The (; )Hooper & Whyld (1996), p. 153. ''Giuoco Piano''. "The name means 'quiet game' and until the 19th century was often applied to any opening that was not a gambit." is a

chess opening The opening is the initial stage of a chess game. It usually consists of established Chess_theory#Opening_theory, theory. The other phases are the chess middlegame, middlegame and the chess endgame, endgame. Many opening sequences, known as ''op ...

beginning with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bc4 Bc5 "White aims to develop quickly – but so does Black. White can construct a but in unfavourable conditions a centre which cannot provide a basis for further active play." The name "

Italian Game The Italian Game is a family of chess openings beginning with the moves: :1. b:Chess Opening Theory/1. e4, e4 b:Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5, e5 :2. b:Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. Nf3, Nf3 b:Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. Nf3 ...

" is also commonly used; however, that name is sometimes used instead to describe all openings starting 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4, including 3...Nf6 (the Two Knights Defence) and other less common replies. The Giuoco Piano is assigned codes C50 to C54 in the ''

Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings The ''Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings'' (''ECO'') is a reference work describing the state of Chess theory#Opening theory, opening theory in chess, originally published in five volumes from 1974 to 1979 by the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugos ...

''.

History

The Giuoco Piano is one of the oldest recorded openings. The Portuguese writer Pedro Damiano played it at the beginning of the 16th century and the Italian Greco played it at the beginning of the 17th century. The Giuoco Piano was popular through the 19th century, but modern refinements in defensive play have led most chess masters towards openings like the

Ruy Lopez The Ruy Lopez (; ), also called the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bb5 The Ruy Lopez remains one of the most popular chess openings, featuring many variations. In ...

that offer White greater chances for long-term

initiative Popular initiative A popular initiative (also citizens' initiative) is a form of direct democracy by which a petition meeting certain hurdles can force a legal procedure on a proposition. In direct initiative, the proposition is put direct ...

. In modern play, grandmasters have shown distinct preference for the slower and more strategic Giuoco Pianissimo (4.d3, or 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3).

Anatoly Karpov Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov (, ; born May 23, 1951) is a Russian and former Soviet Grandmaster (chess), chess grandmaster, former World Chess Championship, World Chess Champion, ⁣and politician. He was the 12th World Chess Champion from 1975 ...

used the Giuoco Pianissimo against

Viktor Korchnoi Viktor Lvovich Korchnoi (, ; 23 March 1931 – 6 June 2016) was a Soviet (before 1976) and Swiss (after 1980) chess grandmaster (GM) and chess writer. He is considered one of the strongest players never to have become World Chess Champion. Bor ...

twice in the 1981 World Championship match, with both games ending in a draw;

Garry Kasparov Garry Kimovich Kasparov (born Garik Kimovich Weinstein on 13 April 1963) is a Russian Grandmaster (chess), chess grandmaster, former World Chess Champion (1985–2000), political activist and writer. His peak FIDE chess Elo rating system, ra ...

used it against Joël Lautier at Linares 1994, resigning after 29 moves;

Vladimir Kramnik Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik (; born 25 June 1975) is a Russian Grandmaster (chess), chess grandmaster. He was the World Chess Champion#Split title (1993–2006), Classical World Chess Champion from 2000 to 2006, and the 14th undisputed World Ch ...

chose it against

Teimour Radjabov Teimour Boris oghlu Radjabov (also spelled Teymur Rajabov; , ; born 12 March 1987) is an Azerbaijani Grandmaster (chess), chess grandmaster. A former child prodigy, he earned the title of Grandmaster (chess), Grandmaster in March 2001 at age 14, ...

at Linares (2004); Viswanathan Anand used it to defeat Jon Hammer in 2010;

Magnus Carlsen Sven Magnus Øen Carlsen (born 30 November 1990) is a Norwegian Grandmaster (chess), chess grandmaster. Carlsen is a five-time World Chess Championship, World Chess Champion, five-time World Rapid Chess Championship, World Rapid Chess Champio ...

used it against

Hikaru Nakamura Christopher Hikaru NakamuraIan Nepomniachtchi used it against Magnus Carlsen in the 2021 World Championship match, losing in 49 moves.

Variations

The main continuations on White's fourth move are: * 4. c3, the Main line * 4. b4, the Evans Gambit, in which White offers a pawn in return for rapid * 4. d3, the Giuoco Pianissimo * 4. 0-0, often with the intention of meeting 4...Nf6 with 5.d4, the Max Lange Attack, in which White opens up the , or 5.d3, the Giuoco Pianissimo Other continuations are: * 4. Nc3 Nf6, the Four Knights Variation * 4. d4, the Italian Gambit, which is considered an inaccurate move order due to the reply 4...Bxd4 * 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5, the Jerome Gambit, an opening where White sacrifices two pieces with the idea of exposing Black's king and obtaining a

Main line: 4.c3

White plays 4.c3 in preparation for the central advance d2–d4. The main reply 4...Nf6 was first analysed by Greco in the 17th century. Alternatives include 4...Qe7, with the intention of holding on to the centre.

4...Nf6

5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 :White can also try 6.e5, a line favoured by Evgeny Sveshnikov, when play usually continues 6...d5 7.Bb5 Ne4 8.cxd4 Bb6, with approximate . Additionally, White has a gambit alternative in 6.0-0, which Graham Burgess revived in the book ''101 Chess Opening Surprises''; the critical line runs 6...Nxe4 7.cxd4 d5 8.dxc5 dxc4 9.Qe2 Qd3. The seldom seen pawn thrust 6.b4 was played in the off-balance upset encounter

Fier Fier (; sq-definite, Fieri, Latin: ''Fierum'') is the seventh most populous city of the Republic of Albania and seat of Fier County and Fier Municipality. It is situated on the bank of Gjanica River in the Myzeqe Plain between the Seman in ...

– Mamedyarov, Chessable Masters 2023. After 6...Bb6 7.e5 d5 8.exf6 dxc4 9.Qe2+ Be6 10.b5, Black offered the sacrifice 10...Nb4. White choose to accept the offer with 11.cxb4, allowing Black a pair of connected

passed pawn In chess, a passed pawn is a pawn with no opposing pawns to prevent it from advancing to the eighth ; i.e. there are no opposing pawns in front of it on either the same or adjacent files. A passed pawn is sometimes colloquially called a passe ...

s for the piece. Accurate play was required to hold back the passers' advance. Play continued 11...Qxf6 12.0-0 0-0 13.a4 a5 14.bxa5 Rxa5 15.Bg5 Qf5 16.Bd2 Raa8 17.Bb4 Rfe8 18.a5 Qxb5 19.Qd2 c5. White countered with 20.Bc3, attempting to exchange his extra bishop for the dangerous d-pawn, seeking to regain equality. Black eventually converted his advantage, with the simplifying and consolidating exchanges 20...Bd8 21.Bxd4 cxd4 22.Nxd4 Qd7 23.Nxe6 Qxe6. 6...Bb4+ :White now has a choice between 7.Nc3 and 7.Bd2. 7.Nc3 usually leads to the Møller Attack, an aggressive line involving the sacrifice of a pawn, but it has been largely abandoned in high-level games, as Black gains the advantage with accurate defence. 7.Bd2 offers about equal chances.

= 7.Nc3 (including Greco Variation and Møller Attack)

= 7...Nxe4 8.0-0 (diagram) :Greco encouraged an attack on White's with 8.0-0, allowing 8...Nxc3, the Greco Variation. If 9.bxc3 Bxc3?! 10.Qb3 Bxa1?, White wins with 11.Bxf7+ Kf8 12.Bg5. Greco's game (probably analysis) continues 12...Ne7 13.Ne5 (13.Re1 and 13.Rxa1 also win) 13...d5 14.Qf3 Bf5 15.Be6 g6 16.Bh6+ Ke8 17.Bf7#. This is well-known, and Black can avoid it by playing 10...d5. For this reason, the Scottish master James Aitken proposed 10.Ba3, which gives White the advantage. After 9.bxc3, best for Black is 9...d5! 10.cxb4 dxc4 11.Re1+ Ne7 12.Qa4+! Bd7 13.b5 0-0 14.Qxc4 Ng6! :In 1898, Danish player Jørgen Møller published analysis of the line in ''Tidsskrift for Skak''. In what is now known as the Møller Attack, White sacrifices a pawn for development and the initiative. 8...Bxc3 9.d5 :9.bxc3 is met with 9...d5! 9...Bf6 :On 9...Ne5, a possible continuation is 10.bxc3 Nxc4 11.Qd4 f5 12.Qxc4 d6. 10.Re1 Ne7 11.Rxe4 d6 12.Bg5 Bxg5 13.Nxg5 h6! :13...0-0 14.Nxh7! has been analysed to a draw with best play, although Black has many opportunities to go wrong. 14.Bb5+ :After 14.Qe2 hxg5 15.Re1 Be6! 16.dxe6 (White also can try 16.Qd2 c6! 17.dxe6 f6 18.Bd3 d5 19.Rg4 Qc7 20.h3 0-0-0 21.b4, attacking) 16...f6 17.Re3 c6 18.Rh3 Rxh3 19.gxh3 g6 it is doubtful that White has compensation for the sacrificed pawn, according to Grandmaster

Larry Kaufman Lawrence Charles Kaufman (born November 15, 1947) is an American chess player. He was awarded the title Grandmaster by FIDE for winning the 2008 World Seniors Championship (which he later retroactively shared with Mihai Suba). Kaufman had been ...

; 14.Qh5 0-0 15.Rae1 Ng6! (or 15...Nf5!) also favours Black. 14...Bd7 15.Qe2 Bxb5 16.Qxb5+ Qd7 17.Qxb7 :17.Qe2 Kf8! wins a second pawn, as in Barczay– Portisch,

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1969. 17...0-0 18.Rae1 Rab8 19.Qxa7 Nxd5 20.Qd4 Qf5 21.Nf3 Rb4 :and Black is clearly better.

= 7.Bd2

= If White does not want to gambit , 7.Bd2!, Greco's move, is a good alternative. The game could continue 7...Bxd2+ (Kaufman recommends 7...Nxe4 8.Bxb4 Nxb4 9.Bxf7+ Kxf7 10.Qb3+ d5!? endgame">chess endgame">endgame11.Ne5+ Ke6! 12.Qxb4 c5!?) 8.Nbxd2 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Qb3 Nce7 (10...Na5 is an alternative, inviting a repetition of moves after 11.Qa4+ Nc6 hreatening 12...Nb612.Qb3 Na5) 11.0-0 0-0 12.Rfe1 c6. In this position White has more freedom, but the isolated d-pawn can be a weakness. 7.Nbd2 is also a viable move for White, although this still only offers approximate equality. It has not been a popular choice among human players, but it seems to be recommended by computer engines. 7.Kf1?! has been largely abandoned.

4...Qe7 and alternatives

Black can try to hold a in the centre at e5 with 4...Qe7, a move which first appeared in the

Göttingen manuscript The Göttingen manuscript is the earliest known work devoted entirely to modern chess. It is a Latin text of 33 leaves held at the University of Göttingen. A quarto parchment manuscript of 33 leaves, ff. 1–15a are a discussion of twelve chess ...

c. 1500. After 5.d4 (5.0-0 usually transposes) Bb6, White's options include 6.0-0, 6.d5, 6.a4 and 6.Bg5. A typical continuation is 6.0-0 d6 7.a4 a6 8.h3 Nf6 9.Re1 0-0 ( Leonhardt– Spielmann, Ostend 1907). 4...Bb6 usually transposes after 5.d4 Qe7. Other 4th moves for Black are considered inferior.

Giuoco Pianissimo: 4.d3

With 4. d3, White plays the Giuoco Pianissimo (, a name given by

Adolf Anderssen Karl Ernst Adolf Anderssen (6 July 1818 – 13 March 1879)"Anderssen, Adolf" in ''Encyclopædia Britannica, The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 385. was a German chess master. ...

). White aims for a slow buildup, deferring the to d4 until it can be prepared. By avoiding an immediate confrontation in the centre, White prevents the early release of through exchanges and enters a positional maneuvering game. 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.d3 is the Giuoco Pianissimo Deferred. 4.d3 f5 is the not-so-quiet Lucchini Gambit; there can follow 5.Ng5 f4, the Dubois Variation.Hooper & Whyld (1996), p. 116. If White plays c2–c3, the position can take some characteristics of the

if the bishop retreats to c2 via b3. This idea has been taken up by some grandmasters, such as

Anish Giri Anish Kumar Giri (; ; born 28 June 1994) is a Dutch chess grandmaster. A chess prodigy Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves no hidden information and no elements of chance. It is played on ...

, to avoid the drawish Berlin Defence in the Ruy Lopez. White can also play b4 and a4, chasing the black bishop and staking out on the . Despite its slow, drawish reputation, this variation became more popular after being taken up by

John Nunn John Denis Martin Nunn (born 25 April 1955) is an English chess grandmaster, a three-time world champion in chess problem solving, a chess writer and publisher, and a mathematician. He is one of England's strongest chess players and was form ...

in the 1980s. The common move orders are 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 ('' ECO'' C54), and transposition from the

Bishop's Opening The Bishop's Opening is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Bc4 White attacks Black's f7-square and prevents Black from advancing the d-pawn to d5. By ignoring the beginner's maxim "develop knights before bishops", White ...

: 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 Nc6 4.Nf3 Bc5 5.c3 or 5.0-0 d6 6.c3.

''ECO'' codes

Codes from the ''

'' are: * C50

, includes Giuoco Piano lines other than 4.c3 and 4.b4 * C51 Evans Gambit * C52 Evans Gambit, with 4...Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 * C53 Giuoco Piano, 4.c3, without 4...Nf6 * C54 Giuoco Piano, 4.c3 Nf6 ** includes other than 5.d4 and 5.d3 ** 5.d4 exd4, without 6.cxd4 ** 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 ** 5.d3

References

Bibliography * * * * * *

External links

"The Italian Game for beginners"
Exeter Chess Club (UK) {{Authority control Chess openings 15th century in chess 16th century in chess