Bc4 - The Giuoco Piano / 2 Knights Defense

The most important chess opening to learn, especially for young players, is the Italian Game, comprising mainly the Giuoco Piano and the Two Knights Defense. This is because this opening focuses on the early assault on the square f7 (or f2), which is a weak square in the opening as it is only defended by the king. The opening moves of the Italian Game are 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4. Then Black's main choices are 3 ... Bc5 (the Giuoco Piano), and 3 ... Nf6 (the Two Knights Defense).

1 e4 e5

Above is the position after the moves 1 e4 e5. These moves introduce the so-called "Double King-Pawn Openings" or "Open Games". Moving the king-pawn two squares forward is the most classical move, because is occupies and controls the center, and allows for quick development of the king bishop and queen, which facilitates early castling. White's choices in this position are 2 Nf3 (the classical move), 2 Nc3 (the Vienna Game), 2 f4 (the King's Gambit - which we would not recommend for beginning players!), 2 Bc4 (the Bishop's Opening) and 2 d4 (the Center Game). With 2 Nf3, White develops his king knight to its best square, and attacks the Black e-pawn. This is more popular than 2 Bc4, because against 2 Bc4 Black can play 2 ... Nf6, which attacks the White e-pawn (as well as keeping the White queen from causing any trouble by coming out to h5).

This is the position after 2 Nf3 Nc6. 2 ... Nc6 by Black is the most common response. Other tries are 2 ... Nf6 (Petroff's Defence), 2 ... d6 (Philidor's Defence) and 2 ... f5?! (the Latvian Counter-Gambit, but we would prefer to avoid any move with our f-pawns). After 2 ... Nc6, White could respond with 3 Nc3 (the 3 Knights Game, which would probably turn into a 4 Knights Game after the reply 3 ... Nf6), 3 d4 (the Scotch) or 3 Bb5 (the Ruy Lopez - also called the Spanish).

White has played the most direct attacking move, 3 Bc4. Now, aside from the fairly passive 3 ... Be7 (the Hungarian Defense), Black has two main replies, 3 ... Bc5 and 3 ... Nf6.

The Giuoco Piano

This is the Giuoco Piano, which, paradoxically, is Italian for "Quiet Game". The important point about 3 ... Bc5 is that Black obtains classical development with counterattacking chances, and also, White cannot start the attack against f7 with the move 4 Ng5? as Black's queen still controls that square.

This is the position after 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Bc5 4 d3, the Giuoco Pianissimo ("Very Quiet Game"). With 4 d3 White envisions the move Nf3-g5 as his queen bishop now defends that square. However, if Black now plays 4 ... Nf6, then 5 Ng5 is not very strong as Black will play 5 ... O-O, castling and defending the f7 point with his rook. Therefore, White should refrain from 5 Ng5 and instead play developing moves like Bc1-g5, Nb1-c3 and castling, and Black will often do the same. The symmetrical nature of the position is what gives it the name "Quiet Game", but things can get pretty wild, depending on who can get their attack going first, using the queen bishop on g5 (or, for Black, g4), and then moving the queen knight into the center (d5 or d4) to increase the pressure on the pinned piece.

This is the position after 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Bc5 4 c3, the Moeller Variation of the Giuoco Piano. Here White aims to play the move d2-d4 to push back the Black bishop, and hand-to-hand combat can arise very quickly. The main line is 4 ... Nf6 5 d4 exd4 6 cxd4 Bb4+ with continuing complications.

The 2 Knights Defence

This is the position after 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Nf6. Black counterattacks the White e-pawn, but White is allowed to play the fierce move 4 Ng5, which threatens to play 5 Nxf7, with a double attack against Black's queen and rook!

After 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Nf6 4 Ng5 Black just about has to play the move 4 ... d5, shutting off the pressure on the bishop's diagonal. Then after 5 exd5, Black can play 5 ... Nxd5, but this allows the dangerous sacrifice 6 Nxf7, known as the "Fried Liver Attack". If White does not want to make the knight, he can play 6 d4 instead. In the diagram position, after 4 ... d5 5 exd5, a good idea for Black is to play the move 5 ... Na5, pushing the dangerous bishop off that diagonal (and responding to 6 Bb5+ with 6 ... c6). In this way, Black hopes to prove that White has misplaced his pieces on an early raid, although White is up a pawn at the moment.

We hope that this tour of the Italian Game has proved both entertaining and informative. If you have any comments or questions, just send them in: mikerohde@infochess.com