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Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo

The modern Italian: White keeps the centre solid with c3 and d3, then slowly prepares d4 and a kingside build-up. Carlsen and Caruana play it at the highest level.

Intermediate · Open games (1.e4 e5) · 18 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine.

Step 1

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo (C53). You play White. The modern Italian: White keeps the centre solid with c3 and d3, then slowly prepares d4 and a kingside build-up. Carlsen and Caruana play it at the highest level.

Step 2

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1.e4

White plays pawn to e4. It takes a centre square (e4). It opens a line for the queen on d1. It opens a line for the bishop on f1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 46% of 3.9 million games.

Step 3

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1...e5

Black plays pawn to e5. It takes a centre square (e5). It opens a line for the queen on d8. It opens a line for the bishop on f8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 21% of 1.8 million games.

Step 4

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2.Nf3

White plays knight to f3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). It attacks the pawn on e5. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 89% of 384k games.

Step 5

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2...Nc6

Black plays knight to c6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 86% of 336k games.

Step 6

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3.Bc4

White plays bishop to c4. It develops the bishop into the game. It controls the centre (d5). Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 21% of 293k games.

Step 7

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3...Bc5

Black plays bishop to c5. It develops the bishop into the game. It controls the centre (d4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 49% of 64k games.

Step 8

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4.c3

White plays pawn to c3. It controls the centre (d4). It opens a line for the queen on d1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 53% of 32k games.

Step 9

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4...Nf6

Black plays knight to f6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Now castling is possible. It attacks the pawn on e4. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 94% of 16k games.

Step 10

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5.d3

White plays pawn to d3. It controls the centre (e4). It opens a line for the bishop on c1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 67% of 15k games.

Step 11

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5...d6

Black plays pawn to d6. It controls the centre (e5). It opens a line for the bishop on c8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 49% of 16k games.

Step 12

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6.O-O

White castles. Castling puts the king in safety and brings the rook toward the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 40% of 7962 games.

Step 13

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6...O-O

Black castles. Castling puts the king in safety and brings the rook toward the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 25% of 7753 games.

Step 14

♜︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7.Re1

White plays rook to e1. It controls the centre (e4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 18% of 3088 games.

Step 15

♜︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7...a6

Black plays pawn to a6. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 34% of 675 games.

Step 16

♜︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 8.Bb3

White plays bishop to b3. It controls the centre (d5). It pins the pawn on f7. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 37% of 306 games.

Step 17

♜︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 8...Ba7

Black plays bishop to a7. It controls the centre (d4). It pins the pawn on f2. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 69% of 240 games.

Step 18

♜︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
The position

This is the main position of the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo. Now practise it against the engine: choose a strength and play on from here.

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More lessons in Open games (1.e4 e5)

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