Guide · 2026-11-03 · 8 min read

The Italian Game for beginners: moves, plans and the traps to know

One of the oldest openings in chess and still one of the best for children: the main ideas after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4, the quiet plan with c3 and d3, the Two Knights and the Fried Liver, and the Blackburne Shilling trap.

If your child plays 1.e4 and wants one opening to learn properly, the Italian Game is the classic choice. It follows every opening principle (see the 10 opening principles), it leads to positions where the plans are easy to understand, and it is still played at the very top: game 2 of the 2024 World Championship match between Gukesh and Ding Liren was a quiet Italian.

It is also one of the oldest recorded openings. Italian writers analysed it in the 1500s, and the games of Gioachino Greco, published in 1620, already show White playing c3 and d4 in it. Its traditional name, Giuoco Piano, means "the quiet game".

The starting moves

The Italian Game begins 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4.

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4: the Italian Game. The bishop on c4 aims at f7, the weakest square in Black’s camp.

Each White move has a clear purpose. 1.e4 takes the centre and opens the bishop and queen. 2.Nf3 develops and attacks the pawn on e5. 3.Bc4 develops the bishop to its most active diagonal, aimed at f7. Next White wants to castle and then build a centre with c3 and d4 (or d3).

Black has two main answers: 3...Bc5 (the Giuoco Piano proper) and 3...Nf6 (the Two Knights Defence). A third, 3...Nd4?!, is a trap you must know.

Plan 1: the quiet Italian with c3 and d3

This is the version most coaches teach children first, and the version grandmasters play most today. White builds slowly and keeps every piece safe: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.O-O O-O 7.Re1 a6 8.Bb3 Ba7 9.Nbd2.

♜︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
After 9.Nbd2: White’s typical set-up. The knight is heading for f1 and g3, the bishop has stepped back to b3 where it is safe, and d3-d4 can come later.

The ideas to remember:

For Black the plans mirror White’s: castle, play ...a6 and ...Ba7 to keep the bishop, and prepare ...d5 or a knight on g6.

Plan 2: the open centre with 5.d4

If your child likes sharp positions, White can strike at once: 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Bxd2+ 8.Nbxd2 d5. White has a big pawn centre; Black hits it immediately with ...d5. These positions are more open and need more accuracy, so they are a good second step after the quiet line.

The Two Knights Defence: 3...Nf6

Black can attack the e4 pawn at once with 3...Nf6. Now White has a famous and very direct option: 4.Ng5, attacking f7 twice with knight and bishop.

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After 4.Ng5 in the Two Knights: knight and bishop both attack f7. Black must react.

The main line is 4...d5 5.exd5 and now the correct move is 5...Na5!, attacking the bishop. After 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Be2 h6 9.Nf3 e4 10.Ne5, Black is a pawn down but has quick development and active pieces. This is serious opening theory; for a beginner the main thing is the warning about the natural-looking 5...Nxd5?.

The Fried Liver Attack

After 5...Nxd5? White can sacrifice a knight: 6.Nxf7! Kxf7 7.Qf3+ Ke6 8.Nc3. The black king is dragged to e6, in the middle of the board, and the knight on d5 is pinned to him and attacked three times (by the queen, the knight and the bishop). In practice Black’s position is very hard to defend. (The fork on f7 is explained in forks, pins and skewers.)

For beginners who do not want to learn the sharp lines after 4.Ng5, the quiet 4.d3 is a perfectly good answer to 3...Nf6, leading to the c3-d3 set-up above.

The Blackburne Shilling trap: 3...Nd4?!

Every Italian player meets this, usually from a friend or online. Black plays 3...Nd4?!, moving the knight a second time and leaving e5 unprotected.

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After 3...Nd4?!: the pawn on e5 looks free. It is bait.

If White grabs the pawn with 4.Nxe5?, Black plays 4...Qg5!, attacking the knight and the pawn on g2. The natural 5.Nxf7?? (forking queen and rook) loses to 5...Qxg2 6.Rf1 Qxe4+ 7.Be2 Nf3#.

♜︎♝︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The Blackburne Shilling mate after 7...Nf3#: the knight checks the king on e1, which is boxed in by its own bishop and rook.

The right reply to 3...Nd4 is simple: 4.Nxd4 (exd4 5.O-O or 5.c3), or just 4.O-O or 4.c3. White gets an easy, good position, because Black has moved one knight twice and done nothing else. The general lesson: when an opponent leaves a pawn hanging for no reason, look for what the "gift" allows before you take it.

Mistakes beginners make in the Italian

Learn it on Chess Castles

Questions players ask

Is the Italian Game good for beginners?

Yes. It develops pieces naturally, castles early and gives clear plans. Many coaches teach it as the first real opening for White.

What is the difference between the Italian Game and the Giuoco Piano?

The Italian Game is everything after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4. The Giuoco Piano is the main branch, 3...Bc5. The Two Knights Defence, 3...Nf6, is the other big branch.

Should I play 4.Ng5 against the Two Knights?

Only if you are ready to learn the lines after 4...d5 5.exd5 Na5. Otherwise 4.d3 is simpler and very sound.

Beginners के लिए Italian Game: moves, plans और जानने लायक जाल

Chess की सबसे पुरानी openings में से एक और आज भी बच्चों के लिए सबसे अच्छी में से एक: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 के बाद के मुख्य ideas, c3 और d3 वाला शांत plan, Two Knights और Fried Liver, और Blackburne Shilling जाल।

Beginners साठी Italian Game: moves, plans आणि माहीत हवेत असे सापळे

Chess मधल्या सर्वात जुन्या openings पैकी एक आणि आजही मुलांसाठी सर्वोत्तमांपैकी एक: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 नंतरच्या मुख्य ideas, c3 आणि d3 चा शांत plan, Two Knights आणि Fried Liver, आणि Blackburne Shilling सापळा.

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