’t know how to respond, it can end the game very quickly.

Non-Fried Liver Lines

Assuming black doesn’t play 5…Nxd5, the game will continue in a very different manner. The Polerio is seen as one of the stronger Fried Liver Alternatives, giving up a pawn for quick development. White can easily fall behind and lose the game rather quickly if they’re not careful. The Ulvestad and Fritz are less popular, but are both interesting lines (going after the weak d5 pawn by kicking white’s light-squared bishop.

Giuoco Piano

The Giuoco Piano is a slower way to play the Italian, usually revolving around a prepared fight over the center and piece maneuvering. 

Evans Gambit

The Evans Gambit is the aggressive way to respond to the Giuoco Piano, for players who prefer more chaotic games. Gambitting a pawn in order to play a quick (and thematic) c3, d4 central pawn break! 

The Modern Bishop’s Opening usually transposes into the Giuoco Pianissimo. Black has a few different options, though, and some can fight for a more aggressive game.

As you’ve seen, the Italian is a very versatile opening! It can be played for more solid positions or it can quickly devolve into aggressive, attacking lines. Understanding the main ideas (f7 pressure, the importance of the light-squared bishop, central control, etc.) and learning some basic theory can get you a very strong opening that can take you from beginner to expert.