Chess Openings Lab
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Italian Game: Giuoco Piano

The Giuoco Piano is 3...Bc5, the classical reply in the Italian Game where Black mirrors White by aiming a bishop at the weak f2 square. White now picks a plan: slow with c3 or d3, gambits like b4 or d4, while Black wants quick ...Nf6, ...d6 and castling.

Moves
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5
ECO
C50
Engine
+0.24 · level (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
Played
17,640 games in our lichess sample
White scores
49.5%

Key ideas for both sides

White

  • Play c3 to prepare d4, building a two-pawn center that hits the c5 bishop with tempo.
  • Choose d3 for a slow, safe buildup with c3, h3 and Nbd2, keeping e4 protected by a pawn.
  • Try b4, the Evans Gambit, giving a pawn to deflect the bishop and speed up c3 and d4.
  • Avoid Bxf7+ tricks: giving the bishop for one pawn leaves White short of material.

Black

  • Develop with ...Nf6 next, hitting e4 so White must decide how to protect it.
  • Support e5 with ...d6 and castle short before starting any action in the center.
  • Keep the c5 bishop alive against c3 and d4 with a retreat to b6, or a check on b4.
  • Look for ...d5 as the freeing break once the pieces are out.

Plans and pawn structure

The c4 and c5 bishops both stare at f2 and f7, so king safety comes first. With c3 and d4 White aims for a pawn center and space; Black answers by trading on d4 and checking on b4, or by holding e5 with ...d6. With d3 the center stays closed and the game becomes a maneuvering contest: Nbd2-f1-g3 for White, ...Ne7-g6 or ...a6 and ...Bb6 for Black. Gambits with b4 or d4 give open lines in return for a pawn.

Where the engine's main line heads: Quiet center: c3–d3–e4 against e5. A slow center: White has c3, d3 and e4 against e5. Nobody is in a hurry, and the d3–d4 break decides when the game opens.

What the engine plays from here

Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position +0.24: level. Its three top choices for White:

  1. +0.24 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 O-O 6.O-O d6
  2. +0.23 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 O-O 6.c3 Bb6
  3. +0.22 4.d3 Nf6 5.O-O O-O 6.c3 d6

Pawns, from White's side.

How it scores on lichess

17,640 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 49.5%.

under 120048.5%
1200–159949.8%
1600–199949.7%
2000 and up49.8%

Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.

Where it goes next

How to play against it

As White, choose a setup you know: c3 with d4 for central play, or d3 for a quiet game. Do not rush Ng5 or Bxf7+ tricks, which cost material against careful defense. Castle early, since the c5 bishop already points at your king.

Questions

What are the moves of the Italian Game: Giuoco Piano?

The Italian Game: Giuoco Piano starts 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5. Its ECO code is C50.

Is the Italian Game: Giuoco Piano good for Black?

Stockfish 17.1 rates the position +0.24 at depth 20, which is level. In 17,640 lichess games from our sample, White scored 49.5%. A sound, classical choice for both colors that suits players of every level, and it teaches central play and king safety.

What is the main idea of the Italian Game: Giuoco Piano?

Both bishops point at the weak f-pawns, and both sides race to develop and castle. White chooses between the c3 and d4 center, the slow d3 setup, or gambits like b4, and Black responds with ...Nf6, ...d6 and castling.

What should White play next?

The engine's first choice is c3, with O-O and d3 close behind. 4.c3 prepares d4, so White can build a pawn center that attacks the c5 bishop.

Updated October 2026. Sources and method.