Giuoco Piano

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 name Giuoco Piano ("quiet game") was often applied to any non-gambit opening until the 19th century.^[6] 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 that offer White greater chances for long-term initiative.

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 used the Giuoco Pianissimo against Viktor Korchnoi twice in the 1981 World Championship match, with both games ending in a draw;^[7][8] Garry Kasparov used it against Joël Lautier at Linares 1994, resigning after 29 moves;^[9] Vladimir Kramnik chose it against Teimour Radjabov at Linares (2004);^[10] Viswanathan Anand used it to defeat Jon Hammer in 2010;^[11] Magnus Carlsen used it against Hikaru Nakamura at London 2011, winning in 41 moves^[12] and Ian Nepomniachtchi used it against Magnus Carlsen in the 2021 World Championship match, losing in 49 moves.^[13]

The main continuations on White's fourth move are:

• 4.c3, the traditional main line
• 4.d3, the Giuoco Pianissimo
• 4.b4, the Evans Gambit, in which White offers a pawn in return for rapid development

Other continuations include:

• 4.0-0 Nf6 usually transposes into the Giuoco Pianissimo after 5.d3; if White plays 5.d4, attempting to transpose into the Max Lange Attack, Black has the option of 5...Bxd4
• 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 unsound opening where White sacrifices two pieces with the idea of exposing Black's king and obtaining a mating attack

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4.c3 Nf6 5.d4

4.c3 is the classical reply^[14] and supports the central advance 5.d4. The main reply is 4...Nf6, which was first analysed by Greco in the 17th century.^[15] After 5.d4, Black usually responds with 5...exd4. From here, 6.cxd4 is the classical continuation, to which Black almost always responds with 6...Bb4+ (6...Bb6 is weak because of 7.e5). White can then play 7.Nc3, 7.Bd2, 7.Nbd2, blocking the check, or 7.Kf1!?, which avoids pinning a piece to the king at the cost of losing castling rights.

The move 6.e5, advocated by Evgeny Sveshnikov, is White's primary sixth move alternative, and has become more popular than 6.cxd4, though it was once rare. 6.b4, advocated by Daniil Dubov and others, is also seen, as well as 6.0-0.

White may combine other fifth moves with 4.c3 instead of playing 5.d4. 5.d3 transposes to the Giuoco Pianissimo, a move which became more common than the traditional 5.d4 in the 20th century. 5.0-0 enters the Albin Gambit, which can be accepted with 5...Nxe4 or declined, usually with 5...d6.

Black also has fourth move alternatives in response to 4.c3. The most notable are 4...Qe7, the Closed Variation, and 4...d6, typically leading to the La Bourdonnais Variation after 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb6.

Old main line: 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.0-0

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5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3

7.Nc3 offers a pawn sacrifice. It usually continues 7...Nxe4 8.0-0. After this, Black usually plays 8...Bxc3. White can then play 9.d5, the Møller Attack, sacrificing a pawn for development and the initiative, or simply recapture with 9.bxc3, which was the most common move before the discovery of 9.d5, but is now a side line.

8...Nxc3, which was played in Greco's games (as White) in this line, is a notable alternative for Black. Black sometimes also avoids the sharp complications of the Møller Attack after 7.Nc3 with 7...d5?! (which was played several times against Wilhelm Steinitz), 7...d6?!, 7...0-0, or 7...Bxc3, but these lead to passive positions for Black.

Møller Attack: 8...Bxc3 9.d5

a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h Møller Attack: 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.0-0 Bxc3 9.d5

a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h Main line: 9...Bf6 10.Re1 Ne7 11.Rxe4 d6 12.Bg5 Bxg5 13.Nxg5

After 8...Bxc3, 9.d5 is the most common move for White. The most common continuation is 9...Bf6 (followed by 9...Ne5), with the main line continuing 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.

After 13...h6!, the most common continuation is 14.Qe2, where after 14...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 sufficient compensation for the sacrificed pawn, according to Larry Kaufman; 14.Qh5 0-0 15.Rae1 Ng6! (or 15...Nf5!) also favours Black, as does 14.Bb5+ Bd7.

A recent try for White is 12.Rf4, with the idea of sacrificing the exchange on f6 for attacking chances, as seen in the game Jorden van Foreest vs Levon Aronian, Chessable Masters 2021. It has the advantage that it has not been analyzed as deeply as the traditional 12.Bg5. Black has the option, however, of inviting a repetition with 12...Ng6 13.Re4+ Ne7, as occurred in Rauf Mamedov vs Sergey Karjakin, Gashimov Memorial, Baku 2021. If instead Black plays 13...Be7, White has 14.h4! with good practical chances.^[16] The pawn thrust 12.g4 is another occasionally seen line for White.

Black has the ninth move alternative of 9...Ne5, with the most common continuation being 10.bxc3 (10.Qe2 is also common) Nxc4 11.Qd4, followed by 11...0-0 12.Qxe4 (or 12.Qxc4) or 11...f5 12.Qxc4 d6. 11...Ncd6?! is inferior due to 12.Qxg7 Qf6 13.Qxf6 Nxf6 14.Rfe1+ Nfe4! (both 14...Kf8 and 14...Kd8 lose) 15.Nd2 f5 16.f3 and White has the better chances in the coming endgame.^[17]

Greco's line: 8...Nxc3 9.bxc3

a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.0-0 Nxc3 9.bxc3 d5!

a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h Aitken Variation: 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.0-0 Nxc3 9.bxc3 Bxc3?! 10.Ba3!

After 8...Nxc3, 9.bxc3 is White's usual reply. The line is playable but inferior to allowing the Møller Attack. If 9...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#.^[18][19] This trap 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, instead best for Black is 9...d5!. A typical continuation is 10.cxb4 dxc4 11.Re1+ Ne7 12.Qa4+! Bd7 13.b5 0-0 14.Qxc4 Ng6!.

White's seventh move alternatives

7.Bd2

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5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Bd2

If White does not want to gambit material, 7.Bd2 is a good alternative. A possible continuation is 7...Bxd2+ 8.Nbxd2 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Qb3 Nce7 (10...Na5 is an alternative, inviting a repetition of moves after 11.Qa4+ Nc6 [threatening 12...Nb6] 12.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.

Another possible continuation, recommended by Kaufman, is 7...Nxe4 8.Bxb4 Nxb4 9.Bxf7+ Kxf7 10.Qb3+ d5!? (10...Kf8 11.Qxb4+ Qe7 12.Qxe7+ Kxe7 is safer, reaching an equal endgame) 11.Ne5+ Ke6! 12.Qxb4 c5!?, but this line is significantly less common.

7.Nbd2

7.Nbd2 is also a viable move for White, although this still only offers approximate equality.

Kraków Variation: 7.Kf1

7.Kf1 was named the Kraków Variation after members of the Kraków Chess Club ran a theme tournament and published analysis of it in 1909. It has the obvious disadvantage of giving up castling rights, thereby impeding the entry of the king's rook into active play, but avoids self-pinning. It was occasionally seen in the 19th and early 20th centuries but is now largely abandoned. It most often continues with either 7...d5 8.exd5 Nxd5 9.Nc3 or 7...Nxe4 8.d5 Ne7 9.Qd4 Nf6 10.Bg5.^[20]

6.e5

a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h Advance Variation: 5.d4 exd4 6.e5

a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h Main line: 6...d5 7.Bb5 Ne4 8.cxd4 Bb6

White can also try 6.e5, a line favoured by Evgeny Sveshnikov which has seen a surge in popularity in the early 21st century.^[21]

Black's only good reply is 6...d5, immediately striking back in the centre. Alternatives are weak:

• If 6...Ng4, White may try the temporary sacrifice 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Ng5+, but the simpler 7.cxd4 is clearly better for White. Black's knight is badly placed and White dominates the centre.
• If 6...Ne4, 7.Bd5! traps the knight and forces Black to choose between the weakening 7...f5 and the speculative sacrifice 7...Nxf2!? The latter line led to a famous win for Black in the game known as "Petrov's Immortal", Hoffmann-Petrov, Warsaw 1844: 8.Kxf2 dxc3+ 9.Kg3 cxb2 10.Bxb2 Ne7 11.Ng5? Nxd5 12.Nxf7 O-O!! 13.Nxd8 Bf2+ 14.Kh3 d6+ 15.e6 Nf4+ 16.Kg4 Nxe6 17.Nxe6 Bxe6+ 18.Kg5 Rf5+ 19.Kg4 h5+ 20.Kh3 Rf3#.^[22] Instead of the aggressive 11.Ng5?, White should consolidate with 11.Qc2 or 11.h3, with the better chances in each case.^[23]

After 6...d5 7.Bb5 Ne4 8.cxd4, 8...Bb6 is approximately equal. 8...Bb4+, the Anderssen Variation, typically continuing 9.Bd2 Nxd2 10.Nbxd2 0-0, is considered less accurate.^[24] After 8...Bb6, the main line continues 9.Nc3 0-0 10.Be3 Bg4 (10...f5 is also common) 11.h3 Bh5 12.Qc2, and from there 12...Bg6 13.Qc2 Ne7 14.0-0 c6 15.Bd3, 12...Nxc3 13.bxc3 f6, or 12...Ba5 13.0-0 Bxf3 14.gxf3. White has a space advantage; Black has a powerful knight.

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Centre holding line: 4.c3 Qe7

Black can try to hold a strongpoint in the centre at e5 with 4...Qe7, a move which first appeared in the Göttingen manuscript c. 1500.^[25] After 5.d4 (5.0-0 usually transposes) Bb6, White's options include 6.0-0, 6.d5, 6.a4 and 6.Bg5.^[26] This approach has always been less popular than the 4...Nf6 lines described above. A typical continuation is 6.0-0 d6 7.a4 a6 8.h3 Nf6 9.Re1 0-0 (Leonhardt–Spielmann, Ostend 1907).^[27]

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Giuoco Pianissimo: 4.d3

With 4.d3, White plays the Giuoco Pianissimo (Italian for 'Very Quiet Game', a name given by Adolf Anderssen).^[28] White aims for a slow buildup, deferring the push to d4 until it can be prepared. By avoiding an immediate confrontation in the centre, White prevents the early release of tension through exchanges and enters a positional maneuvering game. Black usually responds with 4...Nf6 (or 4...d6 and then 5...Nf6).

If White plays c3, the position can take some characteristics of the Ruy Lopez if the bishop retreats to c2 via b3. This idea has been taken up by some grandmasters, such as Anish Giri, to avoid the drawish Berlin Defence in the Ruy Lopez. White can also play b4 and a4, chasing the black bishop and staking out space on the queenside. Despite its slow, drawish reputation, this variation became more popular after being taken up by John Nunn in the 1980s. The common move orders are 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 (ECO C54), and transposition from the Bishop's Opening: 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 Nc6 4.Nf3 Bc5 5.c3 or 5.0-0 d6 6.c3.

If White plays Nc3 instead of c3, usually via 4...Nf6 5.Nc3, this leads to the hypersymmetrical Italian Four Knights Variation.^[29]

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Evans Gambit: 4.b4

In the Evans Gambit (4.b4), White sacrifices a pawn for quick development and attacking chances. The main line continues 4...Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 (5...Be7 is a sound alternative) 6.d4, and now Black's main options are 6...d6 and 6...exd4. Perhaps the most famous game in the Evans Gambit is the Evergreen Game, a spectacular win by Adolf Anderssen against Jean Dufresne, probably played in Berlin in 1852.

• 4.Nc3 may transpose to the Italian Four Knights Variation after 4...Nf6 5.d3.
• 4.0-0 Nf6 can continue with 5.d3, transposing to the Giuoco Pianissimo; 5.d4, the Deutz Gambit; or 5.c3, the Albin Gambit.
• 4.0-0 d6 usually transposes to the Giuoco Pianissimo with 5.d3 (or 5.c3 Nf6 6.d3), or into a line of the Albin Gambit with 5.c3 Nf6 6.d4.
• 4.c3 d6 most often continues 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb6 (6...Bb4+ is playable but inferior), the La Bourdonnais Variation, a line that can also be reached from the Scotch Gambit via 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.c3 d6 6.cxd4 Bb6. In this line, Black yields the centre to White but has reasonably developed pieces.
• 4.c3 Bb6 tends to transpose to the Closed Variation after 5.d4 Qe7 or the 4...d6 line after 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 d6.
• 4.d3 f5 is the not-so-quiet Lucchini Gambit; there can follow 5.Ng5 f4, the Dubois Variation.^[30]

Codes from the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings are:

• C50 Italian Game, 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