Chess Drills
Italian Game: easy plans for White and a trap to avoid
The Italian Game is one of the oldest openings in chess, and it is still played from club level to the world championship. You bring out your knight and then your bishop to c4. From there the bishop aims at f7, the weakest square in Black's position, because at the start only the king protects it.
Then you choose a plan. You can build a big pawn centre, play slowly and attack later, or give away a pawn for a fast attack. If Black brings a knight to f6 on move three, you are in the Two Knights Defense.
Good fit for: Players who want to get their pieces out fast, follow clear ideas and attack, without learning lots of moves by heart.
Drill these 6 lines with spaced repetition: a few minutes a day, and the moves stick.
Key ideas
- Get your pieces out and castle. Knight out, bishop out, castle. In the Italian you are often ready to castle by move four or five, and a castled king is much safer.
- Aim at f7. Your bishop on c4 looks at f7. Sometimes your knight jumps to g5 to attack f7 as well. If Black is careless, tricks on f7 appear.
- Pawns to c3 and d4. Pushing your c-pawn to c3 prepares the push to d4. If Black lets it happen, you get two strong pawns side by side in the centre, on e4 and d4.
- Or play slowly. With the pawn to d3 you keep the centre closed. You then walk your queen's knight (the one on b1) via d2 and f1 to g3, and attack later.
The main lines
Giuoco Piano: go for the centre straight away
Black's bishop comes to c5. You push your pawns to c3 and d4 to build a big centre right away. Black swaps pawns, gives a check with the bishop, trades it, and then hits back in the centre with the pawn to d5.
- Your plan: take back with your pieces, castle quickly and use your active pieces.
- Why does Black push to d5? To break up your centre before your pawns can roll forward.
- Good to know: you get active pieces, Black gets a free position. Both sides castle quickly.
Giuoco Pianissimo: the slow plan with d3
This is the most played Italian today, at every level. You keep things slow: pawns to d3 and c3, castle, and put your rook on e1. Black does much the same, with the pawn to d6 and castling.
- Your plan: improve your pieces first. Push the a-pawn to a4 and walk the knight from b1 via d2 and f1 to g3.
- Why so slow? Nothing is decided early. Patience and moving your pieces to better squares win these games.
- Good to know: Black's pawn to a6 gives the bishop on c5 a safe square on a7 if you attack it.
Evans Gambit: give a pawn for a fast attack
You offer your b-pawn to Black's bishop. When Black takes it, you push your pawns to c3 and d4, and you gain time by chasing the bishop. You are a pawn down, but your pieces come out faster and lines open up.
- Your plan: castle quickly and use your lead in development and the open lines.
- Why give a pawn? A gambit (a pawn sacrifice) buys you time. Black spends moves on the bishop while you bring out your pieces.
- Good to know: it catches many unprepared opponents, and Black must defend accurately.
Fried Liver Attack: the knight sacrifice on f7
Black brings a knight to f6, you jump with your knight to g5 to attack f7, and Black blocks with the pawn to d5. If Black takes back on d5 with the knight, you can sacrifice your knight on f7. Black's king has to take it, your queen gives check, and the king gets stuck in the centre.
- Why does it work? Black's king is out in the open, and your queen, bishop and knights all join in. White's attack is very strong.
- Your plan: after the king goes to e6, bring your other knight to c3 to pile up on Black's knight on d5.
- Good to know: taking back on d5 with the knight is Black's mistake. The better move is the knight to a5 (see the next line).
Two Knights main line: Black's knight goes to a5
This is Black's correct answer. Instead of taking back on d5, Black's knight jumps to a5 and attacks your bishop. After a check and some pawn swaps, Black is a pawn down but has more space and active pieces.
- Your plan: keep the extra pawn, drop your bishop back to e2 and bring your knight back into play.
- Watch out: Black chases your knight with pawn moves, first from g5 to f3 and then on to e5.
- Good to know: these are sharp positions, and as White you have to know the moves.
Two Knights: the calm plan with d3
Against Black's knight to f6, many players avoid the sharp lines and simply push the pawn to d3. This protects your pawn on e4 and leads to the same slow kind of game as the Giuoco Pianissimo.
- Your plan: castle, rook to e1, pawn to c3, then improve your pieces slowly.
- Why choose it? You don't need to learn the sharp lines after the knight jump to g5.
Traps and mistakes to avoid
Don't take on e5 when Black's knight jumps to d4
Sometimes Black plays 3...Nd4 (the Blackburne Shilling Gambit) and leaves the pawn on e5 without a defender. Taking it with your knight is exactly what Black hopes for. Black's queen comes to g5 and attacks both your knight and your pawn on g2. If you carry on and take on f7, Black's queen takes on g2 and then on e4 with check, and the knight jumps to f3: checkmate. Simply take the knight on d4, or castle.
Questions
Italian Game or Ruy Lopez?
Both start the same way. In the Italian your bishop goes to c4 and aims at f7, which is easier to learn. In the Ruy Lopez the bishop goes to b5 and attacks the knight that protects e5. Those games are slower and need more theory (known moves). Start with the Italian.
Is the Italian Game good for beginners?
Yes. It follows the basic rules: get your pieces out, control the centre, castle. It also teaches the tricks around f7 that you will see in many games.
What if Black brings a knight to f6 on move three?
That is the Two Knights Defense. Push your pawn to d3 for a calm game, or jump with the knight to g5 for a sharp one. If you choose the sharp way, learn Black's best answer, the knight to a5, really well.
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