TacticForge

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3

The Italian Game

A complete attacking repertoire for White after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3: the classical Italian with c3 and d4, 4.Ng5 against the Two Knights, the Fried Liver, and clear answers to the Petrov, the Philidor and every gambit club players try.

3.Bc4 is one of the oldest moves in chess. The bishop points at f7, the one square in Black's camp that only the king defends, and the Italian Game has been played for more than five hundred years. It is also modern: in game 11 of the 2021 World Championship, Ian Nepomniachtchi chose it over the Ruy Lopez.

This book plays it the classical way. Against 3…Bc5, White builds a centre with c3 and d4; against the Two Knights, 4.Ng5 goes straight for f7. The lines are sharp, but the ideas repeat: open the centre while Black's king is still there, develop fast, and look at f7.

Chapter 1, the Giuoco Piano, is free to read. The rest cover the Two Knights and the Traxler, Black's other third moves, Petrov's Defence, the Philidor, and the gambits that club players use as surprises: the Elephant, the Latvian and the Blackburne Shilling.

Chapters

  1. 1The Giuoco Piano: 3…Bc5 4.c3After 3…Bc5 4.c3 White prepares d4 and a big centre. Against 4…Nf6 the Møller Attack gives a pawn for a lead in development; against 4…d6, White keeps the centre and a safe extra space.
  2. 2The Two Knights: 4.Ng5 d54.Ng5 attacks f7 at once. After 4…d5 5.exd5 White is a pawn up: against 5…Nxd5, the Fried Liver wins the king hunt; against 5…Na5, White keeps the pawn and develops.
  3. 3The Traxler: 4.Ng5 Bc5Black ignores the threat to f7 and counterattacks f2. The safe answer is 5.Bxf7+: White wins a pawn, Black's king cannot castle, and the wild lines after 5.Nxf7 are avoided.
  4. 4Other Third Moves: 3…h6, 3…d6, 3…Be7 and the TrapsAgainst passive third moves, White opens the centre at once with d4. Against the Blackburne Shilling, 4.Nxd4 avoids the famous trap; against the Rousseau Gambit, 4.d4 punishes Black's loose king.
  5. 5The Petrov: 2…Nf63.d4 avoids the symmetrical lines of the Petrov. After 3…exd4 4.e5, the knight is kicked and White gets the d4 pawn back; after 3…Nxe4 4.Bd3 d5 5.Nxe5, White keeps a small but lasting initiative.
  6. 6The Philidor: 2…d63.d4 hits e5 at once. After 3…exd4 4.Nxd4 White develops freely, castles long and attacks; against 3…Nc6, 4.Bb5 pins the knight and increases the pressure on e5.
  7. 7Gambits and Sidelines: 2…d5, 2…f5, 2…Bc5 and 2…Qf6Against the Elephant and Latvian gambits, take the pawn and keep it. Against 2…Bc5, 3.Nxe5 wins a pawn; against 2…Qf6, develop and chase the queen.

Move index

Every line in the book, by the moves where it branches off. Click a title to go to the line; lines in Premium chapters are marked with a lock.

How this book was checked

Every move recommended for White is within 0.3 pawns of Stockfish 18's first choice at depth 20. Every Black reply played in at least 5% of club games is covered, checked against millions of Lichess blitz and rapid games between 1600 and 2000 rated players, and so are the rarer gambits club players use as surprises. Where several moves are equally sound, the book takes the one that scores best for White at club level. Every mistake and trap shown is confirmed by the engine, and every number in a note comes from the engine, not from memory.